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Biodiversity and ecosystems (Level 2 background)

8 dot points, in syllabus order. Each dot point has a focused answer, with exam-style questions and worked answers where available.

What is biodiversity and how do we measure it?

Define the levels of biodiversity and describe how species richness and evenness are measured.

Genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity, plus species richness, evenness, and the use of diversity indices (TASC Biology Level 2 content, not examined in Level 3 BIO315124).

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What components make up an ecosystem and how do they interact?

Identify the biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems and explain how abiotic factors shape distribution.

Biotic and abiotic components, levels of ecological organisation, and how abiotic factors and tolerance ranges shape species distribution (TASC Biology Level 2 content, not examined in Level 3 BIO315124).

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How does energy move through an ecosystem?

Explain how energy flows through food chains and webs and why energy is lost at each trophic level.

Producers, consumers, food chains and webs, trophic levels, energy loss between levels, and ecological pyramids (TASC Biology Level 2 content, not examined in Level 3 BIO315124).

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What controls the size of a population and how do we measure it?

Explain the factors that change population size and describe methods used to estimate populations.

Population growth, carrying capacity, density-dependent and density-independent factors, and field sampling methods including capture-mark-recapture (TASC Biology Level 2 content, not examined in Level 3 BIO315124).

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How and why do biologists classify living things?

Describe the system of biological classification and explain how organisms are named and grouped.

The Linnaean hierarchy, the three domains, binomial nomenclature, and how classification reflects evolutionary relationships (TASC Biology Level 2 content, not examined in Level 3 BIO315124).

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How do organisms interact with one another within a community?

Describe the types of interspecific relationships and explain their effects on the organisms involved.

Predation, competition, and the symbioses of mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism, and how each affects the organisms involved (TASC Biology Level 2 content, not examined in Level 3 BIO315124).

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Why are cells regarded as the basic units of all living things?

Explain cell theory and compare prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.

Cell theory, the shared features of all cells, and the key differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells (TASC Biology Level 2 content, not examined in Level 3 BIO315124).

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How is matter recycled through ecosystems?

Describe the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles and the role of organisms in moving matter.

The carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles, the role of decomposers and microbes, and how matter is recycled while energy flows one way (TASC Biology Level 2 content, not examined in Level 3 BIO315124).

8 min read →