Levels of organisation in ecosystems (organism, population, community, ecosystem). Biotic and abiotic factors. Predator-prey relationships. Cycles (carbon, water, nitrogen). Biodiversity and human impact (climate change, deforestation, pollution). Sustainability.
Tested by
- Edexcel IGCSE Combined Science — Biology (Ecology subsection)
- AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy — Biology (Ecology subsection)
Not in Edexcel IGCSE Human Biology. A learner taking only Human Biology will not encounter formal ecological content as part of their qualification. If ecological literacy is important for an individual learner’s interests or post-16 destination, Combined Science is the appropriate science pathway.
This is a clear architectural diagnostic the spine-and-overlay model surfaces: the same canonical strand is tested by some overlays but not others, and the choice of overlay determines what content the learner formally encounters.
Cross-curriculum links
- Life and Work — Citizenship (sustainability in civic context)
- Girls in Green Futures (green-economy framing — Module 6 specifically)