DP Biology (last assessment 2024)
Syllabus sections »

C.1 Species and communities

Description

Nature of science:
Use models as representations of the real world—zones of stress and limits of tolerance graphs are models of the real world that have predictive power and explain community structure. (1.10)
Understandings:
  • The distribution of species is affected by limiting factors.
  • Community structure can be strongly affected by keystone species.
  • Each species plays a unique role within a community because of the unique combination of its spatial habitat and interactions with other species.
  • Interactions between species in a community can be classified according to their effect.
  • Two species cannot survive indefinitely in the same habitat if their niches are identical.
Applications and skills:
  • Application: Distribution of one animal and one plant species to illustrate limits of tolerance and zones of stress.
  • Application: Local examples to illustrate the range of ways in which species can interact within a community.
  • Application: The symbiotic relationship between Zooxanthellae and reef-building coral reef species.
  • Skill: Analysis of a data set that illustrates the distinction between fundamental and realized niche.
  • Skill: Use of a transect to correlate the distribution of plant or animal species with an abiotic variable.
 Theory of knowledge:
  • Random samples are taken in studies involving large geographical areas or if limited time is available. Is random sampling a useful tool for scientists despite the potential for sampling bias?
Utilization:
Syllabus and cross-curricular links:
Geography
Part 2C Extreme environments

Aims:
  • Aim 6: Factors influencing herbivory could be investigated.

Directly related questions

Sub sections and their related questions

None