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Ecology of Organisms. Biotic and Abiotic Factors. The living components of the environment are called biotic factors. The non-living components of an environment are called abiotic factors. The changing environment. Abiotic factors are not constant Temperature varies
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Biotic and Abiotic Factors • The living components of the environment are called biotic factors. • The non-living components of an environment are called abiotic factors.
The changing environment • Abiotic factors are not constant • Temperature varies • The photoperiod varies with seasons
Response to a Changing Environment • Organisms are able to survive within a wide range of environmental conditions • A graph of performance vs. values of environmental variables is called a Tolerance Curve
Acclimation • Some organisms can adjust their tolerance to abiotic factors through a process called acclimation.
Control of internal conditions • Conformers are organisms that cannot control their internal conditions. Ex jellyfish, reptiles. • Regulators control internal body conditions and keep their bodies in the optimal range over a wide variety of environmental conditions.
Escape from Unsuitable Conditions • Some species can escape from unsuitable conditions temporarily, there are also others who remain in a state of reduced activity called dormancy • Another way a species can cope with an unsuitable environment is to leave or migrate to more hospitable areas.
Resources • Whether a species can survive in an area depends on the suitability of environmental conditions as well as availability of resources.
The Niche (nich) • The niche is a species way of life. • A species’ fundamental niche is the range of conditions that they could potentially tolerate. • A realized niche is the range of resources that a species actually uses.
Niche Differences • Generalists are species with broad niches. • Opossum • Raccoon • Specialists are species with narrow niches. • Koala
p. 372 • List three abiotic factors that can affect an organism • What does a tolerance curve indicate curve indicate about an organism • What is migration? Give an example of migration. • How is an organism’s niche different from it’s habitat. • List two factors that might cause an organism to restrict its use of a resource. • Explain why two different species do not occupy exactly the same niche.