Habitat: is the place or location where an organism lives.

Habitats are either:

•terrestrial eg.

•Aquatic *freshwater eg.*marine eg.

•Estuarine eg.

•f•w•s•b

Extreme Habitats: are locations that are hostile to live in.

Microhabitat: localized part of a general habitat where an organism lives.

Habitats provide resources such as:

.

Niche: refers to ‘way of life’ of a species or a species role in the community

Migration: the movement of a species in a predictable way between widely separated habitats. This can be annual or once in a lifetime.

Community: refers to member of different species that share one habitat.

Mexico

Australia

USA

Mexico

Iceland

Australia

New Zealand

Australia

1.AbioticThe factors that cause a particular condition in a habitat are called environmental factors and there are two categories

2.Biotic

The environment in a habitat is produced by the action and interactions of several environmental factors

• In a rocky intertidal

zone, what types of environmental factors may affect the distribution of these organisms?

Measuring environments

• Qualitative:

• Quantitative:

Micro-environment: refers to an environment found within an environment eg.

Tolerance range: refers to the variation with which an organism can survive. It’s influenced by structural, physiological and behavioural features.

Limiting factor: any environmental condition that restricts the types of organisms that can inhabit it.

Limiting FactorsTable 9.8 Examples of limiting factors in various habitats. Only one example of a limiting factor is given for each environment.

Habitat Limiting factor Comment

floor of tropical rainforest light intensity Low light intensity limits the kinds of plants that can survive.

desert water availability Limited water supply means that only plants able to tolerate desiccation can survive.

littoral zone (highest zone in rocky beach area)

desiccation Exposure to air and sun limits types of organism that survive.

polar region temperature Low temperatures limit the types of organism that are found.

stagnant pond dissolved oxygen levels Low dissolved oxygen levels limit the types of organism that can live there

Range: is the geographic area that encloses all the habitats where a species lives. NOTE: a large range doesn’t mean that a species is common and a small range doesn’t mean that a species is rare. Ranges also decrease and increase in size.

Numbat:Why is the numbat range diminishing?

Why is the cane toad population increasing?

Tamar WallabyWhy would the heartleaf poison also be found in the range of the wallaby?

What could gaps in the range mean? Why isn’t the range larger?

Kultarr

Large range but few sightings

Technology to map range

• Radio tracking:

• Satellite tracking:

Discuss with your partner various factors that may limit the “range” of an animal

Seed Germination Practical

• Germination:– process by which plants, fungus and bacteria

emerge from seeds and spores, and begin growth.– Seeds remain dormant or inactive until conditions

are right for germination.• Reproductive Strategies:

– Contrasting reproductive strategies that are used by different species of animals to maximise survival

– Eg. Rabbit vs Elephant

Surviving Australian Desert Group Task

Review Questions Chapter 9

• What is the difference between tolerance range and limiting factor? Give an example to illustrate your answer.

• Terms or concepts not familiar with in glossary

Recap of Chapter 9

• Niche + niche overlap• Make a concept map using 10 words of the

glossary of Chapter 9

Habitat

Environmental factors Organism

Range

Niche Overlap