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12. Competition and adaptation Typeit
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There are several features of a habitat that affect which organisms can live there. We can divide these into non-living factors and living factors.
Non-living factors which can affect living organisms include:
- light intensity
- rainfall
- wind intensity and direction
Living factors which can affect a species of organism are:
- availability of food – plants, fungi or to eat
- pollinating insects, so that can reproduce
- new predators arriving in the habitat, because too many of the species may be eaten
- new microorganisms, causing new
- new competitors – other species that may be better at surviving in the habitat
Competition
Organisms must compete for resources within a habitat because resources are limited and there are some resources which organisms cannot survive without.
If an organism is unsuccessful in competing and cannot move to another habitat, it will die.
Plants compete with each other for:
- so that they can make food by photosynthesis
- for photosynthesis and hydration
- minerals from the soil
- growing space
Animals compete with each other for:
- food − animals or plants to eat
- water
- (so they can reproduce)
- living space
It is this competition between organisms that allows natural selection to take place, because organisms which are best adapted to their are the ones that manage to survive and reproduce.
Humans compete with other animals for food, and with animals and for water and space.
Because we have tools and technology, we can adapt the land to suit ourselves; for example, by cutting down forests and changing the course of rivers. This means that human activities can be a big threat to the survival of other organisms.