Environmental Science and Level II Expanded · Population Changes and Biodiversity
Virginia SOL ENV.5
Virginia SOL ENV.5 is part of the Population Changes and Biodiversity strand in Environmental Science and Level II Expanded (Science). Under this Standards of Learning objective, students investigate and understand how changes in population affect biodiversity and ecosystem success. Below is what ENV.5 covers in plain language, the specific skills it is assessed on, the key concepts to review, and how to practice ENV.5 for the Virginia SOL test.
What SOL ENV.5 means
Investigate and understand how changes in population affect biodiversity and ecosystem success.
Skills you’ll practice for ENV.5
- Analyze and interpret population growth curves to identify changes in population size.
- Make, support, and evaluate a claim about the relationship among limiting factors, population size, and carrying capacity.
- Make, support, and evaluate a claim about the importance of genetic variation on the biodiversity of an ecosystem.
- Develop and use a model to explain how species diversity is affected by environmental pressures.
- Explain how human population growth changed over time as a result of various factors and predict the effect of continued growth on the environment.
Key concepts covered by ENV.5
- population growth curves
- population size
- data analysis
- limiting factors
- carrying capacity
- claim evaluation
- genetic variation
- biodiversity
- ecosystem
- species diversity
- environmental pressures
- models
- human population growth
- environmental impact
- prediction
How to study and practice SOL ENV.5
Start with a quick diagnostic to see whether ENV.5 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 ENV.5
What is Virginia SOL ENV.5?
SOL ENV.5 is a Environmental Science and Level II Expanded Standard of Learning in the Population Changes and Biodiversity strand. It expects students to investigate and understand how changes in population affect biodiversity and ecosystem success.
What skills does SOL ENV.5 cover?
SOL ENV.5 is assessed on 5 skills: analyze and interpret population growth curves to identify changes in population size; make, support, and evaluate a claim about the relationship among limiting factors, population size, and carrying capacity; make, support, and evaluate a claim about the importance of genetic variation on the biodiversity of an ecosystem; develop and use a model to explain how species diversity is affected by environmental pressures; explain how human population growth changed over time as a result of various factors and predict the effect of continued growth on the environment.
What strand of Environmental Science and Level II Expanded is SOL ENV.5 in?
SOL ENV.5 belongs to the Population Changes and Biodiversity reporting strand of the Environmental Science and Level II Expanded Virginia Standards of Learning.
How do I study and practice for SOL ENV.5?
Start with a diagnostic to see whether ENV.5 is already solid, then work the 5 skills above with guided notes, flashcards, and SOL-style practice questions. For official released items, see the Virginia SOL practice tests guide.