What is it
Ecology covers communities and competition, organisation of ecosystems, biodiversity and human impact (pollution, deforestation, global warming), the water and carbon cycles, and practical sampling techniques like quadrats and transects.
Why it matters
This is where GCSE biology connects most directly to environmental science and sustainability — themes that increasingly feature in real exam questions about climate change and biodiversity loss.
Exam tip
Know how to calculate population size from quadrat data (mean count × total area ÷ quadrat area) — this specific calculation is a guaranteed practical-skills question on most exam boards.
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