Leaving Cert Biology: Ecology & the Environment

Ecosystems, energy flow, nutrient cycles, human impact, and the study of an ecosystem.

45 past Biology questions on this topic, spanning 2015-2025. Each is listed under the year it appeared; open a year for the official exam paper and marking scheme PDFs.

2025 · 4 questions

Higher Paper 1 Q8 ecology, ecosystem, fieldwork, abiotic factors · 30 marks · marking scheme
Higher Paper 1 Q15 ecology, predator-prey, food chains, nitrogen cycle · 60 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q2 ecology, ecosystem, biosphere · 20 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q11 ecology, food chains, nutrient cycles, adaptations · 60 marks · marking scheme

2024 · 3 questions

Higher Q12 ecology, food webs, predator-prey · 60 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q8 habitat study, ecology, fieldwork · 30 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q11 ecology, food webs, pollution, conservation · 60 marks · marking scheme

2023 · 7 questions

Higher Q2 scientific method, germination, ecology · 20 marks · marking scheme
Higher Q5 microbiology, bacteria, population growth · 20 marks · marking scheme
Higher Q6 ecology, cell biology, human biology · 20 marks · marking scheme
Higher Q8 ecology, ecosystem study, fieldwork · 30 marks · marking scheme
Higher Q11 ecology, food chains, nutrient cycling · 60 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q8 ecology, percentage frequency · 30 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q11 ecology, pollution, soil · 60 marks · marking scheme

2022 · 4 questions

Higher Q2 ecology, definitions · 20 marks · marking scheme
Higher Q12 ecology, carbon cycle, pollution · 60 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q8 ecology, fieldwork, quantitative survey · 30 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q11 ecology, food webs, pollution · 60 marks · marking scheme

2021 · 4 questions

Higher Q2 nitrogen cycle, ecology, decomposers · 20 marks · marking scheme
Higher Q11 ecology, food chains, conservation · 60 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q6 ecology, fieldwork techniques · 20 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q11 ecology, pollution, food chains · 60 marks · marking scheme

2020 · 4 questions

Higher Q10 ecology, adaptation, food chains, energy flow · 60 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q3 carbon cycle, ecology, decomposition · 20 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q8 habitat study, ecology, fieldwork, percentage cover · 30 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q10 ecology, food chains, fieldwork, waste management · 60 marks · marking scheme

2019 · 3 questions

Higher Q10 ecology, nutrient cycles, predation, conservation · 60 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q5 ecology, true or false, food chains · 20 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q10 ecology, pollination, mark and recapture, adaptation · 60 marks · marking scheme

2018 · 3 questions

Higher Q2 ecology, habitat, niche, biosphere · 20 marks · marking scheme
Higher Q10 ecology, pyramid of numbers, population, conservation · 60 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q10 ecology, food webs, adaptation · 60 marks · marking scheme

2017 · 5 questions

Higher Q2 nitrogen cycle, nutrient cycles, nitrogen fixation · 20 marks · marking scheme
Higher Q7 ecology, ecological survey, food web, quadrat · 30 marks · marking scheme
Higher Q10 ecology, waste management, pollution, predator-prey · 60 marks · marking scheme
Higher Q14 viruses, immunity, vaccination, adaptations · 60 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q11 ecology, food webs, invasive species, ecosystem study · 60 marks · marking scheme

2016 · 4 questions

Higher Q1 ecology, symbiosis, competition, terminology · 20 marks · marking scheme
Higher Q10 ecology, ecosystem study, food chains, trophic levels · 60 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q1 ecology, nutrition, terminology · 20 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q11 ecology, bees, pollution, conservation · 60 marks · marking scheme

2015 · 4 questions

Higher Q2 competition, ecology, quantitative survey, edaphic factors · 20 marks · marking scheme
Higher Q13 ecology, adaptations, pyramid of numbers, conservation · 60 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q5 ecology, food webs, trophic levels · 20 marks · marking scheme
Ordinary Q11 ecology, population estimation, conservation, comprehension · 60 marks · marking scheme

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