A complete term’s worth of extensive biology notes regarding the topic of Ecology. These notes cover, in thorough detail, the following learning intentions:
(1) Introduction to Ecology: an overview of key ecological terms such as biomes, biosphere, ecology, environment, biotic factors, abiotic factors, ecosystem, populations, community, habitat, microhabitat and individuals.
(2) Niche: an explanation of a niche using examples and comparing tolerance range and optimum range.
(3) Competition: an explanation of the term competition using specific examples and comparing and contrasting intraspecific competition to interspecific competition in the environment.
(4) Species Interactions: definitions of various species interactions and examples including symbiosis, predation, mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, cooperation, amensalism and predator-prey relationships.
(5) Population Dynamics: an insight into various population dynamics, including explanations regarding distribution of a species, abundance of a species, even spacing, random distribution, clumping, birth rate, death rate, density-dependent populations, density-independent populations, exponential population growth (J curves), carrying capacity (with constant k), dynamic equilibrium, population crash, survivorship curves, population morality, competitive exclusion principle, territorial behaviour and invasive species.
(6) Adaptations: explanation of adaptations, in particular structure, functional and behavioural, using examples.
(7) Food Webs & Food Chains: key definitions and processes that occur in a food chain, including producers, photosynthesis, consumers, herbivores, carnivores, parasites, scavengers, detritivores and decomposers.
(8) Energy in Ecosystems: a study of organisms as energy converters, including photosynthetic organisms and heterotrophs using specific examples.
(9) Toxic Materials in the Food Chain: the effect of toxins in the food chain, in particular focussing on case studies such as the effects of mercury and DDT, emphasising on biological magnification / bioaccumulation.
(10) Carbon Cycle: the importance of carbon as an element in the environment and the process of the Carbon Cycle.
(11) Nitrogen Cycle: the importance of nitrogen as an element for growth and the process of the Nitrogen Cycle, focussing on terms such as fixation, ammonification, nitrification and denitrification.
(12) Groups: explanation of a variety of groups in the environment, including itinerant community (transient), stable community, colony, society/social group, emphasis on social behaviour including aggressive behaviour, cooperation, passive competition, communication, organisation, spacing, home range, division of labour, pheromones, sounds, touch and visual signals.
(13) Succession & Zonation: key definitions including succession, zonation, primary succession, secondary succession, pioneer community, intermediate community and climax community.
(14) Human Impact: an insight into the effects of human impact on the ecosystem, including the loss of biodiversity, greenhouse effect, introduced species, salination, over grazing, agricultural practices, hunting, deforestation and urbanisation.