Year 11 - Science
Climate change and biodiversity: changes in the distribution of organisms
Maintaining biodiversity and human impacts
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores trophic levels, biomass pyramids, and the efficiency of biomass transfers in ecosystems. It examines human impacts on biodiversity, factors affecting food security, and biotechnological solutions. Emphasis is on evaluating environmental changes and ethical considerations.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to evaluate evidence of the impacts of environmental changes on the distribution of organisms.
Key Notes
- Increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are associated with climate change.
- Changes in ecosystems can affect mean temperature and water availability.
- Changes in ecosystems can leave organisms less well adapted to survive and thrive there.
- Evaluation of data linking changes in atmospheric gases and changes in biodiversity.
- Evaluation of data linking changes in water availability and changes in biodiversity.
Vocabulary To Learn
- greenhouse gas: a gas responsible for the greenhouse effect by absorbing and re-radiating infrared radiation that warms the atmosphere
- climate change: a long-term shift in weather patterns
- distribution: where species are located
- abundance: how many individuals of a species are present
- biodiversity: the range of different living organisms (species) that live in a place
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- A common misconception is that a small increase in greenhouse gases and a small rise in Earth's temperature will not have much impact on organisms on Earth beyond land ice melting.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are associated with climate change. Changes in ecosystems can affect mean temperature and water availability.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'greenhouse gas'
a gas responsible for the greenhouse effect by absorbing and re-radiating infrared radiation that warms the atmosphere. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: A common misconception is that a small increase in greenhouse gases and a small rise in Earth's temperature will not have much impact on organisms on Earth beyond land ice melting. Correction: The lesson discusses how small changes in weather patterns can have a significant impact on organisms as their habitats change and no longer provide them with food, shelter and a place to reproduce.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Benefits and challenges of maintaining biodiversity Study Guide
- Climate change and biodiversity: forests and oceans Study Guide
- Examples of human interactions with ecosystems, including fish farming Study Guide
- Examples of human interactions with ecosystems, including use of peat Study Guide
- Factors affecting human food security, and possible solutions Study Guide
- Negative human interactions with ecosystems and impacts on biodiversity Study Guide
- Transfers of biomass between trophic levels Study Guide
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