Year+12+Ecology

Ecology revision section

 · abiotic factors as those environmental factors affecting an organism: wind, humidity, temperature, Ph and any other sensible factors. · biotic factors as those of living organisms impacting on an individual e.g. competition, predation. ||  · Tolerance levels; zone of death, physiological stress, optimum range and preferred niche. · Be aware of the bell shaped curve and use it to illustrate the above terms and how this affects a species distribution. ||  · A practical investigation into window and notch caterpillars or similar to illustrate that “no two species can occupy the same ecological niche”. · Illustrate how the separation of the two species can be temporal, geographic, or as simple as food type. ||  · __ Succession __, as change in species composition over time. · __ Zonation __, as distribution of different species over an area relative to environmental factors. · __ Stratification __ ; as the vertical distribution of species according to their tolerance to environmental factors and illustrate with New-Zealand examples. (Bare ground development to __climax__ community kauri or beech forest, rocky shore, and mature forest.) ||  · Mutualism: e.g. anemone and clown fish. Clover/ root nodules · Competition (-inter-intraspecific): rabbit and sheep · Exploitation predation: hawk on finch, parasitism: wasp on caterpillar. || · Explain how varying environmental factors delimit an organism’s niche. · Explain how limiting factors affect individual organisms and whole populations. || · Justify how different feeding levels contribute to nutrient cycling. · Compare and contrast intra and interspecific competition. || - contributes to the understanding of core knowledge |||| ** Demonstrated by… ** ||
 * ===**CORE KNOWLEDGE ** === || ** Demonstrated by… ** ||
 * ** Students will be expected to utilise the core knowledge outlined in the statements below to describe, explain and discuss aspects of ecology in novel and applied situations or examples. ** ||
 * 1 |||| Understanding of how an individual fits into the population, community, ecosystem and biosphere. |||| Understanding could be demonstrated by defining the various groups and recognising the features that are used to allow the various categories to be allocated to an individual or group. Food chains and webs. ||
 * 2 |||| Identify the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem and describe the relationship between these components. |||| Identification could include;
 * 3 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Define habitat in relation to specific organisms. |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Key ideas could include how and why various organisms may occupy a particular habitat. Identify the different demands posed by aquatic and terrestrial habitats. ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">4 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0.85pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Describe the various adaptations of organisms and relate how these aid the survival of the organism in their habitat. |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Identify various adaptations (categories; morphological, physiological and behavioural). Connect these adaptations to the functioning of the organisms in their habitats. Use New Zealand examples such as:“nostrils on the end of a kiwi’s beak to help identify prey gathered at night”“enzymes in stomach of carnivore to digest meat”. ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">5 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Describe an organisms ecological niche. |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Description could include a definition of niche and include various New Zealand examples like the pukeko; herbivorous, diurnal, communal, swamp living, predators cats, hawks; adaptations of flight and beak suited to diet, feet spread for walking on swamp grasses. ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">6 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Describe what is meant by the terms tolerance range and limiting factors. Explain how limiting factors affect individual organisms and whole populations. |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Description includes;
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">7 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Describe Gause’s Principle of competitive exclusion. |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Key ideas could include;
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">8 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Describe population growth and the effect of limiting factors. |||| The descriptions could include the reasons: a) S & J curves are 2 ends of a continuum; b) the “why” is really that both (& their intermediates) are adaptations. that permit survival & successful reproduction in a given environment  ;  carrying capacities of various habitats and how factors such as waste production and limitation of space, place restrictions on a populations growth; known as limiting factors.  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">9 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Define survivorship and identify factors contributing to in species survivorship. |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Definition could include r and K strategies and the reasons behind species adopting a given strategy; give examples of species that utilise specific strategies for example: many fish have many eggs, no parental care and huge attrition in early stages, most mammals have few young but invest energy to ensure high survivorship with named examples.Be able to interpret graphs of population survivorship. ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">10 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Define the terms succession, zonation and stratification. |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Definitions could include:
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">11 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Describe nutrient cycles and cycling. |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">(Named minerals are not required.) The concept of cycling; plants as producers (the usual start of entry of nutrients into food chains) and consequently consumption by animals as consumers. The releasing of wastes by respiration and excretion opening avenues for further break down by decomposers and subsequent reintroduction of nutrients back into the cycle ... the idea of major sinks where nutrients may be tied up until released by combustion - human intervention (fertilizers) and mining, volcanism and mountain building. ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">12 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Describe species inter relationships; mutualism, competition, exploitation. |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Descriptions could include;
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">13 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Describe the effect of environmental change on biodiversity. |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Understand why some environments have less diversity in species present compared to others (not at the level of genetics but in terms of types and numbers of species). Look at microclimates, available resources, temperature range and other contributing factors. Try to relate to an environment close to school that the students may access, a forest or rocky shore field trip. ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">14 || ** Show understanding of ecology by using the core knowledge to provide a reason as to how or why something occurs ** . |||||| <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 8.5pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: -8.5pt;"> · Explain factors contributing to stratification in a New-Zealand forest.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">15 || ** Show understanding of ecology by using the core knowledge to link ideas e.g. in justifying, relating, evaluating, comparing and contrasting or analysing. ** |||||| <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 8.5pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-indent: -8.5pt;"> · Discuss factors contributing to New Zealand’s unique biodiversity.
 * || ** Communicate ideas clearly and succinctly using the biological language relevant to this topic. ** |||||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">The core language appropriate to this unit is listed in the attached vocabulary list. ||
 * ====<span style="font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3pt;">**SUPPLEMENTARY KNOWLEDGE** ====
 * ====<span style="font-size: 1.066em; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;"><span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 3pt;">**SUPPLEMENTARY KNOWLEDGE** ====
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">1 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Understanding of Biodiversity. |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Describe factors that contribute to New Zealand’s unique biodiversity. ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">2 |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">Understanding Taxonomy and the use of keys. |||| <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">How living things are classified. Understanding that the modern system of classification also indicates evolutionary relationships. The importance of recognising key features of each group. Apply knowledge using keys to place organisms in correct groups. ||