A nature reserve contains areas of grassland where rabbits feed on grass plants. Foxes hunt the rabbits, and various species of insects live among the grass. Explain how the organisms and their environment in this grassland area form an ecosystem.
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
A nature reserve contains areas of grassland where rabbits feed on grass plants. Foxes hunt the rabbits, and various species of insects live among the grass.
Model answer (4 marks)
The grassland contains populations of different species – for example rabbits, foxes, grass plants and various insects.
The populations of these species together form a community.
The community interacts with the non‑living (abiotic) environment such as soil, water, light and temperature.
An ecosystem is the community together with its non‑living environment and all the interactions between them.
The populations of these species together form a community.
The community interacts with the non‑living (abiotic) environment such as soil, water, light and temperature.
An ecosystem is the community together with its non‑living environment and all the interactions between them.
Examiner tips
- Use the exact terms ‘population’, ‘community’, ‘abiotic’, ‘ecosystem’.
- Show the logical sequence: species → community → interaction with abiotic → ecosystem.
Common mistakes
- Confusing ‘species’ with ‘population’.
- Omitting the abiotic component or the interaction aspect.
Mark scheme (4 marks)
- The grassland contains populations of different species (e.g. rabbits, foxes, grass, insects)
- All the populations together form a community
- The community interacts with the non-living (abiotic) environment
- An ecosystem is the community together with its non-living environment / all the interactions between them
Key terms in this question
Related
- All Eduqas GCSE Biology revision notes →
- How to answer a "Explain" question →
- Decode the mark scheme abbreviations →