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1. Know and understand that a species is a
group of organisms that can breed together to produce fertile offspring.
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2.
Know and understand that adaptation of living organisms to their environment increases
the species’ chance of survival by making it more likely that individuals will
survive to reproduce.
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3. Know, and recognise when given relevant data, examples
of how different organisms are adapted to their environment, and explain how the
adaptations increase the organism’s chance of surviving to successfully
reproduce.
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4. Know and understand that living organisms are dependent on the environment
and other species for their survival.
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5. Know and understand that there is competition for
resources between different species of animals or plants in the same habitat.
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6.
Be able to relate changes affecting one species in a food web to the impact on other
species that are part of the same food web.
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7. HT only: Be able to explain the interdependence of
living organisms by using food webs.
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8. Know and understand that a change in the
environment may cause a species to become extinct, for example, if:
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a) the
environmental conditions change beyond its ability to adapt
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b) a new species
that is a competitor, predator or disease organism of that species is introduced
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c) another species (animal, plant or microorganism) in its food web becomes
extinct
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9. Know and understand that nearly all organisms are ultimately dependent on
energy from the Sun.
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10. Know that plants absorb a small percentage of the
Sun’s energy for the process of photosynthesis.
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11. Know that this absorbed
energy is stored in the chemicals which make up the plants’ cells.
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12. Know and understand
that energy is transferred between organisms in an ecosystem:
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13. Be able to explain how energy passes out of a
food chain at each stage via heat, waste products and uneaten parts, limiting
the length of food chains.
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14. Be able to calculate from given data the percentage efficiency
of energy transfer at different stages of a food chain.
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15. Know and understand how carbon is
recycled through the environment to include the processes of combustion,
respiration, photosynthesis and decomposition.
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16. Know and understand the importance
of the role of microorganisms in the carbon cycle.
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17. understand how nitrogen is
recycled through the environment in the processes of:
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a) nitrogen fixation to form nitrogen compounds including nitrates
(HT only)
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b) conversion of nitrogen compounds to protein in plants and animals
(HT only)
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c) transfer of nitrogen compounds through food chains
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d) excretion, death and decay of plants and animals resulting in release of
nitrates into the
soil
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e) uptake of nitrates by plants
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f) denitrification (HT
only)
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18. Be able to understand the importance of the role of microorganisms in the nitrogen
cycle, including
decomposition, nitrogen fixation and denitrification.
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19. Be able to interpret simple diagrams of the carbon cycle and nitrogen cycle.
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20. Know and understand how environmental change can be measured using non-living
indicators, including
nitrate levels, temperature and carbon dioxide levels.
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21. Know and understand how climate and environmental change can be measured using
living indicators,
including phytoplankton, lichens and aquatic river organisms such as may fly
nymphs.
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22. Be able to interpret data obtained from living and non-living indicators to
investigate environmental change.
