Answer:
When an organism's environment is outside the organism's range of tolerance, several things can occur, but the most likely outcomes include:
1. Stress and Discomfort: The organism will likely experience stress, discomfort, and potentially adverse physiological or behavioural effects. This can manifest as discomfort, altered behaviour, and a reduction in the organism's overall well-being.
2. Reduced Growth and Reproduction: An environment beyond an organism's tolerance range can hinder its growth and reproductive capacity. This can lead to decreased population sizes and a reduction in the species' overall fitness.
3. Migration or Movement: In response to unfavourable environmental conditions, organisms may attempt to migrate or move to a more suitable habitat if possible. This movement could lead to shifts in population distribution and migration patterns.
4. Mortality: In extreme cases, organisms may not be able to adapt, migrate, or find suitable conditions, leading to increased mortality. This can impact population numbers and potentially lead to local extinctions.
5. Adaptation or Evolution: Over longer periods, some species may evolve adaptations to better cope with the new environmental conditions. This process can take many generations.
6. Interactions with Other Species: Changes in the distribution and abundance of a species can disrupt ecological relationships and affect other species that rely on it for food, shelter, or other ecological services.
The specific outcome will depend on the severity of the environmental change, the organism's ability to adapt, and the time scale over which the change occurs. Organisms with a wide range of tolerance may be more resilient to environmental fluctuations, while those with narrow tolerances may be more susceptible to adverse effects when conditions fall outside their tolerance range.