Competition and adaptation

A or or B What are they competing for? Which will win? What will happen to the loser? A or Albino peacock Normal peacock or B Scented rose Unscented rose

How are these organisms adapted to their environment? Extra challenge: Thermophile bacteria

What do we mean by competition?

Why do animals and plants compete? Competition: Animals and plants have to compete for limited resources. The best adapted animals or plants will win and survive.

What might animals compete for? Task 1: What might animals compete for?

Plants and animals compete with each other for the things they need. The organism that is better adapted will win the competition and survive. The organism that loses will either die or move to another habitat. Animals mainly compete for: Food Territory A mate Plants mainly compete for: Water/minerals from the soil Sunlight

Competition in animals: video clips Clip 1: Predators & prey Resource How are the predators and prey competing? What adaptations do they have to help them? Clip 2: How does the bird attract mates? Explain what plants and animals compete for.

Mates Food Predators http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0E6geAq1k8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygh1-ul6E94 Mates http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPbWJPsBPdA

Clip 1: Resource How are the predators and prey competing? What adaptations do they have to help them? Food Wolf-to get food Caribou-competing not to get eaten Run fast, good sense of smell, sharp teeth, good sight and hearing, Long legs to run fast, eyes on side of head to see predators

Clip 2: Attracting mates Sings. Males with the most complicated songs will attract more females Builds a bower and collects brightly coloured objects to decorate it. Females mate with males that have the most decorated bower.

What might plants compete for? Task 2: What might plants compete for?

What do plants compete for? Plants shed seeds far away so the parent plant is not in competition with its offspring To keep tissues rigid and supported and for photosynthesis So plants can make all the chemicals they need in their cells For photosynthesis. Making food using the energy from the sun Water Light Minerals & nutrients from the soil Space LO: Explain what plants and animals compete for.

Watch the 2 David Attenborough clips Copy the table into your book and fill it in Name of plant What it is competing for How it competes successfully Clip 1: Clip 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igkjcuw_n_U (Amazon lily) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trWzDlRvv1M&NR=1 (Pitcher plant)

What is different about competition in plants and animals? LO: Compare competition in plants and animals.

What are the animals competing for in each picture? Quite a lot of dryish grass for the zebra but the wilderbeast are keeping their beads down Competing for water Space-prob helps tp keep close and keep warm but each bird needs their own peronsal space or territory Mating ops- elecphant seals congregate in harems wqhere only dominat males can mate with the females on the beach What happens if they lose? Move area, Adopt new strategies, Extinct/die

Adaptation

ALOE VERA

No true leaves, which would lose water rapidly. ALOE VERA Can store large amounts of water in leaves and stems enough to last between rain showers No true leaves, which would lose water rapidly. Has a shallow but very large network of roots letting it absorb lots of water when it rains.

Arctic hare.

Arctic hare. Small eyes and ears for protection against the cold. Small ears keep heat loss low. Insulating fat layer and thick fur reduce heat loss. White fur in winter for camouflage. Becomes grey in summer.

Desert hare

Thin fur coat that allows heat loss. Desert hare Thin fur coat that allows heat loss. Large ears that radiate heat out. - Very little insulating body fat.

Osprey

Sharp talons for catching prey and holding it. Osprey Sharp talons for catching prey and holding it. Muscular legs for lifting prey. Forward facing eyes giving binocular vision. Allows excellent distance judgement

Baracuda

Sharp teeth and strong jaws for catching and eating prey. streamlined shape to reduce friction when moving through water fins provide stability, power and control gills have a large surface area so that oxygen can be extracted from the surrounding water Photo credit: © 2006 Jupiterimages Corporation

Drosera (Sun dew plant). Nicknamed the sticky fly trap plant.

Drosera (Sun dew plant). Nicknamed the sticky fly trap plant. Produces a sugary substance that attracts insects. Insect movement triggers sticky hairs hold the insect. Plant makes enzymes that digest the insect. Lives in low nutrient soils so gets nutrients from insects.

Flounder fish

Camouflaged against the sea bed. Flounder fish Camouflaged against the sea bed. Upward facing eyes to look for predators and food. Muscular body and large back fin allows burrowing into sand and fast movement along sea bed.

Lion

-Camouflaged against dry grass allowing prey to be stalked . Lion -Camouflaged against dry grass allowing prey to be stalked . -Forward facing eyes allow good distance judgement. - Sharp retractable claws for holding prey.

Desert gazelle

Highly efficient kidneys that waste little water. Desert gazelle Highly efficient kidneys that waste little water. Long thin legs allow heat loss from the underside of the animal. Thin fur and large ears allow rapid heat loss.

Compare these two hares and suggest reasons for one of their differences. (A grade)

Looking at the four photographs, complete the table. Organism Adaptation (D) How does that adaptation help it survive? (C) Predict its habitat or lifestyle and connect this to its adaptation ( B )

Adaptation (D) How does that adaptation help it survive? (C) Predict its habitat or lifestyle and connect this to its adaptation ( B ) Many rows of sharp teeth It can capture prey and tear flesh. It is a top predator capable eating many other animals. Streamlined shape powerful fins It can swim fast to chase and catch prey It is a top underwater predator capable of chasing, catching and eating many other animals.

Adaptation (D) How does that adaptation help it survive? (C) Predict its habitat or lifestyle and connect this to its adaptation ( B ) Hump contains a large fat store It can go without food for a long time. It has to live for long periods without food such as in deserts where plant life is limited. Highly efficient kidneys Limits loss of water in urine. It has to live for long times without water such as in deserts where water is scarce.

Adaptation (D) How does that adaptation help it survive? (C) Predict its habitat or lifestyle and connect this to its adaptation ( B ) Large water store in stem. Meaning it can go a long time without taking in water. It has to live for long periods without water such as in deserts where rainfall is limited. Very large root system close to surface. Soaks up lots of water when it has rained. It can get all of its water from a few rain showers per year such as in the desert.

Adaptation (D) How does that adaptation help it survive? (C) Predict its habitat or lifestyle and connect this to its adaptation ( B ) Trapping mechanism Can catch flies It needs to catch and digest fly's because it needs extra nutrients not found in the soil. It lives in poor soils such as bogs. Bright colour/scent Secretes digestive enzymes Attracts flies to it. Can digest flies As above.

Predict how these creatures are adapted for survival and predict their habitat.

Using the knowledge you have gained in the lesson, compare these two foxes giving likely reasons for two of their differences. (A grade question).