National 5 Biology
Unit 3 Life On Earth
Section 1
Biodiversity and the distribution of life
Learning Outcome
Success Criteria
1 Biodiversity and the
distribution of life.
I can explain what an ecosystem is.
a. Biotic, abiotic and human
influences are all factors
that affect biodiversity in an
ecosystem
b. Grazing and predation are
biotic factors; pH and
temperature are abiotic
factors.
c. Biomes are the various
regions of our planet as
distinguished by their similar
climate, fauna and flora.
Global distribution of biomes
can be influenced by
temperature and rainfall.
d. An ecosystem consists of
all the organisms living in a
particular area and the nonliving components with which
the organisms interact.
Pupil Learning Outcomes and Success Criteria
I can state what a producer is.
I can state what a consumer is
I can state what a decomposer is.
I can state that a biotic factor is a living factor
and give examples.
I can state that an abiotic factor is a non living
factor and give examples.
I can explain what biodiversity is and how it is
affected by the ecosystem.
I can give examples of human activity that
affects biodiversity.
I can explain what grazing and predation are and
how they affect biodiversity in an ecosystem.
I can explain how pH can affect the variety of
fish species.
I can describe temperature can affect the
variety of life found in different ecosystems.
Achieved
Notes/ Comments
Learning Outcome
e. A niche is the role that an
organism plays within a
community. It includes the
use it makes of the resources
in its ecosystem and its
interactions with other
organisms in the community
including competition,
parasitism, predation, light,
temperature and nutrient
availability.
Success Criteria
I can state what a Biome is.
I can identify Biomes by their climate, fauna and
flora.
I can state that distribution of biomes can be
influenced by temperature and rainfall.
I can state what an ecosystem is.
I can describe what is meant by a niche.
I can state the meaning of habitat.
I can describe the link between environmental
resources and the distribution of life within an
ecosystem.
I can describe examples of niches of Scottish
wildlife.
Achieved
Notes/ Comments
Section 2
Energy in ecosystems
Learning Outcome
Success Criteria
2 Energy in ecosystems.
I can state what a food chain is.
a. At each level in a food
chain 90% of energy is lost as
heat, movement or undigested I can explain how energy is lost from a food chain.
materials.
b. Definitions and comparison
of pyramids of biomass,
energy and numbers.
c. Nitrogen in ecosystems
Animal and plant proteins are
produced from nitrates. The
roles of nitrifying,
denitrifying, root nodule and
free-fixing soil bacteria.
Decomposers convert
proteins and nitrogenous
wastes to ammonium and
nitrate.
I can state that 90% of the energy in a food chain
is lost each time another link is added.
I can draw and explain a pyramid of numbers,
pyramid of biomass and pyramid of energy.
I can relate the position of the decomposers to
the pyramid of energy.
I can explain that nitrogen is needed to make
protein and that it is built into plant proteins and
then animal proteins.
I can state that nitrogen is released from dead
and waste plant and animal matter by the action
of decomposers.
I can describe the stages involved the nitrogen
cycle.
Achieved
Notes/ Comments
Learning Outcome
Success Criteria
d. Other ecological terms
including: species, population,
producer, consumer,
herbivore, carnivore and
omnivore.
I can state the meaning of the term species and
describe how to distinguish members of the same
species.
I know how to describe a population.
I can identify a producer and describe it’s role.
I can identify consumers and make the distinction
between different levels of consumer.
I can understand and use the terms herbivore,
carnivore and omnivore.
e, Competition in ecosystems
I can explain what competition is and give
examples of what organisms compete for.
I can describe the terms interspecific and
intraspecific in terms of competition.
I can describe the term Territory.
Achieved
Notes/ Comments
Learning Outcome
Success Criteria
I can give examples of behaviour that animals and
birds use to defend their resources.
I know what happens to those who are too weak to
compete for resources.
Achieved
Notes/ Comments
Section 3
Sampling techniques and measurements of abiotic and biotic factors
Learning Outcome
Success Criteria
3 Sampling techniques and
measurement of abiotic and I can explain what a sampling technique is and why
biotic factors
they are used.
a. Sampling plants and animals I can give examples of sampling techniques
using quantitative techniques including: Pitfall traps, quadrats, tree beating,
including quadrates and pitfall Tullgren Funnel, and Water Net.
traps.
I can state at least one error and how to fix it
b. Evaluation of limitations
for each of these above techniques.
and sources of error in pitfall
traps and quadrats.
I can explain what biotic and abiotic factors are.
c. Measuring abiotic factors
including light intensity,
temperature, pH and soil
moisture.
I can give methods for measuring each of these.
I can explain why keys are used.
I can read and draw paired statement keys.
I can read and draw branching keys.
Achieved
Notes/ Comments
Section 4
Adaptation, natural selection and the evolution of species
Learning Outcome
Success Criteria
4 Adaptation, natural
selection and the evolution
I can explain what a mutation is.
of species.
a. A mutation is a random
change to genetic material.
Mutations may be neutral,
confer an advantage or a
disadvantage.
Mutations are spontaneous
and are the only source of
new alleles.
I can give reasons that lead to a mutation.
I can explain why some mutations are
advantageous.
I can explain why some mutations are
disadvantageous.
Environmental factors, such
as radiation and chemicals,
I can explain the effects of mutation on both
can increase rate of mutation. individuals and species.
b. Variation within a
population makes to possible
for a population to evolve
over time in response to
changing environmental
conditions.
I can explain how mutations lead to beneficial
changes.
I can explain that these changes can be described
as adaptations.
I can explain what a selection pressure is.
Achieved
Notes/ Comments
Learning Outcome
c. Natural selection/survival
of the fittest occurs when
more offspring are produced
than the environment can
sustain. Only the best
adapted individuals survive to
reproduce, passing on the
genes that confer the
selective advantage.
d. Speciation occurs after a
population becomes isolated
and natural selection follows
a different path due to
different
conditions/selection
pressures.
Success Criteria
I can explain how adaptations lead to survival of
the fittest.
I can describe how this survival affects the
distribution of organisms in the ecosystem.
I can describe the process of natural selection.
I can state what methods of isolation.
I can explain the process of speciation through
isolation and selection.
Achieved
Notes/ Comments
Section 5
Human impact of the environment
Learning Outcome
Success Criteria
5 Human impact on the
environment
I can explain that the human population has
increased dramatically since 1950.
a. Increasing human
population requires an
increased food yield.
I can explain how this has impacted on the
demands for food.
b. Fertilisers can leach into
fresh water, causing algal
blooms. This leads toa
reduction in oxygen levels.
c. Pesticides sprayed onto
crops can accumulate in the
bodies of organisms over
time. As the y are passed
along food chains, toxicity
increases and can reach fatal
levels.
I can describe the ethical issues involved in trying
to feed the increasing population.
I can state the need for fertilisers.
I can describe the difference between natural
and artificial fertilisers.
I can explain the environmental impact of
pesticides and herbicides.
I can describe how these chemicals affect food
chains.
Achieved
Notes/ Comments
Learning Outcome
Success Criteria
d. Indicator species are
species that by their
presence or absence indicate
environmental quality/ levels
of pollution.
I can explain what is meant by the term indicator
species.
I can give examples of indicator species and what
environmental factor they describe, including
freshwater invertebrates and lichen.
I can explain what is meant by the term indicator
species.
I can give examples of indicator species and what
environmental factor they describe, including
freshwater invertebrates and lichen.
e. Biological control and GM
crops may be alternatives to
mitigate the effects of
intensive farming on the
environment.
I can give biological methods of control as
alternatives to pesticides, including ladybirds,
myxomatosis and caterpillar moths.
Achieved
Notes/ Comments