–2 –1

1. If 2 000 000 kJ m yr is available from producers in an ecosystem, how much energy (in kJ
–2 –1
m yr ) is usually available to the tertiary consumers?

A. 200 000

B. 20 000

C. 2000

D. 200
(Total 1 mark)

2. The diagram below shows a simplified version of the carbon cycle.

C O 2 in a tm o sp h ere

I
II

F u els P lan ts
S ec o n d a ry
C o n su m er

P rim a ry
C o n su m er

What processes are involved in the transfer of carbon at stages I and II?

I II
A. combustion photosynthesis
B. photosynthesis respiration
C. combustion respiration
D. fossilization respiration
(Total 1 mark)

1
3. What is an ecosystem?

A. A species and its abiotic environment

B. A community and its abiotic environment

C. The habitat where a species lives

D. A population of organisms in a specific habitat

(Total 1 mark)

4. What name is given to an organism that is able to manufacture its own food from simple
chemical materials?

A. Heterotroph

B. Saprotroph

C. Autotroph

D. Detritivore
(Total 1 mark)

5. What is a community?

A. A group of producers and consumers living and interacting in an area.

B. A group of species living and interacting in an area.

C. A group of organisms living and interacting in an area.

D. A group of populations living and interacting in an area.

(Total 1 mark)

2
6. What are the main sources of carbon dioxide on earth?

A. Cellular respiration of consumers, producers and combustion of fossil fuels

B. Photosynthesis and cellular respiration of consumers

C. Cellular respiration of producers and combustion of fossil fuels

D. Photosynthesis and combustion of fossil fuels

(Total 1 mark)

7. This diagram represents a simple food chain. In which ways is energy lost between the trophic
levels?

I. Heat loss through cell respiration

II. Material not consumed
III. Material not assimilated

A. I and II only

B. I and III only

C. II and III only

D. I, II and III
(Total 1 mark)

3
8. What components are needed to make an ecosystem?

A. A community and its abiotic environment

B. A community and its source of energy and nutrients

C. Producers and consumers only

D. Producers, consumers and decomposers only

(Total 1 mark)

9. What is the ecological role of saprotrophic bacteria?

A. To recycle energy in dead organic matter

B. To digest dead organic matter and release nutrients from it

C. To ingest dead organic matter and prevent it from accumulating

D. To produce dead organic matter by killing organisms

(Total 1 mark)

10. What is a factor that increases the greenhouse effect and what is a consequence of it?

Factor contributing to increases Consequence of the increased

in the greenhouse effect greenhouse effect
A. Increasing global temperatures Rising sea levels
B. Rising sea levels Increasing global temperatures
C. Increasing global temperatures Burning fossil fuels to run air conditioning
D. Increases in air travel Increasing global temperatures
(Total 1 mark)

4
11. How could a quadrat be used by an ecologist?

A. To estimate rates of immigration and emigration of animals in a population

B. To estimate the sizes of plant populations by random sampling

C. To trap animals so that they can be marked and released

D. To estimate light intensity from the height of the Sun above the horizon
(Total 1 mark)

12. The food web below shows a community in central France 24 000 years ago.

S a lix L em m u s
h erba cea lem m u s
A lo p ex
la go pu s

B etu la
L ep u s U rsu s
n an a
a rcticu s sp ela eu s

Va ccin iu m C a n is
R a n g ifer
o xyco cco s lu p u s
ta ra n d u s

C la d on ia
ra n g iferin a
H om o
M e g a lo cero s
sa p ien s
gig a n teu s
G ra m in a cea e
M a m m u th us
p rim ig en iu s

5
 Which statement is a correct description of Ursus spelaeus?

A. It is an omnivore which feeds on Lemmus lemmus.

B. It is a producer preyed upon by Vaccinium oxycoccos.

C. It is a top carnivore and a primary consumer.

D. It is a decomposer and it competes with Rangifer tarandus.

(Total 1 mark)

13. Which diagram shows the flow of energy through a community with three trophic levels?

A. B.

C. D.

d
(Total 1 mark)

14. According to the precautionary principle, what should happen if there are fears that eating a
food might cause a health problem?

A. People should be warned about the possible health problem.

B. The company producing the food should be warned about the possible health problem.

C. People who have fears about the food should test it to see if it causes a real health
problem.

D. The company producing the food should test the food to prove that it does not cause a
health problem.
(Total 1 mark)

6
15. In the hierarchy of taxa, what is in a family?

A. A group of classes

B. A group of genera

C. A group of orders

D. A group of phyla
(Total 1 mark)

16. Which group of organisms in the carbon cycle converts carbon into a form that is available to
primary consumers?

A. Decomposers

B. Detritus feeders

C. Producers

D. Secondary consumers
(Total 1 mark)

17. What term refers to a community and its abiotic environment?

A. Biosphere

B. Ecosystem

C. Habitat

D. Niche
(Total 1 mark)

7
18. Which organisms externally digest dead organic matter and then absorb the nutrients?

A. Autotrophs

B. Detritivores

C. Heterotrophs

D. Saprotrophs
(Total 1 mark)

19. What are the two components of an ecosystem?

A. Community and abiotic environment

B. Species and habitat

C. Habitat and abiotic environment

D. Species and community

(Total 1 mark)

8
20. If identical batches of plants are grown at different temperatures and then harvested to measure
the increase in biomass, which graph shows the expected relationship between the temperature
and the biomass?

A. B io m a ss B. B io m a ss

Tem p era tu re Te m p era tu re

C. B io m a ss D. B io m a ss

Tem p era tu re Te m p era tu re

B
(Total 1 mark)

21. What is an advantage of estimating plant populations by random sampling using quadrats?

A. Accurate estimates can be obtained more quickly than if every plant in the population is
counted.

B. Random samples can be taken from the most convenient parts of the habitat.

C. Numbers of plants in each quadrat can be estimated quickly.

D. Marking and recapture of plants is not necessary.

(Total 1 mark)

9
22. The diagram below is a simplified version of a food web from Chesapeake Bay. The arrows
indicate the direction of energy flow and the numbers indicate species within the food web.

Which of the species feed both as secondary consumers and as tertiary consumers?

A. I, II and IV only

B. I, III and V only

C. I, IV and V only

D. III, IV and V only

(Total 1 mark)

23. What permits gel electrophoresis to separate fragments of DNA?

A. Differences in the sizes of DNA fragments only

B. The number of negative charges on the fragments only

C. The net charge (negative or positive) on the fragments only

D. The size and the net charge (positive or negative) on the fragments
(Total 1 mark)

10
24. When estimating the size of a plant population in an area a random sample is often used. What
is a random sample?

A. A sampling method that covers every part of the area being investigated.

B. A sampling method that ensures that each part of the area being sampled has an equal
chance of being measured.

C. A sampling method that systematically visits evenly spaced sites in the area being
investigated.

D. A sampling method that only visits the parts of the area where the species is growing.
(Total 1 mark)

25.

Which of the following terms describe(s) species X?

I. Heterotroph

II. Primary consumer

III. Secondary consumer

A. I and II only

B. I and III only

C. II only

D. I, II, and III

(Total 1 mark)

11
26.

Which is the best prediction about biomass?

A. The biomass of X is more than the biomass of W.

B. The biomass of X is less than the biomass of Y.

C. The biomass of V + X + Z is equal to the biomass of W.

D. The biomass of Y is less than the biomass of Z.

(Total 1 mark)

27. What units are used when constructing pyramids of energy?

A. J
–2
B. Jm
–2 –1
C. J m year
–1 –2 –1
D. J kg m year
(Total 1 mark)

12
28. Consider the simple food web below.

P T
R

Which organism could be a saprotroph?

A. P

B. Q

C. S

D. T
(Total 1 mark)

29. What is the initial energy source for all terrestrial communities?

A. Water

B. Photosynthesis

C. Light

D. Glucose
(Total 1 mark)

13
30. The diagram below is a simplified version of a food web from Chesapeake Bay. The arrows
indicate the direction of energy flow and the numbers indicate species within the food web.

At which trophic level or levels does species II function?

A. 2nd and 3rd consumer

B. 3rd consumer

C. 3rd and 4th consumer

D. Producer
(Total 1 mark)

14
31. The water flea (Daphnia sp.) normally produces eggs asexually. Under certain conditions,
Daphnia will switch to sexual reproduction, producing “resting” eggs that can survive dormant
for many years.

The graph below shows how the day length and biomass of algae (a food source for Daphnia)
varies over the course of the year in the habitat of Daphnia.

18

16 b io m a ss o f algae
d ay len g th

14
B io m ass
D ay len g th o f alg ae /
12 arb itra ry
/h
u n its
10

J F M A M J J A S O N D
M o n th
[Source: V Alekseev and W Lampert, Nature, (2001), 414, pages 899–901]

(a) Identify the month during which the quantity of food is at a maximum.

.....................................................................................................................................
(1)

15
(b) Compare the changes in biomass of algae with the changes in day length from January to
June.

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................
(3)

16
An investigation was conducted to determine how conditions experienced by one generation of
Daphnia can affect resting egg production by the next generation. The investigation examined
the influence of three variables on resting egg production: day length, quantity of food
(photosynthetic algae), and conditions experienced by the previous generation.

The table below shows the percentage of resting eggs produced under the various conditions.

Conditions experienced by Conditions experienced by Percentage of resting eggs

st nd nd
1 generation mother 2 generation mothers produced by 2
generation
Food Levels Day Length Food Levels Day Length
High Short Day High Short Day 0.0
High Long Day 0.0
Low Short Day 52.3
Low Long Day 38.0
High Long Day High Short Day 0.0
High Long Day 0.0
Low Short Day 13.0
Low Long Day 11.0
Low Short Day High Short Day 0.0
High Long Day 0.0
Low Short Day 7.5
Low Long Day 15.8
Low Long Day High Short Day 0.0
High Long Day 0.0
Low Short Day 0.0
Low Long Day 30.7

17
 nd
(c) Discuss the conditions in the 2 generation which favour resting egg production.

......La durée de la journée n’a pas un impact clair, les niveaux d’alimentation les plus bas
favorisent plus la production d’œufs au
repos ............................................................................................................................
...

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................
(3)

(d) Using the graph, deduce, giving a reason, whether resting egg production is likely in
April.

..............................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................
(1)

st nd
(e) Determine the change between the 1 generation and the 2 generation which is most
likely to trigger resting egg production.

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................
(1)

18
(f) Suggest the advantages of having asexual and sexual reproduction in Daphnia.

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 12 marks)

19
32. The horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) lay their eggs in the sand on beaches in the intertidal
zone. The nesting site is selected on the basis of distance above the mean high tide line, oxygen
concentration and temperature of the sand. Egg development was assessed after 10 days and
recorded as an arbitary unit, the higher the value the more developed the eggs were. The “0 m”
beach distance is based on the mean high tide line.

Figure 3 from Penn and Brockmann. 1994. Biol. Bull. 187: 373-384. with permission from the Marine Biological
Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA.

20
(a) State the optimum distance above the high tide line for egg laying.

....................................................................................................................................
(1)

(b) Describe the effect of oxygen concentration and temperature on egg development.

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) Scientists believe that egg development was influenced by oxygen concentration,
temperature of the sand and distance from the mean high tidal line.

(i) Evaluate this study with respect to these three factors.

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................
(2)

21
 (ii) State one other possible factor that might influence egg development.

..........................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 6 marks)

33. A coral polyp is a marine organism, characterized by a hard skeleton. Coral reefs are colonies of
numerous individual polyps. Coral polyps often form close associations with tiny plants such as
algae. The algae, which live within the tissues of the polyp, give the coral its unique colour. The
algae receive nutrients from their host and provide the host with a food source in return. When
coral undergoes environmental stress it expels algae from its polyps and the coral appears white.
This process is called “coral bleaching”.

The graph below indicates the number of coral reef areas showing bleaching over a 20-year
period off the coast of Australia. The arrows indicate the occurrence of El Niño, an event that
brings effects such as an increase in water temperature around the coral.

[Source: adapted from M Spalding, K Teleki, and T Spencer, (1999), Climate Change and Coral Bleaching,
UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, www.unep-wcmc.org/climate/climate%20report.htm,
reprinted with permission of the authors]

22
(a) Outline the trend in the number of coral reef areas showing bleaching over the period
1979 to 1998.

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) Discuss the effect of El Niño on the incidence of coral bleaching.

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................
(3)

(c) Scientists suggest that El Niño may be increasing in frequency. Suggest the impact that
this might have on coral bleaching.

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................
(1)

23
Sargassum, a variety of brown algae that exists as a floating canopy above coral, was studied to
determine its impact on the rate of coral bleaching. The graph below shows the percentage of
bleached corals on two reefs, Goold Island and Great Palm Island, with the Sargassum canopy
left intact and with the Sargassum canopy removed.

70 K ey :

60 S a rga ssum rem o v e d

S a rga ssum le ft in tact
50

P ercen tag e o f 40
co rals b leac h ed 30

20

10

0
G o o ld Islan d G reat P alm Islan d
[Source: J Jompa and L McCook, (1998), Seaweeds save the reef?! Sargassum canopy decreases coral bleaching on
inshore reefs, www.aims.gov.au/pages/research/seaweed/seaweed-canopy01.html, reprinted with the permission of
the Australian Institute of Marine Science]

(d) Identify the percentage of corals bleached near Great Palm Island when Sargassum is left
intact.

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................
(1)

(e) Compare the effect of Sargassum removal on the amount of coral bleaching at the two
locations.

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................
(2)

24
 (f) With reference to the effects of El Niño and Sargassum removal, suggest two abiotic
factors which might contribute to coral bleaching.

1. .........................................................................................................................

2. .........................................................................................................................
(2)

(g) Suggest, giving a reason, how one human impact might increase the degree of coral
bleaching.

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 13 marks)

34. (a) Temperature is an abiotic factor affecting distribution of plant species. State one other
abiotic factor that affects the distribution of plant species.

.....................................................................................................................................
(1)

25
(b) To test how temperature affects growth, some plants were grown at 20°C and another
group at 30°C. After a number of weeks, the heights of the plants were measured. Explain
how the t-test could be used to test the significance of the effect of temperature on plant
growth.

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 4 marks)

26
 5 –2 –1
35. The total solar energy received by a grassland is 5 × l0 kJ m y . The net production of the
2 –2 –1 2 –2 –1
grassland is 5 × 10 kJ m y and its gross production is 6 × l0 kJ m y . The total energy
–2 –1
passed on to primary consumers is 60 kJ m y . Only 10% of this energy is passed on to the
secondary consumers.

(a) Calculate the energy lost by plant respiration.

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................

.....................................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) Construct a pyramid of energy for this grassland.

(3)
(Total 5 marks)

27
28