Ecology¶
This topic area studies how organisms interact with each other and with their environment. It brings together adaptation, cycling, biodiversity and food production.
Core Role¶
- Explain ecological systems from organism level up to whole ecosystems.
- Connect energy transfer, decay and biodiversity to real environmental change.
- Show how human activity can both damage ecosystems and be managed more sustainably.
Topic Pages¶
- Adaptations, Interdependence and Competition: Ecology begins by asking why organisms are found where they are. The answer depends on both environmental conditions and the relationships between different organisms sharing the same habitat.
- Organisation of an Ecosystem: An ecosystem is more than a list of organisms. It is a system in which matter is recycled, energy is transferred and environmental changes alter the balance between populations. Understanding these cycles explains why ecosystems can sustain themselves over millions of years.
- Biodiversity and the Effect of Human Interaction on Ecosystems: Human activity can reduce biodiversity and destabilise ecosystems, but it can also be managed in ways that protect them. This topic links ecological science directly to environmental decisions.
- Trophic Levels in an Ecosystem: Trophic levels organise feeding relationships and help explain why food chains rarely have many steps. At each transfer, only some biomass becomes part of the next level.
- Food Production: Food production is an ecological problem as well as an economic one. Humans need reliable supplies of food, but the methods used to produce it can affect biodiversity, sustainability and resource use.