Q1.

Farmers use artificial fertilisers to maintain or increase yield from grain-producing crop
plants such as wheat.

(a)     Artificial fertiliser is used to replace mineral ions removed from the land when crops
are harvested. One of the mineral ions is nitrate.

Give two examples of biological molecules containing nitrogen that would be

removed when a crop is harvested.

1.
___DNA____________________________________________________________
__

2.
___ATP____________________________________________________________
__
(2)

(b)     Scientists investigated changes in the use of artificial fertiliser in India between 1970
and 2005. They also investigated changes in the fertiliser response ratio. This
ratio shows how many kg of grain are produced for each kg of fertiliser used.

The graph shows their results in the form the scientists presented them. (A hectare
is a unit of area commonly used in agriculture)

Use these data to calculate the difference in the mass of grain produced per hectare
in 1970 compared with 2005.

Page 1 of 11
 Show your working.

Difference ______266.4______________ kg hectare−1

(2)

(c)     Use the data in the graph above to evaluate the use of artificial fertilisers on grain-
producing crops in India.

_____we see that over time, the more fertiliser used on the crops, the lower the
fertiliser response ratio; there may be other factors that contribute to the yield.
______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 6 marks)

Q2.
Freshwater marshes have one of the highest rates of gross primary production (GPP) and
net primary production (NPP) of all ecosystems.

Carbon use efficiency (CUE) is the ratio of NPP:GPP. Freshwater marshes have a high
CUE.

(a)  Use your knowledge of NPP to explain why freshwater marshes have a high CUE
and the advantage of this.

Do not refer to abiotic factors in your answer.

Explanation  __due to a decrease in the the energy used in

respiration.______________________________________________________

Advantage  ________this cold lead to more

biomass._________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(b)  Freshwater marsh soils are normally waterlogged. This creates anaerobic

conditions.

Page 2 of 11
 Use your knowledge of the nitrogen cycle to suggest why these soils contain
relatively high concentrations of ammonium compounds and low concentrations of
nitrite ions and nitrate ions.

____This is so that more denitrification can occur, which would lead to an increase
in the amount of nitrogen gas being released into the atmosphere.
_______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

A student investigated the growth rate of a freshwater marsh plant.

The growth rate (R) of a plant can be determined using this equation.

Where
ln = natural logarithm
t = duration of the investigation in days
W1 = plant biomass at the start of the investigation
W2 = plant biomass at the end of the investigation

The student used the equation above; however, she substituted height for biomass. This
was because she did not want to destroy the plants to measure their biomass.

(c)  State the assumption the student has made and suggest why this assumption might
not be valid.

____The student may have assumed that the height of the plant is equal to its
biomass; which would be wrong as the plant could have used its biomass in other
ways.______________________________________________________________
_

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(d)  At the end of the investigation, the student noted the freshwater marsh plant had
grown 268 mm in height, and now measured 387 mm. She calculated the rate of
growth (R) to be 0.097 mm m–1 day–1

Page 3 of 11
 Use this information and, substituting height for biomass, use the equation to
calculate the duration of the student’s investigation.

Give your answer to the nearest full day. Show your working.

387 - 268 = 119 mm

0.097 = (ln387 - ln119)/t

0.097t = ln387 - ln119

t = (ln387 - ln119) / 0.097 = 12

_______12_______________________ days
(2)
(Total 8 marks)

Q3.
A scientist investigated the effects of different fertilisers on the growth of spinach plants.
The scientist:

•        set up a large sample of identical pots of soil

•        added different masses of different fertilisers to selected pots
•        did not add fertiliser to the control pots
•        planted the same number of young spinach plants in each pot
•        after 20 days, determined the biomass of spinach plants in each pot.

The results the scientist obtained after 20 days are shown in the graph below.

Page 4 of 11
(a)     Calculate how many times greater the mean growth rate per day was using 37.5 g
potassium nitrate than using 37.5 g ammonium sulfate.

Assume the mean biomass of the spinach plants at the start of the investigation was
0.5 g per pot.

ammonium sulphate: 3.7g - 0.5 = 3.2g

potassium nitrate: 4.9g - 0.5 = 4.4g

x greater = 4.4/3.2 = 1.375 x

Answer ______1.375_________
(1)

(b)     Using all the information, evaluate the effect on plant growth of adding the different
fertilisers to the soil.

Page 5 of 11
 ___We can see from the graph that all of the fertilisers are more effective than the
control pots. Out of the three fertilisers the graph shows us that the chicken manure
is the least effective with the potassium nitrate being the most effective. after 30g we
can see that the potassium nitrate fertiliser has levels off, as it has no effect on the
mass of the biomass from 30g onwards; there is a slow increase in the biomass with
the ammonium sulfate fertiliser after 30g and there is a sharp increase with the
chicken manure from 30g - 45g, with a sharp decrease at 45g.
_______________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(5)

(c)     The scientist determined the dry mass of the spinach plants. First, he heated each
sample at 80 °C for 2 hours.

Suggest what the scientist should do to ensure that he has removed all the water
from the sample.

___whilst heating, the scientist should put the spinach plants on a scale; so when
the mass of the plants remain constant then the scientist will know that all the water
has been removed.
________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(Total 8 marks)

Q4.

Page 6 of 11
(a)  Describe the role of saprobionts in the nitrogen cycle.

______saprobionts decompose proteins and other materials, leading the production

of ammonia ready to be released into the atmosphere.
_____________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)

(b)  One environmental issue arising from the use of fertilisers is eutrophication.

Eutrophication can cause water to become cloudy.

You are given samples of water from three different rivers.

Describe how you would obtain a quantitative measurement of their cloudiness.

___You would use a colourimeter, which measures the absorbance of light.

________________________________________________________________

 same volume of water.

 same wavelength of light.

__________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2/3)
(Total 5 marks)

Page 7 of 11
Mark schemes

Q1.
(a)     Two suitable examples;
Examples
1.      amino acid / protein / polypeptide / peptide;
2.      nucleic acid / nucleotide / base;
3.      DNA;
4.      RNA;
5.      ATP / ADP;
6.      NAD / NADP (reduced or not);
7.      Cyclic AMP / cAMP;
8.      Chlorophyll;
List rule applies
Reject for either point nitrates / nitrites / ammonia /
ammonium / urea
4.      Accept pre-mRNA / mRNA / rRNA / tRNA
2 max

(b)     Correct answer in the range 90 to 133.2 scores 2 marks;

1 mark for answers where yield calculated correctly for 1970 OR 2005;
(1970 in range) 170.8 to 176.4
OR
(2005 in range) 266.4 to 304.0;
Accept positive or negative values
2

(c)     1.      Using more but getting less response over time;

2.      The graph shows correlation but doesn’t prove changes in yield due to
fertiliser / but there could be other factors;
3.      Becomes less cost effective with time;
Idea of over time is important
1.      accept fertiliser becomes less effective over time
1.      Accept use of figures from graph
1.      Accept the idea of less grain / crop over time
2.      Ignore whether correlation is positive or negative
2 max
[6]

Q2.
(a)     1.      Low respiration;
Accept less energy lost in respiration

2.      More growth/biomass/colonisation;
Allow examples of more carbon-containing molecules eg
glucose
2

(b)     1.      Less nitrification

OR

Page 8 of 11
 Fewer/less active nitrifying bacteria;

OR

Nitrification/nitrifying bacteria require oxygen/aerobic conditions;

2.      (Less) oxidation/conversion of ammonium (ions) to nitrite (ions)

and to nitrate (ions);
Order must be nitrite then nitrate
Accept ammonia for ammonium ions
Accept correct chemical formulae for ions, eg there will be
little
oxidation/conversion of NH4+ → NO2- → NO3-
Ignore ‘breakdown’ for
oxidation/conversion

3.      More denitrification

OR

More/more active denitrifying bacteria

OR

Denitrification/denitrifying bacteria do not require oxygen

OR

Denitrification/denitrifying bacteria require anaerobic conditions;

4.      (So more) nitrate (ions) reduced/converted to nitrogen (gas);

Accept correct chemical formulae eg So more
NO3-reduced/converted to N2;
2 max

(c)     1.      Assumed that height is (directly) proportional to biomass;

Accept descriptions of ‘is proportional to’, eg correlates to, is
equivalent to

2.      (Plants may put biomass into) other named aspect of growth (other
than height)

OR

Height does not include the roots

OR

Some increase in height results from water gain;

Examples of other named aspects of growth could include
root growth, flower/seed/fruit formation, lateral growth, wider
leaves
2

(d)     1.      Answer of 12 days = 2 marks;;

2.      12.16 (12.15774433) = 1 mark

Page 9 of 11
 OR

4 days (used 387 and 268, ie not calculated starting length) = 1 mark;
2
[8]

Q3.
(a)     1.375 / 1.3746 / 1.38 / 1.4 (times greater);
1

(b)     1.      Potassium nitrate most effective and chicken manure least effective;

Accept greatest/highest growth/mass for most effective, and
lowest growth/mass for least effective.

2.      All fertilisers more effective than control;

3.      No increase (in growth) with potassium nitrate above 30g;

4.      Ammonium sulfate (shows) small/gradual increase after 30g;

5.      Chicken manure effectiveness decreases after 45g

OR

Chicken manure effectiveness decreases at 60g;

6.      Fertiliser/s provide nitrogen source for protein;

7.      No statistical test (to determine if differences are significant);

Accept ‘no SDs’ (to determine if differences are significant).
Accept no (named) stats test, no error bars and no
confidence limits.

8.      Only shows (results for) spinach;

Accept only shows ‘one species’ or one type of plant.
5 max

(c)     1.      Weigh and heat;

Accept ‘heat until sample remains the same mass’ for 2
marks.
Ignore temperature.

2.      (Until) mass is constant;

Accept weight for mass.
2
[8]

Q4.
(a)  1.   (They use enzymes to) decompose proteins/DNA/RNA/urea;
Accept any named molecule containing nitrogen eg enzymes,
NAD, ATP, amino acids
Accept digest/breakdown/hydrolyse for decompose
Ignore ‘nitrogen -containing compounds’ unqualified

Page 10 of 11
 2.   Producing/releasing ammonia/ammonium compounds/ammonium ions;
Accept (they) perform ammonification
Accept named ammonium compound
2

(b)
Principle is
1. Named apparatus
2. What is measured
3. Standardisation of method

Accept any valid method, for example

1.   Use of colorimeter;
Reject calorimeter

2.   Measure the absorbance/transmission (of light);

Reject if samples are filtered unless filtering to remove debris
Accept descriptions

3.   Example of how method can be standardised eg same volume of water,

zeroing colorimeter, same wavelength of light, shaking the sample;
Ignore references to calibration curves
3
[5]

Page 11 of 11