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Isabella Cruickshank
26/11/2025
Biology
Ecology
80
•
26 Nov 2025
•
GCSE AQA Ecology Study Notes
Isabella Cruickshank
@isabellacruickshank
1 / 3
Ecology Fundamentals
Ecology studies relationships at different levels, from individual organisms to entire ecosystems. A habitat is simply where organisms live, while a population includes all members of a particular species in that habitat. When different populations live together, they form a community. An ecosystem takes this further by including both the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components.
Competition happens when organisms need the same limited resources. Animals compete for food, water, habitat, and mates, while plants battle for minerals, water, light, and space. This competition shapes how species evolve and adapt.
Interdependence means all organisms in an ecosystem rely on each other through complex relationships. No species exists in isolation - each one affects and is affected by others around it.
💡 Think of an ecosystem as a complex web rather than a simple hierarchy. Every strand of the web affects all the others, and if one breaks, the whole structure changes!
Biotic factors are the living elements that affect organisms, like predation, disease, and food availability. Abiotic factors are non-living influences including temperature, wind, and soil conditions. Both types work together to shape ecosystems.
Adaptations and Food Chains
Organisms adapt to their environments in three main ways. Structural adaptations are physical features like body shape or coloration. Behavioural adaptations involve how organisms act, such as responses to predators. Functional adaptations are internal processes like metabolism or venom production. Some microorganisms called extremophiles have adapted to survive in incredibly harsh environments.
Food chains show how energy passes through an ecosystem. Producers (typically plants and algae) create their own food through photosynthesis. Primary consumers eat these producers, while secondary consumers eat primary consumers. Tertiary consumers sit at the top, eating secondary consumers. As energy moves up the chain, much of it is lost at each step.
This creates interesting dynamics, especially between predators (animals that hunt others) and prey (organisms that get eaten). Their populations often follow cyclical patterns - when prey increases, predators thrive and increase too, which then reduces prey numbers, leading to predator decline, allowing prey to recover.
🌍 Every time you eat something, you're participating in a food chain! Whether it's a plant-based meal or meat, you're receiving energy that originated from the sun through photosynthesis.
Nutrient Cycling and Decay
Recycling nutrients is crucial for ecosystems as it provides the materials organisms need to grow and reproduce. The water cycle demonstrates this perfectly: water evaporates from surfaces and plants (transpiration), forms clouds through condensation, falls as precipitation, then seeps into soil to be used by plants again.
Decomposition breaks down dead organic matter into simpler substances like carbon dioxide, water, and minerals. This process is essential for recycling elements throughout ecosystems. Two main groups handle this important job: detritus feeders (small animals like worms that eat dead matter) and decomposers (microorganisms that break down organic materials).
The rate of decomposition depends on several key factors. Oxygen availability allows for more aerobic respiration, giving decomposers more energy to work. Temperature affects how quickly decomposers' enzymes function - warmer conditions speed up decomposition until it gets too hot and denatures the enzymes. Water content is also crucial, as decomposers need moisture to survive, though too much water can reduce oxygen and slow the process.
🍂 Next time you see rotting leaves or compost, remember you're witnessing one of nature's most important recycling systems in action!
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Anna
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Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
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Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
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This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
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The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
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In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
GCSE AQA Ecology Study Notes
Isabella Cruickshank
@isabellacruickshank
Ecology explores how living organisms interact with each other and their environment. This fascinating subject helps us understand the complex relationships in nature and how different species depend on each other to survive in their habitats.
Ecology Fundamentals
Ecology studies relationships at different levels, from individual organisms to entire ecosystems. A habitat is simply where organisms live, while a population includes all members of a particular species in that habitat. When different populations live together, they form a community. An ecosystem takes this further by including both the living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components.
Competition happens when organisms need the same limited resources. Animals compete for food, water, habitat, and mates, while plants battle for minerals, water, light, and space. This competition shapes how species evolve and adapt.
Interdependence means all organisms in an ecosystem rely on each other through complex relationships. No species exists in isolation - each one affects and is affected by others around it.
💡 Think of an ecosystem as a complex web rather than a simple hierarchy. Every strand of the web affects all the others, and if one breaks, the whole structure changes!
Biotic factors are the living elements that affect organisms, like predation, disease, and food availability. Abiotic factors are non-living influences including temperature, wind, and soil conditions. Both types work together to shape ecosystems.
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Adaptations and Food Chains
Organisms adapt to their environments in three main ways. Structural adaptations are physical features like body shape or coloration. Behavioural adaptations involve how organisms act, such as responses to predators. Functional adaptations are internal processes like metabolism or venom production. Some microorganisms called extremophiles have adapted to survive in incredibly harsh environments.
Food chains show how energy passes through an ecosystem. Producers (typically plants and algae) create their own food through photosynthesis. Primary consumers eat these producers, while secondary consumers eat primary consumers. Tertiary consumers sit at the top, eating secondary consumers. As energy moves up the chain, much of it is lost at each step.
This creates interesting dynamics, especially between predators (animals that hunt others) and prey (organisms that get eaten). Their populations often follow cyclical patterns - when prey increases, predators thrive and increase too, which then reduces prey numbers, leading to predator decline, allowing prey to recover.
🌍 Every time you eat something, you're participating in a food chain! Whether it's a plant-based meal or meat, you're receiving energy that originated from the sun through photosynthesis.
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Nutrient Cycling and Decay
Recycling nutrients is crucial for ecosystems as it provides the materials organisms need to grow and reproduce. The water cycle demonstrates this perfectly: water evaporates from surfaces and plants (transpiration), forms clouds through condensation, falls as precipitation, then seeps into soil to be used by plants again.
Decomposition breaks down dead organic matter into simpler substances like carbon dioxide, water, and minerals. This process is essential for recycling elements throughout ecosystems. Two main groups handle this important job: detritus feeders (small animals like worms that eat dead matter) and decomposers (microorganisms that break down organic materials).
The rate of decomposition depends on several key factors. Oxygen availability allows for more aerobic respiration, giving decomposers more energy to work. Temperature affects how quickly decomposers' enzymes function - warmer conditions speed up decomposition until it gets too hot and denatures the enzymes. Water content is also crucial, as decomposers need moisture to survive, though too much water can reduce oxygen and slow the process.
🍂 Next time you see rotting leaves or compost, remember you're witnessing one of nature's most important recycling systems in action!
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user