Preliminary Biology 2012

Teacher: Mr Fellows
Modules:
Local Ecosystems (20 hours)
Patterns in Nature (40 hours)
Life on Earth (30 hours)
Evolution of Australian Biota (30
hours)

Aim of Stage 6 Biology

To provide learning experiences through
which students will:
acquire knowledge and understanding
about fundamental concepts related to
living things and their environments,
the historical development of these
concepts and their application to
personal, social, economic,
technological and environmental
situations

Aim of Stage 6 biology

continued
progress from the consideration of

specific data and knowledge to the

understanding of models and concepts
and the explanation of generalised
biology terms, from the collection and
organisation of information to problemsolving, and from the use of simple
communication skills to those which
are more sophisticated

Aim of Stage 6 biology

continued
develop positive attitudes towards

the study of living things, the

environment and the opinions held
by others, recognising the
importance of evidence and the
use of critical evaluation of
different scientific opinions related
to various aspects of biology.

more information
For more information about Biology

please visit the Board of Studies

website: http://
www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syl
labus_hsc/biology.html

Populations and communities

Topic 1: Biotic and Abiotic Features
Part of the Local Ecosystems Module
Spotlight Biology Preliminary Text Chapter 3
Authors: D. Heffernan, J. Bastina, B. Grieve,
K. Humphreys, A. Sartor
Science Press 2002

Outcomes:
By the end of this Module you should be
able to:
Describe and compare the differences
between abiotic and biotic characteristics
of aquatic and terrestrial environments
Explain how the distribution, diversity and
numbers of plants and animals found in
ecosystems are determined by biotic and
abiotic factors
Explain how each local aquatic or
terrestrial ecosystem is unique

Outcomes continued
Identify the factors determining the

distribution and abundance of a species in

each environment
Recall some impacts of human activities
on ecosystems
Describe strategies used to conserve,
maintain and protect the quality of the
environment
Identify and describe in detail adaptations
of a plant and an animal to the local
ecosystem

Outcomes continued
You should also be able to:
Plot a vegetation transect
Estimate the size of populations by using

random quadrate and capture-recapture

methods
Measure abiotic variables in an ecosystem
being studied
Plot the distribution of plant and animal
species whose abundance has been estimated
Undertake a field study of a local terrestrial or
aquatic ecosystem

Biotic and Abiotic Features

Understanding why certain animals
like living in a particular
environment is more important
today than ever before. Humans are
constantly interacting with the
environment and causing changes to
ecosystems.

caravanandcampingns
w.com.au

Biotic and Abiotic Features

We need to predict
which systems will
benefit from human
intervention, which
will tolerate our
influence and which
will be damaged if
we disturb them.
We also need to
understand the links
and relationships
between
ecosystems.

illawarramercury.com.au

Environments-Abiotic and Biotic

Features
Biosphere is a
word used to
describe the
regions of
Earths surface
where organisms
can survive.
This includes air,
water and land.
earth.com

Environments-Abiotic and Biotic

Features
Within the
biosphere, a
community is a
group of plants,
animals and
microbes that
live together in a
given area called
a habitat.
animalsandhabitats.wordpress.co
m

Environments-Abiotic and Biotic

Features
The word ecosystem
is short for an
ecological system
and includes all the
organisms within a
community and their
environment.
The environment
refers to all the
conditions
surrounding an
organism.

householdoffaith.com.au

Environments-Abiotic and Biotic

Features
There are two
different parts
to the
environment:
-Living: Biotic
biological
-Non-living:
Abiotic
physical

saarc-sadkn.org

Environments-Abiotic and Biotic

Features
The Abiotic
environment includes
all of the conditions
created by non-living
components of an
organisms
surrounding.
-Sunlight, heat,
moisture, wind and
water currents, size of
rocks or sand grains.

flickr.com

Environments-Abiotic and Biotic

Features
The Biotic environment consists of
all the living organisms in a habitat.
-The species that may be food,
parasites, predators, competitors or
any other living organism.

http://babyanimalzoo.com/tag/griz
zly-bears

Environments-Abiotic and Biotic

Features
We will regularly compare the biotic
and abiotic characteristics of
different aquatic and terrestrial
environments however its
sometimes difficult to separate the
two. Consider an earthworm living
in the soil

en.wikipedia.org

Habitat: Where an organism lives

The physical location that surrounds
an organism is its habitat. This is
where an organism lives. Within
every habitat are microhabitats
that are not always obvious. Each
microhabitat has its own
temperature, humidity, wind speed
ect. These can be referred to as a
microclimate.
en.wikipedia.org

Habitat: Where an organism lives

blog.nus.edu.sg

Consider newly
germinating seeds,
small insects or
bacteria living under
the bark of a gum tree.
All that matters are the
amounts of light,
nutrients, temperature
and moisture available
within a few millimetres
of their location.

Adaptations
An adaptation is
any internal body
process of cells or
tissues, physical
feature or pattern of
behaviour in a living
thing that makes it
better able to survive
and reproduce in its
environment.
gracefreakdan.wordpress.com

Adaptations

theseashore.org.uk

If you look along the

rocks of our coastline, to
some they may appear
lifeless. However you
may notice little limpets
that cling tightly to the
rocks and are not washed
off by waves. They can
also survive out of the
water when its hot and
dry. They have adapted
to these conditions.

Adaptations

hollenback.pbworks.com

Just because a plant or

animal is found in a
location does not mean is
has any special adaptations
to that environment. If we
consider saltbush, it will
grow in your well watered
garden at home. However
it has no special
adaptations to that
environment. It would
actually be displaced by
other plants in the garden
without human help.

Adaptations
It normally grows on the dry saline plains
of NSW. Its well adapted to a dry and
salty environment and thrives on the
western plains because it is one of the
few plants that can grow there.

graemechapman.com.au

Homework
At the conclusion of most lessons you

will be given a task. This will often be

a few short answer questions linking
directly to the outcomes of the
course. Answer these questions in
your notebook and be prepared to
discuss next lesson. I will be noting
whether or not you have attempted
these. (see example next slide)

Notebook scaffold
Module Heading
Topic Heading
1. Question.
2. Question.
Example:
Local Ecosystems
Biotic and Abiotic Features
3. Identify the biotic and abiotic factors affecting
the lives of limpets on a rock platform.
-Answer

Homework
1. Identify the biotic and abiotic

factors affecting the lives of

limpets on a rock platform.
2. Contrast an environment with a
habitat
3. Compare the features of a
habitat with a microhabitat.