Podcast
Questions and Answers
Which type of plant flowers when the night length exceeds its critical photoperiod?
What term describes organisms that can thrive in low temperature environments?
Which of the following factors is primarily influenced by the length of day or night?
Which type of plant is adapted to grow in water?
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What is the term for plants that thrive in extremely dry conditions, such as deserts?
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Which of the following is NOT a limiting factor on land ecosystems?
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Day-neutral plants flower based on which of the following criteria?
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Which type of organism can thrive in environments with very high temperatures?
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What does Liebig's Law of Minimum state?
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Which statement best describes the law of tolerance?
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Which of the following is NOT a principle of the law of tolerance?
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What ecological factor is NOT emphasized in relation to land?
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What is the photic zone?
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Which of the following best describes ectothermic marine organisms?
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Which type of tolerance relates to the ability of organisms to survive varying environmental conditions?
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Which statement about reproductive individuals is true according to the principles of tolerance?
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Study Notes
Limiting Factors
- In biology, a limiting factor is a resource or environmental condition that restricts the growth, abundance, or distribution of an organism or a population.
- Liebig's Law of the Minimum states that growth is controlled by the scarcest resource, not the total amount available.
- Shelford's Law of Tolerance suggests that too little or too much of a factor can limit growth, not just too little.
- Organisms can have wide tolerance for some factors, but narrow tolerance for others.
- Organisms with wide tolerance ranges are typically more widespread.
- When one factor is not optimal, tolerance for other factors might decrease.
- Organisms are often not living at the optimal range of physical factors.
- Reproductive stages (seeds, eggs, embryos) generally have narrower tolerance ranges compared to adults.
Physical Factors
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Light:
- The photic zone is the depth to which light penetrates, supporting photosynthesis and primary production.
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Temperature:
- Most marine organisms are ectothermic, having their body temperatures match the surrounding water.
- Some are endothermic, maintaining a higher body temperature than the surrounding water (e.g., marine mammals, birds, some sharks).
- Salinity:
- Pressure:
- Oxygen: Important in freshwater environments.
- Dissolved Nutrients: Essential for plant growth.
Limiting Factors on Land
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Photoperiodism: A physiological reaction to the length of day or night.
- Long-day Plants: Flower when the night length is below a certain threshold. (Examples during specific seasons for specific regions.)
- Short-day Plants: Flower when the night length exceeds a certain threshold.
- Day-neutral Plants: Flowering is not dependent on day length.
Water Factors
- Xerophyte: Plants adapted to dry conditions (e.g., deserts).
- Mesophyte: Land plants adapted to moderate moisture.
- Hydrophyte: Plants adapted to aquatic environments.
Temperature Factors
- Oligothermal: Organisms thriving in very low temperatures.
- Polythermal: Organisms thriving in very high temperatures
- Mesothermal: Organisms adapted to medium temperature ranges.
Soil
- Soil is a mixture of minerals, organic matter, gases, liquids, and organisms.
- Soil layers include topsoil (rich in humus and minerals), subsoil, weathered rock, and bedrock.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the concept of limiting factors in biology. This quiz covers key principles such as Liebig's Law of the Minimum and Shelford's Law of Tolerance, focusing on how both physical and resource limitations affect organism growth and distribution. Challenge yourself to understand the various physical factors and their importance in ecological systems.
