Preliminary Biology 2012

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

Preliminary Biology 2012Course Information Handout and discuss course information booklets

For more information about Biology please visit the Board of Studies website: http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/biology.html

Part of the Local Ecosystems ModuleBiology in Focus, Preliminary CourseGlenda Childrawi and Stephanie HollisUnit: A Local EcosystemTopic 1: Biotic and Abiotic FeaturesDOT PointCompare the abiotic characteristics of aquatic and terrestrial environmentsEcologyEcology is the study of the distribution and abundance of living organisms and how these properties are affected by interactions between the organisms and their environment. There are a few important terms that need to be defined prior to understanding the study of ecology. asdHandout Key Terms Table

EcologyEcology is studied at different levels:asd

Components of an EcosystemAn ecosystem is the combination of all organisms (biotic factors) living in a community and all the non-living features (abiotic factors) with which they interact. There is a fine balance between the biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems. The distribution of the different Australian ecosystems is due to the variation in biotic and abiotic factors found within each particular area. canarygeog.canaryzoo.com

Terrestrial and Aquatic EnvironmentsTerrestrial environments are those found on land, for example desert or rainforest ecosystems. Aquatic (water) environments are those found in saltwater or marine environments (e.g. coral reefs) and freshwater environments (e.g. lakes). tripwow.tripadvisor.com

Terrestrial and Aquatic EnvironmentsHowever, some aquatic environments are exposed to both freshwater and saltwater, such as an estuarine environment affected by tidal changes. The major types of organisms found in aquatic environments are influenced by the level of water salinity.asd

Terrestrial and Aquatic EnvironmentsThere are many diverse ecosystems found in Australia. Examples of aquatic ecosystems include wetlands and mangrove swamps; rock platformsbare rock and littoral zones; estuaries, rivers and lakes; oceans and coral reefs.

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Terrestrial and Aquatic EnvironmentsDesert:Annual rainfall is low, < 250 mmHigh temperatures through the day (approx. 40C) and cold temperatures through the night (approx. 0C)Often sandy soil, sometimes rockyTypical organisms include sparse grasses and saltbushes; the spinifex hopping mouse; insects, lizards and snakes

paularnold.com.au

Terrestrial and Aquatic EnvironmentsGrasslands:Annual rainfall 250750 mmTemperature can be hot or mildTypical organisms include grasses (e.g. spinifex), kangaroos, rabbits and snakesbrisbanesde.eq.edu.au

Terrestrial and Aquatic EnvironmentsShrubland:Annual rainfall 200400 mmTemperatures are hotTypical organisms include mallee trees, mulga; kangaroos, rabbits and snakesgraemechapman.com.au

Terrestrial and Aquatic EnvironmentsWoodland:Annual rainfall 400750 mmTemperature can be mild, and sometimes hotCanopy cover 1030%Typical organisms include grasses, shrubs, eucalypt trees, mice, birds, insects, spiders and wallabieswalkgps.com

Terrestrial and Aquatic EnvironmentsTemperate Forest:Annual rainfall > 750 mmTemperature is mildCanopy cover 3070%Typical organisms include eucalypt trees of various typesgrantdixonphotography.com.au

Terrestrial and Aquatic EnvironmentsRainforest:Annual rainfall > 1500 mmAir is humid and temperature can be hot or mildCanopy cover is dense (70100%) and layers (strata) develop (i.e. canopy, understorey, forest floor)Typical organisms include a diverse number of habitats and species (e.g. birds nest ferns, palms, lianas, bracken ferns, leaf litter organisms)rainforest.org.au

Abiotic FactorsBiotic and abiotic factors differ significantly between aquatic and terrestrial environments. Abiotic factors create various conditions which suit different types of organisms and hence affect biotic factors. First, we must look at the underlying abiotic factors of an environment in order to determine the possible effect that they may have on the living (biotic) component of that environment.australiangeographic.com.au

Abiotic FactorsAbiotic factors in aquatic and terrestrial environments are described comprehensively in the handout. It must be noted that the abiotic factors of water environments differ depending on whether the water is saltwater or freshwater. tutorvista.comHandout Table 1.3 Abiotic characteristics of aquatic and terrestrial environment

Abiotic FactorsIn order to approach this dot point, you must first understand the meaning of the verb used. You can then answer the question with the information about the concept. We are going to use a Scaffold called ALARM to help structure our responses. asd

Activity-Hand out Blue Verb Books-Hand out blank ALARM scaffold-Answer the DOT Point using the ALARM scaffold:Compare the abiotic characteristics of aquatic and terrestrial environments