Ecosystems and Dynamic Equilibrium
Virginia SOL ENV.4
Investigate and understand ecosystems in a state of dynamic equilibrium affected by biotic and abiotic interactions.
What students need to be able to do
- Compare biotic and abiotic factors in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
- Describe the ecological role that an organism plays in supporting the overall sustainability of the ecosystem.
- Make, support, and evaluate a claim about the ecological roles of different categories of species in maintaining or disrupting ecosystem equilibrium.
- Predict the effect caused by the introduction of an invasive species on the equilibrium of an ecosystem.
- Develop and use models to predict the effects of energy and matter transfer in ecosystems.
- Make, support, and evaluate a claim about how energy and matter are conserved in ecosystems.
- Make, support, and evaluate a claim about how environmental pressures may lead to shifts in ecosystem equilibrium.
- Explain how ecosystems change over time through succession and how this affects ecosystem dynamics.
- Predict the effect of natural processes and human activities on Virginia's biodiversity and ecosystem equilibrium.