Abiotic Factors

Physical and chemical properties of the enviroment temperature, water and humidity, light Subgroup of ecological factors

Temperature
Considering the body temperature, animals
can be:
Poikilothermic or ectothermic Homeothermic or endothermic Heterothermic

Poikilothermic or ectothermic animals

Variable body temperature depends on the enviroment Often change body temperature Fish, reptiles, invertabrates, amphibians

Homeothermic or endothermic animals

Constant body temperature Birds (38-42C) and mammals (36.9C) To mentain their body temperature they have:
Feathers and hair Fat tissue Developed cardiovascular system

Heterothermic
Depending on their needs, they can turn on endothermy or ectothermy Changes occur on a daily or on an annual basis Some bugs, birds and

bats

Diapauses
State of animal dormancy, in which an organism uses its fat reserves to survive Amphibians, reptiles and insects

Aestivation
State of animal dormancy, characterized by inactivity and a lowered metabolic rate Used to survive high temperatures and drought Snails, amphibians and rodents http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd_uqpAE wVo

Moulting
Change of feathers by birds or change of hair by mammals Preparation for new weather conditions

Hibernation
State of animal dormancy, characterized by inactivity, lowered body temperature and lowered metabolic rate Hedgehogs, dormouses, raccoons, bats and some marsupials

Plant Dormancy
Seeds dormant until temperature, humidity and light are just right Trees:
deciduous plants lose their leaves evergreens stop all new growth

Migrations
Some animals avoid cold weather by migrationg to warmer areas Whales, bats, some fish, butterflies and some birds

Body Temperature
Affects basal metabolism bigger animals have slower metabolism Extreme values affect enzymes which controll important chemical processes within an organism

Water and humidity - Xerophytes

Plants which adapted to low water and humidity enviroments by growing small hairs on their leaves (prickly saltwort) or by covering them with wax (laurel) Olive

Mesophytes
Transitional form from xenophytes to hygrophytes Most decidous trees oak, beech

Hygrophytes
Inhabit moist woods and meadows Leaves with many stomata Canes, sedges,

spearworts

Hydrophytes
Plants whose vegetational parts live underwater, float on water or are partially submerged in water Rice, lotus

Animal adaptations to water loss

Bugs chitin shell Reptiles scales Desert camel:
thick hair sun protection hump fat tissue, can contain up to 49 liters of water Can drink 90 liters of water in 10 minutes

Light
Diurnal animals active during daylight
Cheetahs, snakes

Nocturnal animals active at night

Bats, owls

Light
Olms are fully adapted to life in absolute darkness
Stunted eyes No pigment

Echolocation
Looking with ears Sonar principle Bats emit sound signals which bounce from their surroundings and enter their ears, and

this is how they evaluate distance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p08Y0oRA