Biology II Ecology · Ecological Relationships and Biodiversity
Virginia SOL EC.6
Virginia SOL EC.6 is part of the Ecological Relationships and Biodiversity strand in Biology II Ecology (Science). Under this Standards of Learning objective, students investigate how ecological relationships and driving forces support biodiversity. Below is what EC.6 covers in plain language, the specific skills it is assessed on, the key concepts to review, and how to practice EC.6 for the Virginia SOL test.
What SOL EC.6 means
Investigate how ecological relationships and driving forces support biodiversity.
Skills you’ll practice for EC.6
- Make, support, and evaluate a claim about how natural selection leads to adaptations in species and increases ecosystem biodiversity.
- Describe the behavioral and physiological adaptations that plants and animals have developed to survive in diverse ecosystems.
- Make, support, and evaluate a claim about the roles of adaptive and non-adaptive forces in speciation and biodiversity.
- Research a real-world example of an organism's adaptation to an evolving environment.
- Make, support, and evaluate a claim about how species interactions and adaptations are a response to selective pressures.
- Research real-world structural and behavioral adaptations used by predators and prey for survival.
- Make, support, and evaluate a claim about how ecological niches and resource partitioning affect interactions within communities.
- Explain the role predation plays in population size within an ecosystem and differentiate forms of predation.
Key concepts covered by EC.6
- natural selection
- species adaptation
- biodiversity claim
- evolutionary process
- behavioral adaptations
- physiological adaptations
- survival strategies
- ecosystem diversity
- adaptive forces
- non-adaptive forces
- speciation claim
- biodiversity mechanisms
- organism adaptation
- evolving environment
- real-world example
- research-based analysis
- species interactions
- selective pressures
- adaptation claim
- ecological response
- predator adaptations
- prey adaptations
- structural adaptations
- ecological niches
- resource partitioning
- community interaction claim
- niche differentiation
- predation role
- population size
- predation forms
- ecosystem dynamics
How to study and practice SOL EC.6
Start with a quick diagnostic to see whether EC.6 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.6
What is Virginia SOL EC.6?
SOL EC.6 is a Biology II Ecology Standard of Learning in the Ecological Relationships and Biodiversity strand. It expects students to investigate how ecological relationships and driving forces support biodiversity.
What skills does SOL EC.6 cover?
SOL EC.6 is assessed on 8 skills: make, support, and evaluate a claim about how natural selection leads to adaptations in species and increases ecosystem biodiversity; describe the behavioral and physiological adaptations that plants and animals have developed to survive in diverse ecosystems; make, support, and evaluate a claim about the roles of adaptive and non-adaptive forces in speciation and biodiversity; research a real-world example of an organism's adaptation to an evolving environment; make, support, and evaluate a claim about how species interactions and adaptations are a response to selective pressures; research real-world structural and behavioral adaptations used by predators and prey for survival; make, support, and evaluate a claim about how ecological niches and resource partitioning affect interactions within communities; explain the role predation plays in population size within an ecosystem and differentiate forms of predation.
What strand of Biology II Ecology is SOL EC.6 in?
SOL EC.6 belongs to the Ecological Relationships and Biodiversity reporting strand of the Biology II Ecology Virginia Standards of Learning.
How do I study and practice for SOL EC.6?
Start with a diagnostic to see whether EC.6 is already solid, then work the 8 skills above with guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions. For official released items, see the Virginia SOL practice tests guide.