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IB Biology B4.1: Adapt. to Envir. — Practice Questions & Answers
IB Biology B4.1 Adaptation to environment study notes: how form fits function, biomes, abiotic factors, and adaptations of plants and animals.
Here are 10 practice questions with full answers and explanations.
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Practice questions with answers
1
Multiple choice
What is a habitat?
The place where a community, species, population, or organism lives.
The role an organism plays in an ecosystem.
A group of interacting populations.
A collection of ecosystems.
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Why A habitat is the specific place where an organism, population, species or community naturally lives.
2
Multiple choice
Which of the following is an example of an abiotic adaptation in a grass species adapted to sand dunes?
Extensive root systems to stabilize sand.
Brightly colored flowers to attract pollinators.
Thick fur for insulation.
Camouflage for predator avoidance.
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Why Extensive roots anchor and stabilise shifting sand, an adaptation to the dune environment.
3
Multiple choice
Which abiotic variable significantly affects the distribution of plants?
Light intensity.
Predator density.
Competition for resources.
Disease prevalence.
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Why Light intensity strongly influences plant distribution because photosynthesis depends on available light.
4
Multiple choice
Which abiotic variable significantly affects the distribution of animals?
Temperature.
Prey availability.
Parasite load.
Population density.
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Why Temperature affects animal distribution by influencing metabolic rate and physiological function.
5
Multiple choice
What does the range of tolerance of a limiting factor represent?
The range of environmental conditions within which a species can survive and reproduce.
The maximum population size a habitat can support.
The rate of resource consumption by a species.
The genetic diversity of a population.
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Why The range of tolerance is the span of a factor over which a species can survive and reproduce.
6
Multiple choice
What is a transect used for in ecological studies?
To correlate species distribution with abiotic variables.
To measure population density.
To analyze food web interactions.
To study genetic drift.
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Why A transect samples along a line to relate changes in species distribution to abiotic gradients.
7
Multiple choice
Which abiotic factor is crucial for coral reef formation?
Water clarity.
Wind speed.
Soil composition.
Air pressure.
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Why Clear water lets sunlight reach the zooxanthellae that provide corals with energy for reef building.
8
Multiple choice
What are the key abiotic factors that determine terrestrial biome distribution?
Temperature and rainfall.
Soil type and wind speed.
Altitude and latitude.
Ocean currents and tidal patterns.
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Why Temperature and rainfall are the main abiotic factors determining which biome develops in a region.
9
Multiple choice
What are biomes?
Groups of ecosystems with similar communities due to similar abiotic conditions.
Individual ecosystems with unique characteristics.
Collections of populations within a habitat.
Regions defined by their political boundaries.
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Why Biomes are large groups of ecosystems sharing similar communities shaped by similar abiotic conditions.
10
Multiple choice
What climate conditions characterize the tropical forest biome?
High temperature and high rainfall.
Low temperature and low rainfall.
Moderate temperature and moderate rainfall.
Variable temperature and rainfall.
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Why Tropical forests occur where both temperature and rainfall are consistently high year-round.
Key terms in Adapt. to Envir.
Adaptation: A feature that increases an organism’s chance of survival and reproduction in its environment.
Natural selection: The process by which individuals better suited to their environment tend to survive and reproduce, so favourable features become more common over generations.
Abiotic factor: A non-living physical or chemical condition of an environment, such as temperature, water or light.
Biome: A large group of ecosystems sharing a similar climate and therefore similar communities of organisms.
Anatomical adaptation: A structural or physical feature, such as fur or spines, suited to the environment.
Physiological adaptation: An adaptation of internal functioning, such as producing concentrated urine or tolerating high salt.
Behavioural adaptation: An action or behaviour, such as migration or hibernation, that aids survival.
Xerophyte: A plant adapted to survive in dry conditions, typically with features that reduce water loss.
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