LET’S CHECK ACTIVITY 3

1.) How species and communities evolve? Does evolution significantly influence the structure of
the future community and population structure?

Species and communities evolve through the process of natural selection. That is, they
undergo change in order to respond and adapt to the environment that they are living in. They
acquire new ways to survive, and these changes are reflected into their genes, which is then
passed to their offspring. Evolution influences the structure of the future communities and
population structure since the organisms that inherited the new genes had more chance to
survive to their environment, and thus, their population will become more abundant than those
species that was not able to adapt to the changes of their environment.

2.) What is adaptation? How organisms adapt in a pressing environmental situation?

Adaptation is a change that occurs in an organism, whether physical structure or

behavioral structure, in order to better survive in its own habitat. When faced in a pressing
environmental situation, they respond to these changes by modifying their physical
characteristics or adapting new behaviors to survive.

3.) Are natural resource have effect on the species composition, structure, and function.

Natural resources definitely have an effect on species’ composition, structure and

function. Like humans who rely on natural resources for their needs, other species also does the
same. Their survival, growth and productivity depends on their habitat’s availability of food and
other needed natural resources. Limited resources ensues competition among other species,
which then forces them to adapt new ways to survive.

4.) Why speciation happens? How speciation affects biological diversity.

Speciation happens when a certain group of species diverges from their members as
they develop new and distinct characteristics. Speciation helps maintain the biological diversity,
since it is a process where it creates new types of species, albeit in a slow pace over a long
period of time.

5.) What is ecological succession? Does succession happen in an urban environment? If yes, how?
If no, why?

Ecological succession exists wherein an ecosystem undergo a series of gradual changes

due to environmental conditions. While this usually happens in non-urban areas, this can also
occur in urban areas due to industrialization and modern technologies. An example to this is the
land clearing for constructions and site developments.
6.) Why organisms compete? Can competition favors or eliminate biological species.

Organisms compete because they want to survive. There is a shortage of natural

resources, but there are multiple species who needs them to survive. With this, competition
both favors and eliminates biological species. Those who remain superior have more means to
survive since they are more adjusted to their environment. Those who lose in the competition
will be eliminated, as, they can get fewer resources than the other species, and thus, might lead
to extinction.

7.) Differentiate primary succession and secondary succession. What are their similarities and
differences?

Primary succession is a succession that occurs in a primarily new habitat, while

secondary succession occurs in a previously colonized, but damaged habitat. They are both
similar as they both bring gradual series of changes in an ecosystem, the only difference is that
primary succession’s goal is to develop a new ecosystem, but secondary succession aims to
reconstruct and old one.

8.) What are biomes? Identify and discuss at 3 types of biomes and their significant features. and
How these biomes support biological communities.

Biomes are areas in the world where large ecological communities exists, with notable
vegetation and specific animals living in it. There are many types of biomes, and three of them
are tropical rain forests, taiga, and deserts. Tropical rain forests exists near the equator, and it
receives an ample amount of rain in a year, making the plants and rivers thrive, and soils to be
fertile. Taiga forests, which exists in cold regions, are filled by conifers, spruces and firs.
Meanwhile, deserts are characterized by its extreme dryness as it receives only a very little
amount of rainfall, the reason why cactus is the only plant that exists in there.

9.) Differentiate marine ecosystems from terrestrial ecosystems?

Marine ecosystems consists of aquatic ecosystems, as it is abundant in water and salt

content. It covers 2/3 of the Earth’s surface. Meanwhile, terrestrial ecosystems are land-based
ecosystems, where inhabitants were more influenced with gravity and relies mostly on marine
ecosystems for natural resources.

10.)What is coral bleaching? How these phenomena affect biological diversity in marine
ecosystems.

Coral bleaching happens when corals lose their color and change to white due to an
increase in water temperatures driven by carbon pollution and climate change. This negatively
affects marine biological diversity since corals will then become prone to disease, which
prevents them from reproducing, and affects other organisms relying on them as well.
Activity No. 3. In this activity, you require to elaborate your answer once again to each of the
questions provided below.

1.) How human disturbance affects ecosystems?

Human disturbance affects ecosystems negatively due to their activities that gives stress
and pressure to rivers, lands and forests. These activities, such as deforestation and pollution, leads
to the destruction of natural habitats of other species, as their normal interaction and processes was
interrupted by humans.

2.) Identify physical and biological factors that are most important in shaping the biotic
community.

Some physical and biological factors that play an important role in shaping the biotic
community are the biotic and abiotic factors. Biotic factors include plants, animals, bacteria, and
fungi. These factors also comes with competition, predation and diseases, which highly influences
the formation of the structure of the community. Abiotic factors include water, sunlight and
temperature. Sunlight is essential in providing organisms the needed energy to survive.
Temperature is essential in the distribution of organisms in a community, while water is essential in
transporting oxygen and minerals in an organism.

3.) Did population growth, development, and economic activity threaten ecological communities?

Yes, because as the human population grows, human activities tend to harm the
environment more, and that also includes the natural resources that the humans themselves also
needs. The growth of population leads to problems like pollution and climate change, which leads to
the destruction of the normal processes and interactions in ecological communities and the eventual
loss of natural habitats.

4.) What are the factors that limit ecosystem functionality?

The factors that limit ecosystem functionality consists of predator-prey relationships,

pollution, severe weather patterns, climate change and disease. Any extreme excess or deficiency of
these factors would lead to the destruction of natural resources and the processes within the
ecosystem.

5.) Develop a conceptual framework that depicts the relationship between physical, chemical,
and biological factors in shaping communities and maintaining biological diversity. Discuss
your framework comprehensively.
 BIOLOGICAL
DIVERSITY

PHYSICAL BIOLOGICAL CHEMICAL

FACTORS FACTORS FACTORS

Physical, Biological and Chemical factors all are contributing factors in shaping the biological
diversity. Although these factors are composed of different processes and functions, they all provide the
resources that different organisms in an ecosystem needs in order to coexist. These factors, along the
processes within it, are interdependent with one another. If any significant change will happen with one
of the factors, then it will have a great effect on the biological diversity.
In a Nutshell Activity 3

IN A NUTSHELL

Activity No. 3. The approaches of environmental studies viewed as a very complicated process. With
the human population on many ecosystems that are widely dispersed around the globe also have
detrimental impacts on biological communities as well about sustainability. Ecosystems and
communities have evolved to keep abreast of the changing activities within a specific geographical
unit. The physical, chemical and biological attributes of different communities will determine how our
ecosystems will be in the many years to come. In this part, you require to draw conclusions,
perspectives, and arguments about ecological system functions and communities' patterns from the
unit lesson. I will supply the first two items, and you will continue the rest.

1. Human introduction and removal of biological species in a community have a profound effect
on the community structure and its ecosystem functions. It is significant to consider long-term
studies and investigation before embarking on this undertaking. It might hamper ecological
services performed by organisms, neither limits ecosystems functionality, adding a new set of
organisms in a community.

2. Species interactions are important in the process of natural selection. Through these
processes, the unique set of organisms and environmental conditions will determine key
organisms that can continue to flourish and pass off their genes to their offsprings, which will
be the second line of resilient organisms that will shape a new set of biological communities.

YOUR TURN

3. Species evolve due to the process of natural selection, wherein they undergo physical or
behavioral changes to survive better in their environment.

4. The growth of human population as well as their activities has put harm in the ecological
communities. Those leads to some destruction of natural habitats.

5. Biological diversity consists of physical, biological and chemical factors. Its interactions and
processes are interrelated, and if one changes, it can greatly affect the biological diversity as
well.

6. Biomes have different environmental characteristics and unique living conditions. Due to this,
there are certain plants, animals and other species that exists in one biome, but cannot exist in
the other type of biome.
7. Speciation is important in maintaining biodiversity, since it results in creating new organisms
possessing new characteristics, which can help the ecosystem prosper.

8. For species to survive, their environment must possess natural resources that they will need. If
the environment possess plenty of these, then preservation of species will ensue. Thus, it is
important to keep in mind not to deplete them.

9. Competition are one of the factors why natural selection occurs. The competition of surviving
and getting the limited resources will force the organism to change in order to avoid being the
inferior among its competitors.

10. Although terrestrial and marine ecosystems has different environmental conditions, and
organisms of one cannot exist in the other, but still, they are heavily connected. Most terrestrial
communities rely heavily on the aquatic ecosystems, especially those freshwater inhabitants.