Year 11 Biology: Competition Adaptations, Interdependence and Communities

Introduction to Competition, Adaptations, Interdependence, and Communities

In this lesson, we will explore some key concepts in biology: competition, adaptations, interdependence, and communities. These ideas help us understand how living things interact with each other and their environment.

What is Competition?

Competition happens when living things try to get the same resources. Resources can be food, water, space, or even mates. When two or more species or individuals want the same thing, they compete.

Example:

Think about two animals in a forest: a fox and a wolf. Both need to eat. If there are not enough rabbits, they will compete to catch them. The faster or cleverer animal may get more food.

What are Adaptations?

Adaptations are special features or behaviours that help a living thing survive in its environment. They can be physical (body structure) or behavioural (actions).

Examples:

• A chameleon can change its colour to blend in with its surroundings. This helps it hide from predators.
• Some plants have deep roots to access water during dry seasons.

What is Interdependence?

Interdependence means that living things rely on each other to survive. In nature, many species are connected in a web of relationships.

Example:

Plants produce oxygen and food through photosynthesis. Animals, like humans, breathe in oxygen and eat plants. Without plants, many animals (including us) would struggle to survive.

What are Communities?

A community is a group of different species living together in a specific area. Each species plays a role, and they interact with one another in many ways.

Example:

In a coral reef community, there are fish, corals, sea turtles, and many more. They all interact, for example, by providing shelter or food to one another.

Key Rules

1. Understand Resources: Know what resources animals and plants compete for.
2. Recognise Adaptations: Identify how different species adapt to their environment.
3. Explore Interdependence: Look for ways species depend on each other.
4. Observe Communities: Study how various species coexist and interact in a particular area.

Tips and Tricks

• Use diagrams or drawings to visualise relationships in communities.
• Create flashcards for different adaptations and examples.
• Discuss real-life examples, such as local wildlife, to connect concepts to your environment.

Questions for Students

Easy Level Questions

1. What is competition in biology?
2. Name one resource that animals compete for.
3. What is an adaptation?
4. Give an example of a physical adaptation.
5. What do plants produce during photosynthesis?
6. Why do animals need oxygen?
7. What is a community in biology?
8. Name one animal that lives in a coral reef.
9. How do chameleons adapt to their environment?
10. What do animals compete for in a forest?
11. Give an example of interdependence between two species.
12. How do deep roots help plants survive?
13. Why is it important for living things to adapt?
14. What happens if one species in a community disappears?
15. Name a behaviour that is an adaptation.
16. What is the role of plants in the ecosystem?
17. How can competition affect animal populations?
18. What type of animal is a wolf?
19. How do animals find food in a community?
20. Why do some plants grow in dry areas?

Medium Level Questions

1. Explain how competition can lead to natural selection.
2. Describe how a predator-prey relationship exemplifies competition.
3. What are two types of adaptations? Give examples for each.
4. How does the shape of a bird’s beak relate to its diet?
5. Why do some animals migrate?
6. In what ways do trees and birds depend on each other?
7. How might climate change affect interdependence in ecosystems?
8. What is the difference between a habitat and a community?
9. Explain how camouflage is an adaptation.
10. How do plants attract pollinators?
11. Describe a symbiotic relationship.
12. How do food chains illustrate interdependence?
13. What role do decomposers play in a community?
14. How can competition lead to extinction?
15. Name a situation where two species might cooperate instead of compete.
16. Why are adaptations important for survival?
17. How do animals use their senses to find food?
18. What might happen if an invasive species enters a community?
19. Describe how a lion and a zebra are interdependent.
20. How do animals adapt to urban environments?

Hard Level Questions

1. Discuss how competition influences evolution.
2. Explain the concept of niche and how it relates to competition.
3. How can two species occupy the same habitat without direct competition?
4. What is resource partitioning? Give an example.
5. How can climate change impact species adaptations?
6. Explain how mutualism differs from parasitism.
7. How do adaptations contribute to biodiversity?
8. Discuss the role of keystone species in a community.
9. How does interdependence support ecosystem stability?
10. Describe the impact of habitat destruction on interdependence.
11. How do adaptations arise? Discuss the process of natural selection.
12. Explain how competition can drive speciation.
13. Discuss a case study of a successful adaptation in a specific species.
14. How do predators affect the population sizes of their prey?
15. What is the significance of genetic diversity in a community?
16. Describe how invasive species can disrupt interdependence.
17. Discuss how human activities can create new competition in ecosystems.
18. Explain the role of energy flow in ecosystems and its relationship to competition.
19. How do plants adapt to poor soil conditions?
20. Discuss how interdependence can lead to the restoration of ecosystems.

Answers and Explanations

Easy Level Answers

1. Competition is when living things try to get the same resources.
2. Food.
3. An adaptation is a feature that helps a living thing survive.
4. Chameleons changing colour.
5. Oxygen and food.
6. Animals need oxygen to breathe.
7. A community is a group of different species living together.
8. Clownfish.
9. By changing colour to blend in.
10. Food.
11. Bees pollinating flowers.
12. Deep roots help plants get water.
13. To survive in different environments.
14. The ecosystem could become unbalanced.
15. Migration.
16. They produce oxygen and food.
17. It can decrease populations or cause changes.
18. A carnivore.
19. By hunting or foraging in groups.
20. Some plants develop thick leaves to store water.

Medium Level Answers

1. Competition can lead to natural selection by favouring certain traits.
2. A lion (predator) and a zebra (prey) compete for survival.
3. Behavioural and physical adaptations; example: beak shape, colour.
4. Different beak shapes allow birds to eat different foods.
5. To find better resources or breeding grounds.
6. Trees provide shelter and food for birds.
7. It could disrupt food chains and relationships.
8. A habitat is where organisms live; a community is all species in an area.
9. Camouflage helps organisms avoid being seen by predators.
10. By producing nectar and colourful flowers.
11. A symbiotic relationship is when two species benefit from each other.
12. Food chains show who eats whom in an ecosystem.
13. Decomposers break down dead matter and recycle nutrients.
14. It can lead to a loss of biodiversity.
15. Cooperation, such as cleaning mutualism.
16. To adapt to environmental changes.
17. They use smell, sight, or hearing.
18. It can outcompete native species for resources.
19. They need grass and water.
20. By growing shorter or needing less water.

Hard Level Answers

1. Competition drives natural selection by favouring traits that improve survival.
2. A niche is a species’ role; it relates to competition by limiting resource overlap.
3. Through resource partitioning, they may eat at different times or areas.
4. Resource partitioning is when species use the same resource differently.
5. Species may not adapt quickly enough to survive changing conditions.
6. Mutualism is where both benefit; parasitism harms one for the other’s gain.
7. Adaptations help species thrive in diverse environments.
8. Keystone species maintain community structure and diversity.
9. Interdependence keeps populations stable through relationships.
10. It can lead to species loss and community collapse.
11. Through random mutations and natural selection over generations.
12. Competition can create new species when populations adapt.
13. Example: giraffes with long necks reaching higher leaves.
14. Predators control prey populations, preventing overpopulation.
15. Genetic diversity increases resilience to changes.
16. Invasive species may outcompete natives for resources, disrupting balance.
17. Pollution or urbanization can change habitats and introduce new competition.
18. Energy flow supports life, and competition regulates populations.
19. By developing deeper roots or thicker leaves.
20. Ecosystems can recover through natural processes or human intervention.

Feel free to explore these concepts further and ask questions if you’re unsure about anything!