National 4 & 5 Biology Ecosystems

Confidence in Learning Outcomes this: I can:

State that green plants are producers and that they produce the food in ecosystems. State that animals are consumers, as they are unable to produce their own food. State that primary consumers are animals that eat plants only and that they can also be called herbivores. State that secondary consumers that eat only other animals are called carnivores and those which eat plants and animals are called omnivores. State that a food web is a more complex feeding relationship that consists of many interconnected food chains. This makes them more stable. State that the food web is a complex relationship where is one organism is removed the whole web is affected State that energy can be lost from food chains as heat in movement and in undigested material. State that a biome is a geographical region of the planet that contains distinctive communities and is characterised by a distinctive climate.

State that examples of biomes are forest, desert, grassland, tundra, freshwater and marine. The global distribution of biomes is influenced by abiotic factors.

State that a population is all the organisms of one type of species in the ecosystem.

State that a community is all the plants and animals living in the ecosystem.

State that the habitat is the place where the organisms live. State that an ecosystem is made up of one or several habitats and the community of organisms that live there. State examples of abiotic (non-living) factors that interact with the community include oxygen concentration, light intensity, temperature and pH. I can:

State that in some cases irregular pyramids of numbers are formed. Singular large producer produces an irregular pyramid of numbers. State that pyramids of biomass show the mass of organisms at each link in a food chain. State that a pyramid of energy shows the energy present in the organisms at each link in a food chain. State that pH and temperature are examples of abiotic factors that affect biodiversity State that a pyramid of numbers shows the numbers of organisms at each link in a food chain. State that the numbers of organisms present usually decrease, moving along the food chain. State that the size of the organisms usually increases, moving along the chain State that representative sampling requires several samples to be made. State that the larger the area being sampled, higher the number of samples that need to be taken. State that a quadrat is used to obtain an estimate of the population in a habitat. quadrats have to be dropped randomly. State that limitations and sources of error when using quadrats include wrongly identified organisms, incorrectly counted organisms or too few samples being taken. State that errors can be reduced by making a rule not to include an organism not fully in a quadrat and by taking more samples if the organisms are in a cluster. State that a pitfall trap is used to trap animals living in leaf litter. State that limitations and sources of error when using pitfall traps include the trap not being level with the soil surface, animals escaping from the trap, animals being eaten while in the trap and animals dying State that the errors can be reduced by ensuring that the hole is dug deep enough to house the trap , placing a cover on the trap to prevent flying animals escaping, emptying the trap frequently to ensure that carnivorous animals don't eat other animals and preventing animals from dying by placing needle holes in the base of the trap I can:

State that an abiotic factor is a non-living condition that affects the growth and distribution of an organism. State that four abiotic factors are light intensity, temperature, pH and soil moisture. State that to measure light intensity a light meter is used. To measure temperature a thermometer is used. To measure pH, a pH meter is used. To measure soil moisture, a moisture meter is used. State that an example of a limitation or source of error that may occur when measuring light intensity could be the light sensor being shaded by the user. State that an example of a limitation or source of error that may occur when measuring temperature could be the thermometer or probe not being inserted deeply enough into the soil. State that a limitation or source of error that may occur when measuring pH could be the probe being contaminated by soil left on the probe from previous samples. State that a limitation or source of error that may occur when measuring soil moisture could be moisture on the probe from previous samples. State that a method that could be used to minimise the source of error when measuring light intensity could be to ensure that the light sensor is not pointing towards users. State that a method that could be used to minimise the source of error when measuring light intensity could be to ensure that the light sensor is not pointing towards users. State that a method that could be used to minimise the source of error when measuring temperature could be to push the thermometer or probe into the soil to half its depth, allowing the reading to stabilise before taking the reading. State that a method that could be used to minimise the sources of error when measuring pH could be to wipe the probe between each sampling to reduce the risk of contamination State that a method that could be used to minimise the source of error when measuring soil moisture could be to wipe the probe with a paper towel before and after taking each reading. State that keys are used to identify organisms. State that a paired statement key is a list of numbered statements. National 4 & 5 Biology Biotic Interactions

State that grazing and predation are biotic factors State that pH and temperature are abiotic factors Describe what a niche is (the role that an organism plays within a community) with reference to specific organisms such as the Scottish wildcat Expand on description of a niche to include the use the organism makes of the resources in its ecosystem and its interactions with other organisms in the community including competition, parasitism, predation, light, temperature and nutrient avavilability Understand predator prey interaction graphs Discuss competition in ecosystems Describe the difference between Interspecific competition (when individuals of different species compete for the same resource in an ecosystem) and Intraspecific competition (when individuals of the same species compete for exactly the same resources) Explain the impact of interspecifc competition on red and grey squirrels Explain the impact of intraspecific competition Describe and explain territorial behaviour in robins and red grouse National 4 & 5 Unit 1 Learning Outcomes – Pollution

Confidence in Learning Outcomes this: I know:

Why biodiversity is important The impacts that natural disasters have on biodiversity Human activities like agriculture, industry and construction have lead to large areas being cleared and pollution The four parts of the environment which are affected by pollution are: - air - land - sea - fresh water Plus the main source of pollutant for each area. That sulphur dioxide is harmful and why Untreated sewage in water is very damaging to the biodiversity of the habitat and why What an indicator species is and can give examples of different types How humans have played a role in the extinction of many types of organism Why keeping a large biodiversity is important Examples of endangered animals National 4 & 5 Biology – Natural Selection I & II

Describe what is meant by the term "mutation". State the frequency of the occurrence of mutations.

Describe what is meant by the term "mutagenic agent". Give examples of different types of radiation that cause mutations. Give examples of different types of chemicals that cause mutations. Explain the difference between mutations that are neutral, advantageous or disadvantageous.

State examples of conditions caused by disadvantageous mutations. State what is meant by an adaptation Describe adaptations of plants and mammals to living in deserts.

Explain why organisms need adaptations to live in certain ecological niches. Describe what is meant by the term "Natural Selection". Explain the processes involved in Natural Selection. Give examples of Natural Selection in action. Describe what is meant by the term "species". Describe the processes involved in the formation of a new species - speciation. Describe examples where speciation in action can be observed. National 4 & 5 Biology: Food, Farming & Fertilisers LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning Outcomes Confidence in this aspect: I can:   

State why efficient agricultural practices are important in relation to an increasing world population Give some examples of how agriculture has changed since 1900 Define what a monoculture is, giving examples Define what factory farming is, giving examples Give some examples of advantages and disadvantages of ‘factory farming’ State what a fertiliser is, giving examples of the chemical elements found therein Define what organic and inorganic means in relation to fertilisers Define what eutrophication is and give examples of its impact on freshwater ecosystems Define what bioaccumulation is, giving an example (DDT) Give examples of alternatives to artificial pesticides, including biological control Define biological control Give examples of what are known and possible advantages and disadvantages of Genetically Modified (GM) crops