ORGANISMS AND ENVIRONMENT/ NUTRIENT 5. The diagram shows part of the nitrogen cycle.

CYCLING WORKSHEET

1. The diagram shows a pyramid of biomass for a food

chain in a woodland ecosystem.

What is the pyramid of numbers for this food chain?

Which row correctly identifies the bacteria involved in
processes W, X, Y and Z?

6. Sickle-cell anaemia is a genetic disease that is caused

by the allele Hb .S

Hb is the normal allele.

A

A woman does not have the symptoms of the disease but

her brother does show symptoms.
If her mother and father do not have symptoms, which
statement is correct?
2. The diagram shows part of the nitrogen cycle. A The woman has the genotype Hb Hb S S

At which stage is denitrification occurring? B The woman’s brother has the genotype Hb Hb .A A

C The woman’s father and mother both have the

genotype Hb Hb .
A S

D The woman’s father and mother both have the

genotype Hb Hb .
S S

7. The graph shows a bacteria population curve.

In which phase on the graph is the number of bacteria
dying equal to the number dividing?

3. What is shown by the widest block in a pyramid of

numbers for a grassland ecosystem?
A all the consumers in the pyramid
B the carnivores in the pyramid
C the organisms at the top of the pyramid
D the producers in the pyramid
4. Nitrogen in the air cannot be used by plants until it
is in the form of nitrates. 8. Decomposers play an important role in the carbon
Which two processes convert nitrogen from the air into cycle. They release carbon dioxide.
nitrates? Which process is responsible for this?
A decomposition of faeces and nitrification A feeding
B denitrification and lightning B fossilisation
C nitrogen fixation by bacteria and denitrification C photosynthesis
D nitrogen fixation by bacteria and lightning D respiration
 9. The diagram shows the circulation of nitrogen in D limiting factors begin to take effect
nature.
12. Which statement describes how a species becomes
adapted to its environment?
A Genetic similarities give rise to different genotypes
which may have a reproductive advantage.
B Genetic variation gives rise to different phenotypes
which may have a reproductive advantage.
C Phenotypic similarities give rise to different genotypes
which may have a reproductive advantage.
D Phenotypic variation gives rise to different phenotypes
which may have a reproductive advantage.
13. Which term describes a group of organisms of one
species, living in the same area, at the same time?
A community
B ecosystem
C genus
D population
Which is correct? 14. The table shows processes in the carbon cycle that release
carbon dioxide into the air, or remove carbon dioxide from
the air. Which row is correct?

10. What is the correct match of example to ecological

term?

ESSAY
1. Fig. shows a simple food web.

11. Some rabbits colonised an island for the first time. The
graph shows how their population size changed over
the next few years.

Table below shows some of the terms that can be used to

describe the organisms in the
food web in Fig. above
Place ticks in the boxes to show the terms that can be used to
describe each

What explains the way the size of the rabbit population [3

changed during the exponential (log) phase? ]
A birth rate and death rate in equilibrium (b) State the number of trophic levels in the food web in Fig.
B increasing number of rabbits able to reproduce above
C increase in the number of predators ....................................................................................... [1]
(iii) Identify one organism that feeds at more than one trophic .......................................................................................................
level. .................................................................................
....................................................................................... [1] .......................................................................................................
(iv) State the term used to describe an organism that gets its .................................................................................
energy from dead or waste organic material. .......................................................................................................
....................................................................................... [1] .............................................................................[3]
(v) State the principal source of energy for food webs. 3. Fig. 1.1 shows a pyramid of biomass and
..................................................................................[1] part of the carbon cycle.
2. The dominant grass species in an African grassland
ecosystem are star grass and red oat grass.
•• Star grass is eaten by antelope species, such as topi and
Thomson’s gazelle.
•• Smaller animals such as mice and grasshoppers feed on red
oat grass.
•• Topi and Thomson’s gazelle are eaten by predators such as
cheetahs, lions and serval cats.
•• Grasshoppers and mice are eaten by serval cats and tawny
eagles.
•• Vultures feed on dead mammals.
Fig. shows part of the food web for this ecosystem.

(a) (i) State the principal source of energy

required for trophic level D of the pyramid of
biomass in Fig.
............................................................................
[1]
(ii) State the letter that represents the primary
consumers in Fig.
..........................................................................
[1]
(a) Complete the food web by writing the names of the correct (iii) State how carbon is transferred from
organisms in the boxes in Fig. above producers to primary consumers.
[3]
...........................................................................
(b) Name the trophic level of the following species.
star grass ..................................................................... [1]
topi .............................................................................. [2] (iv) Explain why trophic level A is smaller than
(c) (i) State the principal source of energy for the food web trophic level B in the pyramid of biomass in
shown in Fig. above Fig.
....................................................................................... [1] .........................................................................
(ii) State what happens to energy when it leaves a food web.
.........................................................................
....................................................................................... [1]
(d) Explain why there are no more than four trophic levels in ..............................
the food web shown in Fig. above .........................................................................
....................................................................................................... .........................................................................
................................................................................ ..............................
....................................................................................................... .........................................................................
................................................................................. .........................................................................
.......................................................................................................
..........................[3]
............................................................................ [3]
(e) Fish such as salmon can be reared intensively in fish farms. (b) Some fungi and bacteria are decomposers.
They are fed on high protein food (i) Define the term decomposer.
made from animals. When eating this food, the fish are feeding .............................................................................
as secondary consumers. .............................................................................
Describe the disadvantages of intensive farming, such as ..........................[1]
salmon farming, for producing human food. (ii) Arrow X on Fig. 1.1 indicates the transfer of
carbon from decomposers to the atmosphere.
State the name of process X.
.............................................................................
...........[1]
(c) Describe how human activities are affecting
the carbon cycle.
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......................................................................[5]