HONORS BIOLOGY UNIT 10 GUIDE
Ecology, the Biosphere and the Study of Populations (Chapters 34, 36, and 37)
Unit Essential Question(s)
How does the science of ecology analyze the interactions of organisms with one another and their
environment and describe and quantify the dynamic nature of living systems?
Pennsylvania Biology Keystone Anchor Descriptors/Eligible Content
BIO.B.4.1.1 Describe the levels of ecological organization (i.e. organism, population, community,
ecosystem, biome, and biosphere)
BIO.B.4.1.2 Describe characteristic biotic and abiotic components of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
BIO.B.4.2.1 Describe how energy flows through and ecosystem (food chains, food webs)
BIO.B.4.2.2 Describe biotic interactions in an ecosystem (competition, predation, symbiosis)
BIO.B.4.2.5 Describe the effects of limiting factors on population dynamics and potential species extinction.
Essential Content and Skills
(“Upon completion of this unit I should understand and/or be able to…”)
YES…I Can!
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Define the following key terms from Chapters 34, 36, and 37: biotic factors, abiotic factors,
organism, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere, biome, limiting factors, exponential
growth, logistic growth, carrying capacity, r-selection, K-selection, mutualism, predation,
parasitism, commensalism, biogeochemical cycles.
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Compare and contrast the various aquatic and terrestrial biomes in terms of their abiotic and
biotic factors.
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Explain how organisms become adapted to the abiotic and biotic factors in the area in which they
live via natural selection.
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Explain how variations in climate influence the distribution of organisms

Explain how the global water cycle connects aquatic and terrestrial biomes.

Describe how the growth of a population is a major factor in determining the dynamics of a
population.
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Explain how limiting factors affect the growth of a population and how those factors could lead to
species extinction.

Explain the term carrying capacity, how it is related to limited resources, and its effects on the
growth of a population
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Explain how ecological principles can be applied to managing natural resources.

Apply principles of ecology to the analysis of human population’s current and future growth and
its impact on the environment.
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Describe interactions that occur at the level of communities and ecosystems.
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Explain how matter and energy are moved and cycled through living systems using a knowledge
of biogeochemical cycles.