Man and his Environment Notes 2014
Cedar Girls’ Secondary School
VCA Integrated Programme 2014
Biology – Man and His Environment
Man and His Environment
Learning objectives:
(a) Briefly describe the non-cyclical nature of energy flow
(b) Explain how energy losses occur along food chains, and discuss the efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels
(c) Describe and interpret pyramids of numbers and biomass
(d) Describe how carbon is cycled within an ecosystem
(e) Use simple ecological field techniques such as quadrat and line transect sampling
(f) Explain how the concept of sustainability applies at a local, regional, national and global level (g) Evaluate the effects of
- Water pollution by sewage and by inorganic waste
- Pollution due to insecticides including bioaccumulation up food chains and impact on top carnivores
(h) Outline the roles of microbes in sewage disposal as an example of environmental biotechnology (i) State reasons for conservation of species with reference to the maintenance of biodiversity, management of fisheries and management of timber production.
What is Ecology?
Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms AND between organisms and their environment.
Ecological terms
Habitat
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Abiotic environment The place where an organism lives
A group of organisms of the same species living together in a habitat.
A community consists of all the populations living and interacting with one another in a habitat.
A community of organisms interacting with one another and with its abiotic environment.
The abiotic environment consists of physical, non-living factors
(abiotic factors) such as light intensity and water availability.
How are some organisms adapted to live in different abiotic environments? (e.g. desert, mangrove swamps, rainforests)
The biotic environment consists of all the living things that an organism interacts with.
Biotic environment All organisms in a community are interdependent. This means that the life of each
VCA Integrated Programme 2014
Biology – Man and His Environment
Man and His Environment
Learning objectives:
(a) Briefly describe the non-cyclical nature of energy flow
(b) Explain how energy losses occur along food chains, and discuss the efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels
(c) Describe and interpret pyramids of numbers and biomass
(d) Describe how carbon is cycled within an ecosystem
(e) Use simple ecological field techniques such as quadrat and line transect sampling
(f) Explain how the concept of sustainability applies at a local, regional, national and global level (g) Evaluate the effects of
- Water pollution by sewage and by inorganic waste
- Pollution due to insecticides including bioaccumulation up food chains and impact on top carnivores
(h) Outline the roles of microbes in sewage disposal as an example of environmental biotechnology (i) State reasons for conservation of species with reference to the maintenance of biodiversity, management of fisheries and management of timber production.
What is Ecology?
Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms AND between organisms and their environment.
Ecological terms
Habitat
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Abiotic environment The place where an organism lives
A group of organisms of the same species living together in a habitat.
A community consists of all the populations living and interacting with one another in a habitat.
A community of organisms interacting with one another and with its abiotic environment.
The abiotic environment consists of physical, non-living factors
(abiotic factors) such as light intensity and water availability.
How are some organisms adapted to live in different abiotic environments? (e.g. desert, mangrove swamps, rainforests)
The biotic environment consists of all the living things that an organism interacts with.
Biotic environment All organisms in a community are interdependent. This means that the life of each