Adaptation To Daily & Seasonal Changes

1. Adaptation To Daily & Seasonal Changes D. Crowley, 2008

2. Adaptation To Daily & Seasonal Changes • To know how organisms can adapt to suit daily and seasonal changes

3. Animal Adaptation • Complete the animal adaptation worksheet – cut out the animal and write down how it is adapted to its environment

4. Animal Adaptation • Elephant (dry grassland) – trunk to suck up water to drink and cool itself down; tusks for protection / mating / knocking over trees to eat; large ears to help it cool down; little hair so as to not overheat; large size aiding protection; large feet to support body

5. Animal Adaptation • Dolphin (sea) – fins to swim; streamlined; air hole on top of head allowing it to breathe

6. Animal Adaptation • Frog (pond) – long tongue to catch flies; camouflage; strong hind legs for leaping

7. Animal Adaptation • Polar bear (Arctic) – white fur for camouflage; thick hair to keep warm; sharp claws for catching prey & gripping ice; large feet to stop it sinking into the snow

8. Animal Adaptation • Zebra (grassland) – tall to spot predation; stripes for camouflage; strong legs for running quickly

9. Daily Changes • Many habitats do not stay the same all the time • Daily changes to the environment include: - • Changes in the amount of light (between day and night) • Changes in the temperature • Changes in the amount of water (i.e. rainfall / tidal variations)

10. Seasonal Changes • Many habitats do not stay the same all the time • Seasonal changes to the environment include: - • Changes in temperature between the seasons (warm in summer, cold in winter) • Changes in the amount of light (between long daylight hours in the summer to shorter days in the winter) • Changes in vegetation due to conditions (lots of vegetation in summer, to bare trees and snow-covered grown in winter)

11. Daily Changes - Adaptations How are plants and animals adapted for daily changes? • Most flowers open their petals during the day (for pollination), but close them at night for protection • Some animals avoid predation by being nocturnal (come out at night) – however some predators specialise at hunting during the night! • Factors such as the tide (in or out) also affect the distribution of organisms

12. Seasonal Changes - Adaptations How are plants and animals adapted for seasonal changes? • Some organisms hibernate during the cold winter months when food is scarce • Different sized coats are grown by animals, e.g. a summer and winter coat • Insects spend the winter as pupae • Animals store food during plentiful times in preparation for when food becomes scarce • Some organisms migrate • Flowers die off in winter as there are fewer birds or insects to pollinate them • Deciduous trees lose their leaves (in case of permafrost)

13. Blue Planet • Watch the deep episode of The Blue Planet • How are these organisms adapted to their environment?!

14. Hibernation • What is hibernation? How does this help some organisms? • Hibernation occurs in some organisms, whereby they slow their body functions (e.g. breathing; metabolism; heart rate) • This saves the organism a great deal of energy (but they must store a great amount of energy during the summer when food is plentiful) • E.g. bats; tortoises; hedgehogs • *Bears are not true hibernators, they only slow down (slow heart rate) but their body temperature remains the same

15. Adaptations • Complete the adaptations worksheet

16. Adaptations • Complete the adaptations worksheet

17. Population Change • Complete the population change worksheet

18. Population Change • Producers – green plants; primary consumers – mice; secondary consumers - owls • Number of mice depends on amount of food (i.e. producers) • Number of owls linked to amount of mice – as season changes availably of food varies, allowing for either more individuals (summer) or fewer individuals (winter) • As mouse numbers increases, more owls can predate them, in turn reducing the mouse number leading to a decline in owl population size