EuraStudy
RevisionRevision / N11UK · A-Levels
Environmental Science
A-Level Environmental Science is an applied, systems-based natural science that studies how the living and physical environments interact, how human activity disturbs them, and how resources can be managed sustainably. Delivered here through the AQA 7447 specification, it runs from the living environment (biodiversity, ecosystems and conservation) and the physical environment (the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and the biogeochemical cycles) through energy, mineral and biological resources to pollution, climate change and sustainability, and it is assessed as much on the interpretation of quantitative data, the evaluation of management strategies and fieldwork skill as on recall.
0/70 Texts16 Chapters~218 min total
AQA 7447 3.1.1AQA 7447 3.1.2AQA 7447 3.7AQA 7447 3.2.1AQA 7447 3.2.4AQA 7447 3.2.2+8 moreFoundationStandardAdvanced
Table of contents · 16 ChaptersT·16
- Why Earth is able to support lifeText L·01 · Recommended start3 min
- The four Earth spheres and their interactionsText L·023 min
- Ecosystems, niches and ecological organisationText L·033 min
- Abiotic factors, limiting factors and toleranceText L·044 min
- Biomes and the self-regulating biosphereText L·054 min
- Photosynthesis, respiration and primary productivityText L·063 min
- Energy flow through trophic levels and food websText L·073 min
- Ecological pyramids and energy-transfer efficiencyText L·083 min
- Population growth, carrying capacity and survival strategiesText L·093 min
- Ecological succession and nutrient cyclingText L·103 min
- What biodiversity is and how it is measuredText L·113 min
- Why biodiversity matters: ecosystem services and valuesText L·123 min
- Threats to biodiversity and human impactText L·133 min
- Estimating populations: quadrats and the Lincoln indexText L·143 min
- Conservation strategies and their evaluationText L·153 min
- Planning an investigation: variables, hypotheses, reliability and validityText L·663 min
- Sampling: quadrats, transects and abundance measuresText L·673 min
- Monitoring the physical environment and pollutionText L·683 min
- Describing data: averages, spread and standard deviationText L·694 min
- Statistical tests and interpreting significanceText L·704 min
- Paper 1 (AQA 7447/1)
- A single written examination worth 120 marks and 50% of the A-Level. It draws on content from across the whole specification rather than a fixed block of topics, and mixes objective and short-answer questions, structured calculation and data-response questions using unfamiliar figures, tables and graphs, and extended-response questions marked by levels of response. A calculator is allowed. Fieldwork and practical techniques are assessed within the written paper (there is no separate coursework or practical endorsement).
- Paper 2 (AQA 7447/2)
- The second written examination, also 120 marks and 50% of the A-Level, of the same structure and standing as Paper 1 and again sampling the full specification. Together the two papers guarantee coverage of the living environment, the physical environment, energy, mineral and biological resources, pollution and sustainability, and both reward the ability to link ideas synoptically across topics (for example connecting the carbon cycle to climate change and to soil and forest management).
- Assessment objectives and skills
- The three assessment objectives are AO1 (knowledge and understanding of environmental concepts, systems, models, techniques and issues), AO2 (application of that understanding, including in practical/fieldwork contexts and when handling quantitative data) and AO3 (analysing, interpreting and evaluating environmental information, evidence and issues to reach judgements and conclusions). Application and analysis together carry the majority of the marks, so recall alone is not enough. At least 10% of the marks assess level-3 (A-Level standard) mathematical skills, and a defined proportion assess practical and fieldwork skills through the written papers.
- AS versus A-Level and grading
- The standalone AS (7446) is a separate qualification examined by two shorter papers and does not count towards the A-Level. The full A-Level (7447) is linear: all assessment is taken at the end of the two-year course and it is graded A*-E (U below E). AS content is a subset of the A-Level, so the notes flag foundation-level (AS) expectations separately from the deeper analysis, evaluation and quantitative demand of the full A-Level.