Biology II Ecology · Biotic and Abiotic Factors
Virginia SOL EC.2
Virginia SOL EC.2 is part of the Biotic and Abiotic Factors strand in Biology II Ecology (Science). Under this Standards of Learning objective, students investigate how biotic and abiotic factors affect species distribution and biodiversity. Below is what EC.2 covers in plain language, the specific skills it is assessed on, the key concepts to review, and how to practice EC.2 for the Virginia SOL test.
What SOL EC.2 means
Investigate how biotic and abiotic factors affect species distribution and biodiversity.
Skills you’ll practice for EC.2
- Compare the biotic and abiotic characteristics of Earth's principal terrestrial and aquatic biomes.
- Make, support, and evaluate a claim about how characteristics of biomes affect biodiversity.
- Plan and conduct a biosurvey to assess the health and condition of a circumscribed natural area.
- Research a natural or anthropogenic threat, the issues causing the threat, and describe potential remediation strategies.
- Make, support, and evaluate a claim about how the level of biodiversity influences ecosystem resilience and sustainability.
- Research ways legislation and/or global agreements provide biodiversity protections.
- Compare benefits and limitations of methods used to increase resilience and sustainability in a local ecosystem.
Key concepts covered by EC.2
- biome comparison
- biotic factors
- abiotic factors
- terrestrial ecosystems
- aquatic ecosystems
- biodiversity claim
- biome characteristics
- evidence-based reasoning
- claim evaluation
- biosurvey planning
- ecosystem health assessment
- field investigation
- data collection
- threat research
- anthropogenic impact
- remediation strategies
- ecosystem threat analysis
- ecosystem resilience
- sustainability assessment
- evidence-based evaluation
- biodiversity legislation
- global agreements
- policy research
- conservation strategies
- resilience methods
- sustainability techniques
- method comparison
- ecosystem management
How to study and practice SOL EC.2
Start with a quick diagnostic to see whether EC.2 is already solid, then work each skill above with guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions. For official released items, see our Virginia SOL practice tests guide and how to study for the SOL test.
Frequently asked questions about SOL EC.2
What is Virginia SOL EC.2?
SOL EC.2 is a Biology II Ecology Standard of Learning in the Biotic and Abiotic Factors strand. It expects students to investigate how biotic and abiotic factors affect species distribution and biodiversity.
What skills does SOL EC.2 cover?
SOL EC.2 is assessed on 7 skills: compare the biotic and abiotic characteristics of Earth's principal terrestrial and aquatic biomes; make, support, and evaluate a claim about how characteristics of biomes affect biodiversity; plan and conduct a biosurvey to assess the health and condition of a circumscribed natural area; research a natural or anthropogenic threat, the issues causing the threat, and describe potential remediation strategies; make, support, and evaluate a claim about how the level of biodiversity influences ecosystem resilience and sustainability; research ways legislation and/or global agreements provide biodiversity protections; compare benefits and limitations of methods used to increase resilience and sustainability in a local ecosystem.
What strand of Biology II Ecology is SOL EC.2 in?
SOL EC.2 belongs to the Biotic and Abiotic Factors reporting strand of the Biology II Ecology Virginia Standards of Learning.
How do I study and practice for SOL EC.2?
Start with a diagnostic to see whether EC.2 is already solid, then work the 7 skills above with guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions. For official released items, see the Virginia SOL practice tests guide.