Tag Archives: biotic

Chapter 9: Habitats, environment and survival

leaning_tree

Author’s photo taken at the Leaning Trees of Greenough, Western Australia

Learning Intention: Students will understand the biotic and abiotic factors that affect the distribution and abundance of organisms on earth.

Success Criteria: Students will successfully complete the Chapter 9 review questions and be able to list biotic and abiotic factors that affect the survival of organisms on earth.

Buffeted by the prevailing southerly winds, these eucalypts have survived despite challenging conditions. The survival of organisms, and therefore their distribuition and abundance, depends on both biotic (living – predators, competitors, pathogens, parasites) and abiotic (physical – temperature, wind speed, pH, atmospheric gases, turbidity, salinity, solar radiation) factors. This chapter of work is about habitats and the factors that affect the survival of organisms in their environments. Learn some definitions for this chapter at Chapter 9: Habitat and Survival Flashcards.  You will also learn about niches and resource use graphs. Match some Australian species to their habitats at DECC.

Living organisms survive in their environments due to structual, functional and behavioural adaptations. Evolution is the process by which living organisms have changed over thousands of years to become more suited to their environments. Google ‘evolution’ and you will find an enormous selection of contradictory articles confirming or condemning “The Theory of Evolution”, first proposed by Charles Darwin in 1859.

To summarise Darwin’s Theory of Evolution;

1. Variation: There is variation in every population.
2. Competition: Organisms compete for limited resources.
3. Offspring: Organisms produce more offspring than can survive.
4. Genetics: Organisms pass genetic traits on to their offspring.
5. Natural Selection: Those organisms with the most beneficial traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Habitats, Environment and Survival

Otway forest

Image Source

This chapter of work is about habitats and the factors that affect the survival of organisms in their environments. You will learn about biotic (living) factors – predators, competitors, pathogens, parasites – and abiotic (non-living) factors – temperature, wind speed, pH, atmospheric gases, turbidity, salinity, solar radiation etc. You will also learn about niches and resource use graphs. Match some Australian species to their habitats at DECC.

Living organisms survive in their environments due to structual, functional and behavioural adaptations. Evolution is the process by which living organisms have changed over thousands of years to become more suited to their environments. Google ‘evolution’ and you will find an enormous selection of contradictory articles confirming or condemning “The Theory of Evolution”, first proposed by Charles Darwin in 1859.

To summarise Darwin’s Theory of Evolution;
1. Variation: There is variation in every population.
2. Competition: Organisms compete for limited resources.
3. Offspring: Organisms produce more offspring than can survive.
4. Genetics: Organisms pass genetic traits on to their offspring.
5. Natural Selection: Those organisms with the most beneficial traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

First week, term 3: Unit 2

Year 11students in Tattersalls Lane, ChinaTown.

As I will be on year 9/10 Rubicon camp during the first week of term 3, you will need to work through Chapter 9 in class. Unit 2 is about “Organisms and their Environment” and Area of Study 1 is concerned with Adaptations of Organisms. First we look at habitats, environment and survival. By the end of this chapter you will:

  • develop a knowledge and understanding of habitats and the environments that exist in them
  • identify major factors that produce the environments of various habitats and distinguish between biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors.
  • give examples of structural adaptations that equip organisms for survival under particular environmental conditions
  • explore technologies used to record environmental factors and track distribution of species within their habitats.

Read through Chapter 9 and make sure you can answer the “Quick Check” questions (no need to write the answers, just answer them quietly to yourselves). Answer the Chapter Review questions on pages 293 to 296. These will be due Friday 24th July (end of second week of term). There are more resources on the Biology wiki at http://hawkesbiology.wikispaces.com/. Please register as a member and add any links to resources you find useful on the appropriate page.

If you have any problems, Don may be able to help, or contact me via Twitter (brittgow); email or Facebook.