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AS 90461 Version 2
Describe concepts and processes relating to ecology
Level 2 Credits 3
This achievement standard involves describing biological concepts and processes relating to
ecology.
Achievement Criteria
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with Excellence
• Describe biological
concepts and processes
relating to ecology.
• Explain biological concepts
and processes relating to
ecology.
• Discuss biological concepts
and processes relating to
ecology.
Biological concepts and processes will be selected from:
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adaptations, ecological niche
biotic and abiotic components
population growth, survivorship, age structure
succession, zonation, stratification
interrelationships, competition, exploitation
flow of energy, nutrient cycling
effect of environmental change on biodiversity
Core Vocabulary
• Abiotic
• Adaptation
• Age Structure
• Biotic
• Carnivore
• Community
• Competition
• Consumer
• Decomposer
• Density
• Distribution
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Ecosystem
Habitat
Herbivore
Indirect Sample
Interspecific
Intraspecific
Kite Diagram
Limiting Factor
Mark & Recapture
Microclimate
Mortality
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Mutualism
Natality
Niche
Omnivore
Parasitism
Population
Predation
Producer
Quadrat
Scavenger
Species
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Stratification
Succession
Supplementary
Survivorship
Tolerance
Transect
Trophic level
Zonation
Further Guidance:
Students will be expected to utilise the core knowledge outlined in the statements below to
describe, explain and discuss aspects of ecology in novel and applied situations or examples.
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Understanding of how an individual fits into the population, community, ecosystem and
biosphere.
Identify the biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem and describe the relationship
between these components.
Define habitat in relation to specific organisms.
Describe the various adaptations of organisms and relate how these aid the survival of the
organism in their habitat.
Describe an organisms ecological niche.
Describe what is meant by the terms tolerance range and limiting factors. Explain how
limiting factors affect individual organisms and whole populations.
Describe Gause’s Principle of competitive exclusion.
Describe population growth and the effect of limiting factors.
Define survivorship and identify factors contributing to in species survivorship.
Define the terms succession, zonation and stratification.
o Succession - change in species composition over time.
o Zonation - distribution of different species over an area relative to environmental
factors.
o Stratification - the vertical distribution of species according to their tolerance to
environmental factors.
Describe nutrient cycles and cycling.
Describe species inter relationships; mutualism, competition, exploitation.
Describe the effect of environmental change on biodiversity.
Terms
Describe requires the student to define, give characteristics of, or an account of.
Explain requires the student to provide a reason as to how or why something occurs.
Discuss requires the student to show understanding by linking biological ideas. It may involve
justifying, relating, evaluating, comparing and contrasting, or analysing.
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