Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can define a community and explain how it differs from a population and from an ecosystem. (Guide: “From populations to communities”)
- I can explain the difference between species composition, species richness and species evenness. (Guide: “Describing a community”; Practice Q4)
- I can classify competition, predation, herbivory, parasitism, mutualism and commensalism by their effect on each species (+, − or 0). (Guide: “Interactions between populations”; Practice Q1)
- I can explain how interactions decide which populations get energy and matter in a community. (Guide: “Interactions between populations”; Practice Q7)
Calculation and skills
- I can calculate Simpson’s diversity index from species counts, squaring each proportion before adding. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q2, Q4)
- I can calculate a mean, standard deviation and SE, and draw or read error bars of mean ± 2 SE. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q5)
- I can use overlapping or non-overlapping error bars to decide whether two means are likely to differ. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q5, Q6)
- I can read a predator–prey graph with two vertical axes and describe the lag between the peaks. (Guide: Figure 1; Practice Q3)
Reasoning
- I can explain why predator and prey numbers cycle and why the predator peak comes later. (Guide: “Predator and prey populations”; Practice Q3)
- I can explain competitive exclusion and how niche partitioning lets similar species coexist. (Guide: “Competition and niche partitioning”; Practice Q5, Q7)
- I can follow a trophic cascade step by step and predict the effect of adding or removing a top level. (Guide: “Trophic cascades”; Practice Q6)
- I can use data to name an interaction and justify its sign pattern. (Practice Q1, Q7)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 8.6, Biodiversity, or return to the course roadmap.