1. A2 Biology F215 Ecosystems and sustainability
Describe one example of primary succession resulting in a climax community
e.g. Ainsdale sand dunes
Describe how the distribution and abundance of organisms can be measured
e.g. using line and belt transects, plus quadrats
Distinguish between conservation and preservation
e.g. at Ainsdale sand dunes
in the Galapagos Islands
during timber production

2. Plans for AS Biology for the rest of summer term
Week beginning 8th June
1) Improving your practical skills - expts with lipase enzymes
2) Fieldwork letters
Week beginning 15th June
1) Ecology theory – succession and conservation
2) HE fair (17/6 pm) and progress reviews and big UCAS day + parents’ information evening (18/6)
Week beginning 22nd June
1) Visit Ainsdale to study succession
and conservation plus improve your
practical skills
2) Write up work from Ainsdale
Week beginning 29th June
1) Improving your practical skills – expts with immobilised enzymes
2) Hand in all work for safe keeping

3. Helping you to decide what to do after college
15th June – talk by Prof Bailey from Keele University about science courses including biology, chemistry, physics, forensic science, geology, environmental studies (11 and in B35)
16th June – talk by Katie Maddock from Keele University about Pharmacy (11 and in B35)
17th June afternoon – Higher Education fair at Staffs University
18th June – summer progress reviews + big UCAS day (including members of Faculty of Health at Keele University)

4. Surtsey Island, near Iceland 1963 http://www. britannica

5. Ecosystems and sustainability Aim of lesson 1
To learn key facts about primary succession and be able to describe examples
Assessment objective 1 – knowledge and understanding

6. Surtsey Island, near Iceland

8. Surtsey Island, near Iceland

9. Primary succession Starts on bare ground
First organisms are producers = pioneer community
e.g. lichens on rock;
low species richness and index of diversity
energy enters ecosystem e.g. by photosynthesis (organisms are producers = their niche)
Organisms change the abiotic environment and soil forms e.g. by rock erosion + humus from dead organic matter
Pioneer species are succeeded / replaced through interspecific competition e.g. by mosses ( abiotic factor)
Organisms continue to change the environment until final stable climax community develops with a complex food web with several trophic levels

10. Run the simulation of colonisation of new oceanic islands.
More about Surtsey
The Surtsey Society website – look at this for more details of the colonisation of Surtsey
Stretch and Challenge
Run the simulation of colonisation of new oceanic islands.
Can you describe and explain what affects the species diversity on the islands?

11. Succession on a glacial moraine
This animation shows important features of primary succession
What feature of the Dryas and alder plants alters the soil?
What is the term for the stable spruce community?

12. Key words for describing succession
Primary succession is a directional change in a community over time
Pioneer species
Climax community
species richness index of diversity
abiotic factors ecosystem biotic factors
interspecific competition
trophic levels + food chains and food webs niche

13. Primary succession Starts on bare ground
First organisms are producers = pioneer community
e.g. lichens on rock;
low species richness and index of diversity
energy enters ecosystem e.g. by photosynthesis (organisms are producers = their niche)
Organisms change the abiotic environment and soil forms e.g. by rock erosion + humus from dead organic matter
Pioneer species are succeeded / replaced through interspecific competition e.g. by mosses ( abiotic factor)
Organisms continue to change the environment until final stable climax community develops with a complex food web with several trophic levels

14. Quiz on primary succession – true or false?
Biomass increases as you go from the pioneer community to the climax community
Primary succession starts where there are no living organisms
The pioneer organisms are producers
The pioneer organisms do not change the environment
When the pioneers die they form humus which is broken down by decomposers
The pioneer community has high species richness and index of diversity
The highest species richness and index of diversity is in the climax community

15. Succession brain warm up think, pair, share
Write down 5 important facts about primary succession
Compare them with 2 other students and select the 2 most important ones
Share your conclusions with the rest of the class

16. Ecosystems and sustainability Aims of lesson 2
Revise the key facts about primary succession
Learn about deflected succession and secondary succession
Be able to describe succession on the sand dunes
Understand the words conservation and preservation, using examples
Assessment objective 1 – knowledge and understanding
Assessment objective 2 – application of knowledge and understanding
Assessment objective 3 – how science works

17. Key facts about succession
Primary succession – starts in area with no living organisms
Change in species over time 
increased species richness and index of diversity
Starts with pioneers and ends with climax community
Pioneer species – a few species (= low diversity) which colonise bare ground and can survive harsh abiotic conditions;
energy enters the ecosystem e.g. through photosynthesis
they change those conditions and as a result other species can survive;
the pioneer species disappear as they cannot compete with the new species
Climax community – the final stage of succession;
A stable community with many species of plants and animals so there are many food webs; high species richness and index of diversity
Deflected succession – abiotic or biotic conditions stop succession before the climax community has developed e.g. by removing tree seedlings
Secondary succession – climax community destroyed but soil left; succession starts again e.g. after a fire

18. Secondary succession
The animation shows secondary succession in a forest after a fire
Stretch and challenge
This site also describes secondary succession in woodland
Read the information and then answer this question :-
Suggest why Rhododendron is a problem during succession in this country. What is being done to solve the problem?

19. Checking your understanding
Can you describe the similarities and differences between these terms?
Use examples to help you
primary succession
secondary succession
deflected succession

20. Checking your understanding
primary succession – starts with no soil, climax community develops
secondary succession – starts with bare soil, climax community develops
deflected succession – climax community does not develop e.g. through grazing, water-logged soil
all 3 show increase in biomass, species richness, index of diversity as the process continues

21. Can you construct a mind map to summarise the topic?
Succession
Investigate this website for further details about and examples of succession
Can you construct a mind map to summarise the topic?

22. Succession on sand dunes
A walk through the succession on sand dunes
Check out the details of succession on sand dunes on this website
Use this web site to learn about the dunes we are visiting at Ainsdale, near Southport
Check your understanding with a quiz and word search

23. Researching succession on sand dunes (pages 34-37 Biology 2)
Where does succession on sand dunes start?
Describe the abiotic conditions at the start of succession.
Name 3 pioneer species on the fore / embryo dunes.
Suggest when rabbits will appear in the succession on sand dunes? Why? What are the advantages and disadvantages of their presence?
Describe the climax community of sand dune succession.
What evidence is there that the index of diversity increases as you go from the fore / embryo dunes through the yellow dunes to the grey dunes?
Why so plants such as restharrow and bird’s-foot trefoil have a competitive advantage on the yellow dunes?
Suggest what effects humans can have on sand dunes – both positive and negative.

24. Key words for succession
abiotic factor environment producer
biotic factor species consumer
plant animal energy
community xerophyte / halophyte food chain
adaptation niche food web
competition human influence legume
succession deflected succession climax
habitat ecosystem diversity
population trophic level pioneer

25. ecology Key words – write a definition for each and give an example
Primary succession
Pioneer species
Climax community
Deflected succession
Secondary succession

26. Stretch and challenge - Sand dunes
1) Look at this series of slides about sand dune succession and then try the question
Question
The sand dune ecosystem is in dynamic equilibrium.
What does this mean?
What challenges does this present for the conservation of sand dunes?
2) Forensic scientists need to understand succession.
Can you find out what evidence they use?

27. Independent study For tomorrow’s lesson
read information on sand dunes in booklet and on websites
find out what is meant by sustainable forestry
Hand in on Monday
answers to the 3 exam questions
completed page on conservation in the booklet

28. Conservation and preservation
You need to be able to:-
Distinguish between conservation and preservation.
Explain that conservation is a dynamic process involving management and reclamation.
Discuss the economical, social and ethical reasons for conservation of biological resources.
Use the Galapagos islands as an example of conservation in action