Evolution and Ecology

AP® Biology is an advanced, college-level course taught at the high school level that prepares students for introductory biology in college. The curriculum is organized into 8 units: Chemistry of Life, Cell Structure and Function, Cellular Energetics, Cell Communication and the Cell Cycle, Heredity, Gene Expression and Regulation, Natural Selection, and Ecology.   This cluster focuses on units 7–8, which extend the molecular, cellular, and genetic foundations of earlier units to explain how populations evolve and how species interact within ecosystems:   Unit 7: Natural Selection—investigates the evidence supporting evolution and the mechanisms that drive changes in populations over time. Topics include molecular, cellular, structural evidence for common ancestry, phenotypic variation and adaptation, the causes and consequences of natural selection, and the ways in which humans influence population diversity through artificial selection and environmental change.   Unit 8: Ecology—explores the dynamic relationships that shape the structure and stability of ecosystems. Topics include species interactions, behavioral responses, energy flow, trophic systems, population growth and fitness, community diversity, and the impacts of both natural and human-driven environmental changes.   Across these units, learners develop key scientific skills: describing diverse lines of evolutionary evidence, summarizing the causes and impacts of natural selection, analyzing complex ecological relationships involving species composition, population fitness, interactions, and energy availability. Students continue to engage in inquiry-based investigations from the AP Biology Lab Manual, applying experimental design, data analysis, and scientific reasoning to evolutionary and ecological phenomena. Soon, we’ll be adding 3 new lab investigations to this cluster, giving learners the opportunity to explore BLAST, net primary productivity, and energy dynamics. Stay tuned!   AP® is a registered trademark of the College Board, which has not reviewed this resource.