8. Habitat and Adaptations
A. Answer the following in not more than 20 words:
1. What is a habitat ? Give one example of a fresh water habitat.
Habitat is the place where an organism (or a whole community of organisms) lives naturally.
River is a fresh water habitat.
2. What factors constitute the abiotic component of a habitat?
The non-living things like air water, soil and temperature constitute the abiotic components of a habitat.
3. How do whales breathe?
Some marine animals like whales and dolphins breathe through lungs. They come up to water surface to breathe in air.
4. Name two scavengers.
Vultures and jackals are two scavengers.
5. What are primary consumers?
Animals, who feed directly on plants are called primary consumers or herbivores.
6. Why do plants submerged in water have long thin leaves ?
Long thin leaves help them to:
a. Photosynthesis with the faint light that reaches them and
b. Get less resistance from water flow.
7. What are edaphic factors ?
Characteristics of soil are called the edaphic factors.
8. What is aestivation ?
The long summer sleep by certain animals like crocodile, to cope up with the intense heat, is called aestivation
9. Mention two ways in which animals cope with low temperature.
For this they have:
a. Thick layer of fat under the skin
b. Thick fur
10. Name two groups of decomposers.
Two groups of decomposers are:
c. Bacteria and
d. Fungi
B. Answer the following in not more than 40 words:
1. What are the special adaptations that help fish survive in water ?
Adaptive features of fish:
a. Gills to help them utilize oxygen dissolved in water for respiration
b. Slippery scales on the body to overcome water resistance while swimming
c. Streamlined body shape to cut through water
2. What is a food chain ? Give an example.
Food chain is a series of organisms linked together by the process of eating and being eaten. For example,
Grass à Grasshopper à Frog à Snake
3. What is camouflage ? Give one example.
Camouflage is a defense technique used by certain animals, in which they blend with the surrounding to avoid being spotted by their predators.
4. Mention some adaptations that help carnivores get their food.
Carnivores have:
a. large, curved, pointed canines for gripping their prey and tearing flesh.
b. eyes in front of their head to judge distances better.
5. What are xerophytes ? How do they deal with shortage of water ?
Xerophytes are plants living in dry/desert areas.
Adaptations:
a. Store water in green stem (cactus)
b. Leaves modified to spines (cactus) to reduce transpiration
c. Segmented leaves (acacia) to reduce transpiration
d. Long roots to get water from deep soil
6. Mention two adaptations that help floating plants live in water.
a. They have air cavities in stems and leaves to make them light enough to float
b. Their leaves are covered with waxy substance to prevent them from decaying in water
C. Answer the following in not more than 100 words:
1. How are conifers adapted to live in their habitat ?
Conifers like pine and fir, grow well in less cold regions.
The shape of these trees is conical, so that snow slides off rather than accumulating on them.
They have needle shaped leaves to reduce transpiratory loss of water. This helps them to cope up with shortage of water, when the ground water is frozen in winter.
2. How are camels adapted to cope with life in the desert ?
Camels have special adaptations to cope with the heat and shortage of water in the desert.
a. They have long legs to keep far above the hot sand.
b. Their humps store fat to tide over food shortage.
c. They excrete very little urine to reduce the loss of water
d. They can also raise their body temperature to match the environment. This helps them not to feel hot.
e. They can drink large quantities of water at one go.
3. Distinguish between adaptation and response giving suitable examples.
D. Complete the following:
1. Omnivores are those who eat plants as well as animals.
2. Biodegradable substances can be decomposed by natural decomposers.
3. Tigers are secondary consumers.
4. Some animals spend the winter months sleeping or migrating.
5. The spine of cacti protect them from grazers.
6. Desert plants have a thick cuticle to protect themselves from intense light.
E. Choose the correct options(s). More than one option might be correct.
1. Deer have eyes on the sides of the head to:
a. Look around b. judge distances c. see in the dark d. make out shapes
2. Xerophytes have:
a. Small roots b. long roots c. broad leaves d. many branches
3. Palm leaves are segmented:
a. because strong coastal winds fear them b. to allow the winds to pass through
c. because this helps them to get more sunlight d. to let rainwater run off
4. In a marine habitat:
a. Most plants live in the upper zone b. most plants live at the bottom
c. octopuses live in the upper zone d. creatures of upper zone are blind
5. Which of the following are decomposers?
a. Flowering plants b. Ferns c. Certain bacteria d. Fungi
6. Which of these are herbivores?
a. A. Giraffe b. Polar bear c. Fox d. Elephant
7. Which of these are submerged plants?
a. Cactus b. Hydrilla c. Lotus d. Lily
8. Examples of adaptations for food include:
a. Gills in fish b. spines in cacti c. long neck in giraffe d. long legs in camel
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