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Biology · Combined Science

Ecology

Spec 4.7 Paper 2 📙 Higher

Subtopics

EcosystemsSpec 4.7.1Define ecosystem, population, community and habitat, and explain how organisms depend on each other. + Abiotic and Biotic FactorsSpec 4.7.1Describe the abiotic and biotic factors that affect the distribution and abundance of organisms. + AdaptationsSpec 4.7.2Describe structural, behavioural and functional adaptations and explain how they help survival. + Food Chains and Food WebsSpec 4.7.1Describe food chains and webs, trophic levels and energy transfer between them. + Population and CompetitionSpec 4.7.1Explain what limits population size and how competition shapes communities. + BiodiversitySpec 4.7.3.1Define biodiversity, explain its importance and describe threats to it and conservation measures. + Waste Management and PollutionSpec 4.7.3.2Explain how human population growth and rising living standards increase pollution of water, air and land, reducing biodiversity. + Land Use and Peat BogsSpec 4.7.3.3Describe how humans reduce land available for other organisms, and explain why destroying peat bogs harms biodiversity and releases carbon dioxide. + DeforestationSpec 4.7.3.4Explain the reasons for large-scale deforestation in tropical areas and its consequences for carbon dioxide levels and biodiversity. + Global Warming and Its Effects on EcosystemsSpec 4.7.3.5Describe how rising carbon dioxide and methane cause global warming, and explain its biological consequences for species distribution, migration and biodiversity. + Maintaining BiodiversitySpec 4.7.3.6Describe the programmes humans use to reduce their impact on ecosystems and maintain biodiversity, and the conflicts these can involve. + The Carbon CycleSpec 4.7.3Describe how carbon is cycled through ecosystems and the atmosphere. + The Water CycleSpec 4.7.3Describe how water is cycled through the environment. + DecompositionSpec 4.7.3Describe the role of decomposers in nutrient cycling and the factors that affect decomposition rate. + Sampling TechniquesSpec 4.7.1Describe how to estimate population size using quadrats, transects and mark-recapture. +

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Key Equations

Population size = (n1 × n2) ÷ m (mark-recapture)

⭐ Higher Tier Content

Calculating biodiversity index

Interactions in food webs — predator-prey cycles

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Inheritance, Variation and Evolution

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