Ecological Tolerance (College Board AP® Environmental Science): Flashcards
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- FrontEcological Tolerance
Define ecological tolerance.
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Cards in this collection (11)
Define ecological tolerance.
Ecological tolerance is the range of environmental conditions an organism can endure before experiencing harm or death.
What are four environmental conditions that organisms have a tolerance range for?
Organisms have tolerance ranges for conditions such as temperature, salinity, flow rate, sunlight, pH, oxygen levels, and nutrient availability.
Organisms thrive within their range and struggle as conditions approach their tolerance limits.
Organisms thrive within their optimal range and struggle as conditions approach their tolerance limits.
True or False?
Organisms can survive outside their tolerance limits for as long as conditions remain stable.
False.
Organisms cannot survive outside their tolerance limits, and they already experience stress as conditions approach those limits.
Why can a small rise in temperature cause coral bleaching?
Coral reefs have a narrow tolerance range for temperature, so even small increases can lead to bleaching.
What factors influence an individual organism's range of tolerance?
An individual's range of tolerance is influenced by factors such as its genetics, age, and health.
How does stress outside optimal conditions affect individual organisms?
Stress outside optimal conditions can reduce reproduction, growth, and survival rates.
What do tolerance ranges shape for an entire species?
Tolerance ranges shape a species' distribution and abundance in ecosystems.
True or False?
Generalist species tend to have narrow tolerance ranges.
False.
Generalists tend to have broader tolerance ranges, which allows them to thrive in diverse environments, as raccoons do.
Giant pandas are because they depend completely on bamboo forests for food and habitat.
Giant pandas are specialists because they depend completely on bamboo forests for food and habitat.
How can climate change affect species through their tolerance ranges?
Climate change can push species beyond their tolerance ranges, leading to shifts in ecosystems, species migrations, or species extinction.
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