Question 1

What is ecological tolerance?

Accepted Answer

The range of conditions (temperature, salinity, flow rate, sunlight) that an organism can endure before becoming injured or dying

Question 2

What are the zones of ecological tolerance?

Accepted Answer

Optimal range: organisms survive, grow, and reproduce

Zone of physiological stress: organisms survive, but experience stress (e.g., infertility, lack of growth)

Zone of intolerance: organisms will die

Question 3

How can increased temperatures from global warming relate to ecological tolerance?

Accepted Answer

Increased temperatures from global warming can shift temperatures outside a species' range of tolerance, damaging the species' ability to reproduce

(warm water holds less oxygen leading to suffocation)

2.4 Ecological Tolerance, AP Environmental Science Flashcards