Adaptations of Organisms (College Board AP® Environmental Science): Study Guide

Alistair Marjot

Written by: Alistair Marjot

Reviewed by: Jacque Cartwright

Updated on

Environmental adaptations of organisms

  • Organisms adapt to their environment in three main ways:

    • Behaviorally

    • Physiologically

    • Structurally

  1. Behavioral adaptations:

  • Actions taken by organisms to survive in their environment

    • Example: Birds migrating to warmer regions during winter to avoid harsh climates

  1. Physiological adaptations:

  • Internal body processes that help organisms survive

    • Example: Desert animals like camels conserving water by producing concentrated urine

  1. Structural adaptations:

  • Physical features that improve survival and reproduction

    • Example: Arctic foxes having thick fur to insulate against the cold

Short-term and long-term adaptations

  • Organisms adapt to their environment over time, both in short- and long-term scales

    • Short-term adaptations:

      • Temporary changes in response to immediate environmental changes

      • These adaptations are not inherited, do not involve changes to DNA, and play no role in evolutionary processes

      • Example: A human's body acclimatizing to high altitudes by increasing red blood cell production

    • Long-term adaptations:

      • Permanent changes that develop over many generations due to natural selection

      • These involve DNA changes at the genetic level and play a central role in evolutionary processes

      • Example: Giraffes evolving long necks to access food in tall trees

Responses of organisms to environmental changes

  • Environmental changes, whether sudden or gradual, can threaten a species' survival

    • Sudden changes:

      • May require immediate responses, such as altering certain behaviors or moving to a new habitat

    • Gradual changes:

      • Species may adapt over multiple generations, but individuals often face challenges in survival and reproduction

  • When environmental changes exceed a species' ability to adapt or speed of adaptation, the species may:

    • Alter behavior:

      • Example: Coyotes changing their activity patterns to become more nocturnal, helping them avoid human interaction and exploit food resources in urban areas during quieter nighttime hours

    • Migrate:

      • Example: Monarch butterflies shifting migration patterns due to climate-induced habitat changes

    • Perish:

      • Example: Extinction of species like the the golden toad (Incilius periglenes), which disappeared due to a combination of habitat loss and climate change that altered its breeding environment in the Monteverde Cloud Forest of Costa Rica

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Alistair Marjot

Author: Alistair Marjot

Expertise: Environmental Systems and Societies & Biology Content Creator

Alistair graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Biological Sciences. He has taught GCSE/IGCSE Biology, as well as Biology and Environmental Systems & Societies for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. While teaching in Oxford, Alistair completed his MA Education as Head of Department for Environmental Systems & Societies. Alistair has continued to pursue his interests in ecology and environmental science, recently gaining an MSc in Wildlife Biology & Conservation with Edinburgh Napier University.

Jacque Cartwright

Reviewer: Jacque Cartwright

Expertise: Geography Content Creator

Jacque graduated from the Open University with a BSc in Environmental Science and Geography before doing her PGCE with the University of St David’s, Swansea. Teaching is her passion and has taught across a wide range of specifications – GCSE/IGCSE and IB but particularly loves teaching the A-level Geography. For the past 5 years Jacque has been teaching online for international schools, and she knows what is needed to get the top scores on those pesky geography exams.

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