← Biology syllabus

North CarolinaBiology

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What makes an ecosystem stable, and how does it recover from disturbance?

Explain how the interactions among organisms and biodiversity contribute to ecosystem stability and resilience (North Carolina Standard Course of Study, Biology, LS.Bio.5).
A standard-level answer on ecosystem dynamics for the North Carolina Biology EOC: species interactions, the role of biodiversity in stability, keystone species, succession, and how ecosystems recover from disturbance.
13 min answer →

How does energy flow through an ecosystem, and why is it lost at each level?

Explain how energy flows through an ecosystem in food chains and food webs, and why energy decreases at each trophic level (North Carolina Standard Course of Study, Biology, LS.Bio.4).
A standard-level answer on energy flow for the North Carolina Biology EOC: producers and consumers, trophic levels, food chains and webs, energy pyramids, and why only about 10 percent of energy passes up each level.
13 min answer →

How do human activities affect ecosystems, and how can we reduce the harm?

Analyze the effects of human activities on ecosystems and evaluate ways to reduce negative impacts (North Carolina Standard Course of Study, Biology, LS.Bio.5).
A standard-level answer on human impact for the North Carolina Biology EOC: pollution, habitat destruction, invasive species, overuse of resources, climate change, and conservation strategies that reduce harm.
13 min answer →

What limits the growth of a population, and what is carrying capacity?

Explain how limiting factors and carrying capacity regulate population size in an ecosystem (North Carolina Standard Course of Study, Biology, LS.Bio.5).
A standard-level answer on populations for the North Carolina Biology EOC: carrying capacity, limiting factors (density-dependent and density-independent), exponential versus logistic growth, and reading growth graphs.
13 min answer →

How do carbon, nitrogen, and water cycle through ecosystems?

Explain how matter cycles through ecosystems in the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles (North Carolina Standard Course of Study, Biology, LS.Bio.4).
A standard-level answer on biogeochemical cycles for the North Carolina Biology EOC: the carbon cycle (photosynthesis and respiration), the nitrogen cycle and bacteria, the water cycle, and the role of decomposers.
13 min answer →