What are habitats and biodiversity, how is a habitat studied, and how do organisms adapt to where they live?
The terms habitat, ecosystem, biodiversity, abiotic and biotic factors, the main Northern Ireland habitats, studying one habitat by measuring abiotic factors and sampling biodiversity, and how species are adapted to survive there.
A focused CCEA GCSE Agriculture and Land Use answer on habitats and biodiversity, covering the terms habitat, ecosystem, biodiversity, abiotic and biotic factors, the main Northern Ireland habitats, studying a habitat with sampling equipment, and how species are adapted to survive.
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What this dot point is asking
CCEA wants you to define the key ecology terms, name the main Northern Ireland habitats, describe how to study a habitat (measuring abiotic factors and sampling biodiversity), and explain how organisms are adapted to survive in their habitat.
The key terms
The main Northern Ireland habitats
You should be aware of these habitats:
- Improved grassland (including sports turf) - managed, reseeded, fertilised; lower biodiversity.
- Unimproved grassland - not heavily managed; higher biodiversity of wildflowers and insects.
- Deciduous or coniferous forest - woodland habitats.
- Wetland or bog - wet, often peaty habitats such as Peatlands Park.
Studying one habitat
To study a habitat you measure the abiotic factors and sample the living things.
To make results trustworthy you must understand reliability (repeating to get consistent results) and validity (measuring what you intend to, with controlled conditions).
Adaptations of species
Species are adapted to survive in their habitat. CCEA uses examples such as bluebells, gorse and the curlew.
- Adaptations can be behavioural (how an organism behaves), morphological (its body shape and structure) or physiological (how its body works).
- For example, a curlew has a long, curved beak (morphological) to probe soft ground for food; gorse has spiny leaves (morphological) to reduce water loss and deter grazing.
The biotic and abiotic conditions of a habitat determine which species can live there.
Examples in context
Example 1. Comparing improved and unimproved grassland. A class studies two fields: an improved, reseeded grazing field and an unimproved meadow. Using quadrats they find far more plant species in the unimproved meadow. They explain that heavy management (reseeding, fertiliser, frequent cutting) in the improved field reduces biodiversity, while the unmanaged meadow supports many wildflowers and insects.
Example 2. A transect from hedge to field centre. Students lay a belt transect from a hedgerow out into a field and record plants along it. They find shade-tolerant species near the hedge and grasses further out, showing how the abiotic factor of light, changing across the transect, affects which species can grow where.
Try this
Q1. Give one example each of an abiotic and a biotic factor. [2 marks]
- Cue. Abiotic: temperature, light, pH, water or wind. Biotic: food, predators, competition or disease.
Q2. Name the equipment you would use to sample ground-living insects. [1 mark]
- Cue. A pitfall trap.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA Unit 1 style4 marksDefine the terms habitat, biodiversity, abiotic factor and biotic factor.Show worked answer →
One mark for each correct definition.
A habitat is the place where an organism lives, for example a hedgerow, a bog or a grassland.
Biodiversity is the variety of different species (plants and animals) living in an area; high biodiversity means many different species.
An abiotic factor is a non-living factor in the environment, such as temperature, light, soil pH, water or wind speed.
A biotic factor is a living factor in the environment, such as food supply, predators, competition or disease.
Markers reward precise definitions. A common error is to define biodiversity as just "lots of animals" rather than the variety of different species.
CCEA Unit 1 style6 marksDescribe how you would study one habitat, including how you would measure abiotic factors and sample the plants and animals living there.Show worked answer →
Six marks for a clear method covering abiotic measurement and sampling.
Choose one habitat, for example a field, hedgerow or pond. Measure the abiotic factors using suitable equipment: a thermometer for temperature, a light meter for light levels, a pH meter for soil pH, and an anemometer for wind speed. Take several readings to make the data more reliable.
Sample the plants using a quadrat: place quadrats randomly, count or estimate the percentage cover of each plant species, and repeat to get a fair sample. Sample the animals using pitfall traps for ground insects, sweep nets for flying insects and a pooter to collect small insects. A line or belt transect can be used to show how species change across the habitat.
Use the data to explain the distribution of species and link it to the abiotic conditions, and comment on the reliability and validity of the results. Markers reward named abiotic measurements, named sampling methods, and the link between conditions and species.
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