The variety of organisms able to adapt to various environments on earth is called biodiversity. It is the sum of all living organisms in an environment. As biodiversity increases, the whole ecosystem has a greater ability to adapt to changes.
There are 3 types of biodiversity:
- Genetic diversity
- Species diversity
- Ecosystem diversity
Genetic diversity is the variety of genes that control inheritable characteristics present in an organism. For example, butterflies come in a variety of colors, and the color of each butterfly is determined by its genes.
Species diversity is the number of species and the relative abundance of each species in a single location. For example, a rainforest composed of different species of trees. As species diversity increases, the health of the ecosystem also increases.
Ecosystem diversity can be defined as the variety of ecosystems found in a region or the variation in ecosystems in the world. There are more than 400 different ecosystems globally. A new ecosystem discovered recently was named Jaich Maa.
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Adaptation to the environment by a population does not include
Adaptation to the environment by a population does not include man-made changes in an environment. Man-made changes include polluting the environment. There are three types of man-made pollution:
- Air pollution
- Water pollution
- Land pollution
All of life on earth exists in a region known as the biosphere. Pollution affects all organisms living in a biosphere. Within a biosphere, many animals form complex societies of related individuals and live in their own habitats.
The five major types of habitats are:
- Forests
- Grasslands
- Deserts
- Mountains
- aquatic habitat
A population responds only to natural changes in a biosphere. It fails to adapt to man-made changes, such as pollution and instead becomes extinct.
Environmental evolution definition
Environmental evolution definition is the process by which an organism changes and adapts to the environment. This process is carried out by the rules of natural selection.
All environments on earth that support life include a variety of living organisms. These organisms adapt to an environment and change throughout the years.
Organisms that are best suited to their environment reproduce at a higher rate. As a result, the number of fitter organisms in the following generations increases.
How natural selection is important to biomes and organisms
Natural selection is important to biomes and organisms because it is the process by which only the organisms best suited to a biome survive.
Natural selection is a process through which organisms adapt to different environments. As a result of this process, only those organisms survive that are best suited for a particular environment.
The process of natural selection is essential to forming biomes. All the living organisms that inhabit an environment form a biological community known as a biome. These communities cannot be formed without the process of natural selection.
Additionally, natural selection is an integral part of the process of evolution. Organisms evolve over many years to the area where an organism lives. This process results in the formation of a variety of biomes.
How do life forms vary in different environments
Life forms vary in different environments due to the process of natural selection. A single ecosystem will include different life forms that have adapted to its environment through the process of natural selection.
Natural selection is carried out due to biotic and abiotic factors present in a certain environment. Biotic factors include all the living things present in an environment. Whereas abiotic factors include the non living environment around an organism, such as air, humidity, water, soil, etc.
Biotic factors determine the relationship between organisms living in an environment. For example, they can be symbionts, competitors, predators, or prey.
Environmental differences within ecosystems are generally caused by abiotic factors. For example, temperature varies within an ecosystem and creates an environmental difference.
The environmental setting to which a species is adapted
The environmental setting to which a species is adapted is called its Ecological niche. It explains how a particular organism interacts with its environment.
An environment contains both biotic and abiotic factors. Animals in an ecosystem are affected by these factors, which in turn, define their ecological niche. For example, the name “dung beetle” is given to a specific type of beetle because it consumes dung from its surroundings.
Which has a greater impact on the survival of an organism
Which has a greater impact on the survival of an organism, temperatures above its maximum temperature or temperatures below its minimum temperature? The answer is that any temperature above an organism’s maximum temperature has a greater impact on its survival.
The reason for this is the fact that any temperature beyond the maximum level can affect metabolic activity. For example, human metabolic activity is most efficient at 37 degrees Celsius. Any temperature beyond that can lower the metabolic rate drastically.
Temperature, along with other biotic and abiotic factors, can affect the survival of plant and animal life of a region. Due to these factors, many plants die out, and animals migrate to different environments around the world.