The aims of this section are that students will

• Understand the nature of the various components of an ecosystem
  
• Recognise that there are variations within and between ecosystems
  
• Realise that human impact can have a detrimental as well as beneficial impact on the sustainable nature of ecosystems

By the end of this unit students will be able to:

• Understand that an ecosystem is a community of plants and animals within a physical environment or habitat
• Realise that a tree serves a wide range of purposes in an ecosystem.
• Recognise that the distribution of the forest ecosystem in NI has changed over time
• Identify that the Belvoir estate is a region made up of areas of differing characteristics
• Realise humans may have a beneficial or detrimental impact on an ecosystem
• Appreciate that introduced species can alter the characteristics of the ecosystem dramatically
• Identify that the forest ecosystem is made up of a wide variety of plant and animal species
• Appreciate that the location of Belvoir as a forest within a city, results in constant threat to the forest from development.
• Realise that there are many threats and opportunities for Belvoir forest - which must be managed carefully if the area is to be sustainably developed.