4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

a.

utline energy flow through a food chain.

[4]

b. raw a fully labelled graph of the action spectrum for photosynthesis. [3]

c.

xplain Calvin’s experiment and what was discovered about photosynthesis through
his work.

[8]

a.

utline the roles of helicase and ligase in A replication.

[4]

b. xplain how natural selection can lead to speciation. [ ]

c. utline the features of ecosystems that make them sustainable. [4]

a.

raw a section of the inger- icolson model of an animal cell membrane.

[4]

b. utline the principles used by scientists to classify organisms. [4]

c. xplain the movement of energy and inorganic nutrients in an ecosystem. [ ]

eavers are large rodents that live in waterways throughout the northern hemisphere.
ams made by beavers change the temperature of the streams and affect the mayfly,
aetis bicaudatus. In the summer of 008, beaver ponds in West rush Creek and
Cement Creek, Colorado, were studied to evaluate their impacts on mayflies. The study

about:blank 1/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

sites included streams flowing into (upstream) and out of (downstream) each beaver
pond.

ayflies, including the species . bicaudatus, are aquatic insects that hatch and spend
their larval stages in water emerging from the water as adults. arger females produce an
increased number of better quality eggs.

The table shows the mean temperature differences (downstream upstream) and mean
dry mass for female and male mayflies.

The bat, Pipistrellus nathusii, feeds on insects including mayflies. A study was undertaken
in Poland to see the effect of uropean beavers (Castor fiber) on the activity of bats.
eaver activity can affect forests that are covered by trees and meadows that are
covered by grasses and have no trees. The following habitats were studied

forest ( )
flooded forest with canopy gaps created by beavers and flooding due to the presence of
beaver dams ( )
forest with canopy gaps created by beavers but no flooding ( )
meadow ( )

about:blank 2/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

meadow with flooding due to the presence of beaver dams ( ).

As bats feed they fly through the air catching insects. The number of feeding passes
made by bats was counted. The graph shows differences in the bat activity between
particular habitats.

a.

Calculate the difference in the mean dry mass of mayflies upstream and downstream
of Cement Creek pond for female and male mayflies.

[1]

b. escribe the effect dams have on water temperature. [ ]

c.

The graph shows the mean dry mass of mayflies relative to the water temperature in
their habitats.

about:blank 3/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Using the graph, discuss evidence for the hypothesis that mayflies grow to greater
dry mass in cooler water.

[ ]

d.

Analyse the data to find the effect of flooding and tree felling by beavers on the
activity of bats.

[ ]

e.

The trout, ncorhynchus mykiss, that live in West rush Creek and Cement Creek
also feed on the mayflies. ishermen come to Colorado to catch and eat trout. raw
a diagram of part of a food web for the creeks in Colorado, including mayflies,
humans, trout and bats.

[ ]

f. Identify an example of competition between organisms in this food web. [1]

g.

The orth American beaver (Castor canadensis) was introduced to islands adjacent
to Argentina and Chile where they have become an invasive species. iscuss
ecological criterion (a basis for deciding) whether beavers are harmful helpful to
the ecosystems there.

[ ]

about:blank 4/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

The diploid number of chromosomes in horses ( quus ferus) is 64 and the diploid number
in donkeys ( quus africanus) is 6 . When a male donkey and a female horse are mated,
the result is a mule which has 63 chromosomes.

a. tate the haploid number for horses. [1]

b. xplain reasons that mules cannot reproduce. [ ]

c.

iscuss whether or not horses and donkeys should be placed in the same species.

[ ]

d.

A mule was born at the University of Idaho in the U A with 64 chromosomes.

uggest a mechanism by which this could happen.

[1]

In ecosystems, energy is used to convert inorganic compounds into organic matter.

nergy enters ecosystems through producers.

a. xplain the processes by which energy enters and flows through ecosystems.

[8]

b.

Producers extract phosphates and nitrates from soil. utline how these ions are
used in the synthesis of organic molecules.

[3]

c. raw a labelled diagram of a pyramid of energy. [4]

Coral reefs are among the most spectacular ecosystems on arth. They support a rich
diversity of life and provide economic benefits to the people who use them. In Papua
ew uinea in the Pacific cean north of Australia the following data were collected.
Coral cover is the percentage of the reef surface covered by live hard coral.

about:blank 5/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

In order to test the effect of temperature, live samples of a species of coral, Pocillopora
damicornis, were placed in an experimental chamber at a constant p , water depth and
low light. All the coral samples were started at 6 C and half of them were rapidly
increased to 30 C.

The pie charts show the percentage of live and dead tissues at the end of the
experiment.

about:blank 6/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Acidification of the world’s oceans is an increasing threat to the health of oceanic life
including coral reefs. Corals perform calcification to create their calcium carbonate
exteriors. An experiment was conducted on eron Island, outhern reat arrier eef,
Australia. or the experiment the p was altered by dissolving carbon dioxide in the
water. Three different coral species were used, with each test group at two different
temperature ranges and three different p values. The white line in each photograph
represents 5 cm.

a. Calculate the difference in coral cover in 1 6 and 00 . o working required.

about:blank 7/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[1]

b. escribe the evidence that the ocean temperature has an effect on coral cover.

[ ]

c. uggest causes for the changes in ocean temperature. [ ]

d.

Identify advantage of conducting this experiment in the laboratory rather than

in the ocean.

[1]

e.

Comment on whether the experimental data supports the observed data from the
ocean.

[1]

f. (i) escribe the trend in calcification when the p is decreased at 5 6 C.

(ii) In environmental studies, a critical value is the level at which a population

declines or shows signs of poor health. uggest a critical p for P. onkodes.

(iii) Using all of the data, comment on the hypothesis that ocean acidification in
warming seas will have the same effect on all species of coral.

[3]

g.

uggest another marine animal that has parts made of calcium carbonate and may
therefore be damaged due to ocean acidification.

[1]

h. utline causes of ocean acidification. [ ]

i.

iscuss the need for international cooperation to solve the problems of declining
coral populations.

[3]

b.

ost of the surface of the arth is covered with a wide diversity of ecosystems.
utline general characteristics of all ecosystems.
about:blank 8/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ]

c.i. ascular plants can be found in a wide variety of ecosystems.

utline active transport in phloem tissue. [ ]

[Link]. ascular plants can be found in a wide variety of ecosystems.

xplain how a plant replaces the water it loses in transpiration. [3]

The image shows a food web.

[ ource Adapted from Thompsma Wikipedia]

Which organism in the food web is assigned to its method of nutrition

A. A violet webcap fungus is both an autotroph and a heterotroph.

. A pillbug is a secondary consumer.

about:blank 9/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

C. acteria are saprotrophs.

. A violet webcap fungus is a detritivore.

The enus flytrap ( ionaea muscipula) is a photosynthetic plant. It obtains nitrogen but
not energy by digesting captured insects.

[ ource adapted from www.fl[Link]]

Which term describes this plant

A. econdary consumer

. Autotroph

C. Primary consumer

. aprotroph

What describes a possible cause of a negative carbon flux in the atmosphere due to
processes occurring in a forest ecosystem

A. The trees grew more so fixed more carbon dioxide.

. There was more respiration by soil organisms.

C. There was more burning of forests.

. There was more decomposition of leaf litter.

What is the classification of an organism that is able to make organic compounds from
inorganic nutrients

about:blank 10/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

A. Autotroph
. Consumer
C. etritivore
. aprotroph

What restricts the length of a food chain

A. nergy losses between the trophic levels

. A greater biomass at the higher trophic levels
C. The number of species in the food web
. The consumption of waste by detritivores

The larval stage of the fly urosta solidaginis develops in the plant olidago altissima. The
larva secretes a chemical which causes plant tissue to grow around it forming a swelling
called a gall. The gall provides the developing insect with protection from predators.

The . solidaginis fly is preyed upon by the parasitic wasp urytoma gigantea. The graph
shows the relationship between gall diameter and the percentage of flies that avoid
predation by . gigantea.

a.

In order to form galls, the insects choose a location where cell division occurs at a
high rate. tate the term for a region of rapid cell division within a plant.

[1]

about:blank 11/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

b.

escribe the relationship between gall diameter and percentage survival of .

solidaginis.

[ ]

c. xplain the concept of directional selection with respect to this example. [ ]

a.

utline how greenhouse gases interact with radiation and contribute to global
warming.

[4]

b. utline how plants make use of the different wavelengths of light. [4]

c. xplain how organic compounds are transported within plants. [ ]

ow is peat formed

A. rom methanogenic archaeans under anaerobic and acidic conditions in deep sea
vents
. rom partially decomposed organic matter under anaerobic and acidic conditions in
waterlogged soils
C. rom porous limestone under high pressure, aerobic and alkaline conditions in ocean
beds
. rom bituminous coal under high pressure, anaerobic and acidic conditions below
ground

What contributes to rising atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and increases in

average global temperature

A. An increase in the shorter wavelength radiation emitted by arth

. An increase in longer wavelength radiation emitted by arth
C. An increase in the combustion of fossilized organic matter
. The depletion of ozone in the stratosphere

In ecosystems, energy is used to convert inorganic compounds into organic matter.

nergy enters ecosystems through producers.

about:blank 12/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

a. xplain the processes by which light energy is converted into chemical energy.

[8]

c. escribe how energy flows through and is used by organisms in ecosystems.

[4]

What is lost between trophic levels in ecosystems and cannot be recycled

A. eat

. itrogen

C. Carbon compounds

. iomass

What favours the production of peat

I. Presence of organic matter

II. Anaerobic conditions

III. Acidic conditions

A. I and II only

. I and III only

C. II and III only

. I, II and III

y which mechanism do greenhouse gases contribute to global warming

A. Their higher concentration absorbs more long wave radiation coming from the un.

. hort wave radiation emitted from the arth’s surface increases with their
concentration.

C. They absorb higher amounts of long wave radiation emitted from the arth’s surface as
their concentration increases.

about:blank 13/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

. They absorb higher amounts of short wave radiation caused by increased combustion
of fossilized organic matter.

oreal forests stretch across Canada, ussia and candinavia. This northern ecosystem
accounts for of the world’s forest areas. The long, cold winters favour tall evergreen
trees with either needles or scale-like leaves. These trees are wind-pollinated and their
seeds are not enclosed in a fruit. The photograph shows a typical boreal forest in winter.

a. Identify the dominant plant phylum in the boreal forest. [1]

b.

In some areas there are gaps in the boreal forest where trees fail to grow and peat
tends to accumulate. uggest reasons for this.

[ ]

c.

An increase in global temperatures poses a critical threat to boreal forests. xplain

the consequences of climate change to this northern ecosystem.

[ ]

d.i.

uggest advantage for the evergreen trees of the boreal forest being pollinated
by wind.

[1]

[Link]. iscuss the advantages of the production of seeds enclosed in fruit. [ ]

about:blank 14/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

e.i.

The boreal forests are situated close to the north pole and even in summer the
intensity of sunlight is lower than at the equator. ketch a graph showing the effect
of light on the rate of photosynthesis, labelling the axes.

[ ]

[Link].

In some boreal species, ubisco is down-regulated during the winter months.

escribe the role of ubisco in photosynthesis.

[ ]

In an area of forest measuring 100 m by 100 m, samples were taken to estimate the
number of silver maple (Acer saccharinum) trees in the forest. The number of trees
counted in each of five areas of 400 m was recorded.

about:blank 15/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Approximately how many silver maple trees are in the 10000m area of forest

A. 5

. 5

C. 1 5

.6 5

The diagram shows the carbon cycle.

[ ource International accalaureate rganization 01 ]

Which two processes correspond to the labelled arrows

A. is combustion and is catabolism.

. is anabolism and is respiration.

C. is combustion and is respiration.

. is anabolism and is catabolism.

uglena is a unicellular organism that feeds on bacteria and uses C as a carbon source.
Which describes the nutrition of this organism

A. Autotrophic only

. eterotrophic only

C. aprotrophic only
about:blank 16/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

. Autotrophic and heterotrophic

The diagram shows a version of the carbon cycle. What is indicated by the numbers

about:blank 17/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

ethanogens produce methane gas. What is this gas converted to in the atmosphere

A. Carbon dioxide and oxygen

. thanol and carbon dioxide

C. Carbon monoxide and ozone

. Carbon dioxide and water

Cladograms can be created by comparing A or protein sequences. The cladogram on

the left is based on A sequences and the cladogram on the right is based on
comparing protein sequences.

What is the reason that cladograms based on A sequences are more reliable
predictors of the phylogenetic relationship of species than cladograms based on protein
sequences
about:blank 18/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

A. Amino acids are not as chemically stable as A nucleotides.

. A mutates but amino acids do not.

C. everal different triplets of bases can code for the same amino acid.

. There are 0 different amino acids but only 4 nucleotides.

Which characteristic of water vapour classifies it as a greenhouse gas

A. It absorbs and then re-emits some of the long wave radiation emitted by the arth’s
surface.

. It prevents short wave radiation from reaching the arth’s surface.

C. It absorbs U radiation but does not re-emit it.

. It absorbs infra-red radiation but does not re-emit it.

a.

Pictured below are ouis Pasteur’s original drawings of swan-necked flasks.

escribe how Pasteur’s experiments provided convincing evidence to falsify the

concept of spontaneous generation.
about:blank 19/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[3]

b.i. tate the function of life in Paramecium that is carried out by cilia. [1]

[Link]. tate the function of life in Paramecium that is carried out by

the contractile vacuole. [1]

c. iscuss the advantages and disadvantages of the use of adult stem cells. [3]

d. xplain the role of decomposers in an ecosystem. [ ]

ative oyster populations are decreasing where rivers meet the ocean along the
northwest coast of orth America. These oyster populations are being attacked by a
gastropod.

It is known that oysters and gastropods have hard parts composed of calcium carbonate
and that ocean acidification is increasing. tudies were carried out using juvenile oysters
and gastropods to investigate the effects of acidification on the decrease in the
population of oysters.

The first step was to raise oysters in two different mesocosms. ne had seawater at a
normal concentration of C and the other had sea water with a high concentration of
C . astropods were raised in two further mesocosms with normal and high C
concentrations respectively.

A juvenile gastropod will attack a juvenile oyster by using its tongue-like structure (radula)
to drill a hole through the oyster shell. nce the hole has been drilled, the gastropod
sucks out the soft flesh. esearchers investigated the shell thickness at the site of the drill
hole in relation to the size of the oyster. The results are seen in this graph.

about:blank 20/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

qual numbers of oysters raised in seawater with a normal C concentration and in

seawater with a high C concentration were then presented together to the gastropod
predators in seawater with a normal C concentration. The same numbers of oysters
from the two groups were also presented together to the gastropods in seawater with a
high C concentration. The bar charts show how many of the oysters were drilled by the
gastropods and the mean size of drilled oysters.

about:blank 21/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

a. utline how acidified sea water could affect the shells of the oyster. [1]

b. utline the trends shown in the data in the graph. [ ]

c.

stimate how much smaller drilled oysters raised in seawater at a high C

concentration were than drilled oysters raised in seawater at a normal C
concentration.

[1]

d.i.

educe from the data in the bar charts which factors were and were not correlated
significantly with the number of oysters drilled by the gastropods.

[ ]

[Link].

uggest reasons for the differences in the numbers of oysters drilled, as shown in
the bar charts.

[ ]

[Link].

about:blank 22/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

The radula in a gastropod is hard but not made of calcium carbonate. utline how
this statement is supported by the drilling success of the gastropods in seawater
with normal or high C concentrations.

[ ]

e.

Using all the data, evaluate how C concentrations affect the development of
oysters and their predation by gastropods.

[ ]

The diagram shows the greenhouse effect.

a. tate the type of wavelength of the radiation labelled and . [ ]

b. utline reasons for the change occurring at . [ ]

c.

The short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus) nests and breeds on remote low-
lying coral islands in the Pacific cean. Predict how global warming may threaten
the survival of such an ocean bird.

[1]

about:blank 23/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

The bacterium eisseria gonorrhoeae causes infections related to the human

reproductive system. The graph shows the percentage of samples in which this bacterium
showed resistance to six antibiotics over a period of ten years.

What is a possible explanation for the total percentage resistance being larger than
100 in 010

A. People do not take the antibiotics as prescribed.

. ore people have been sampled in that year.

C. There was an epidemic of eisseria gonorrhoeae in that year.

. ome bacteria are resistant to more than one antibiotic.

The image shows a transect through a stream and a field.

Which calculation would test for the association between two species of plants from
quadrat data from section A and section of the field

A. Correlation coefficient

. andom numbers sampling

about:blank 24/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

C. tandard deviation

. Chi-squared

What favours the production of peat

I. Presence of organic matter

II. Anaerobic conditions

III. Acidic conditions

A. I and II only

. I and III only

C. II and III only

. I, II and III

ean annual chlorophyll concentration was measured in surface water of arragansett

ay along the Atlantic coast of the U A, from 1 1 to 006. ield data of chlorophyll
concentrations are shown below.

a. uggest a hypothesis for the trend in the graph. [ ]

b.

about:blank 25/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

esocosm experiments using water from arragansett ay were completed in the

laboratory during a six month period. iscuss advantages and limitations of carrying
out mesocosm investigations.

[3]

The electron micrograph shows a palisade mesophyll cell.

a.i. tate the name of the structures labelled I and II. [1]

[Link]. utline the function of the structure labelled III. [ ]

[Link].

The plant from which this cell was taken is in the group angiospermophyta. tate
characteristic that is unique to this group of plants.

[1]

b. istinguish between autotrophic nutrition and heterotrophic nutrition. [ ]

c. xplain how energy and nutrients are transferred in ecosystems. [3]

Although simple in structure, bacteria as a group show a wide range of diversity.

a. utline the roles bacteria play in the carbon cycle. [3]

about:blank 26/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

b. escribe the evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. [4]

c. xplain the process of genetically modifying bacteria. [8]

a.

escribe the structure and function of starch in plants.

[3]

b. utline the production of carbohydrates in photosynthesis. [4]

c.

iscuss the processes in the carbon cycle that affect concentrations of carbon
dioxide and methane in the atmosphere and the consequences for climate change.

[8]

Animals in the highest trophic level of a food chain will often be the largest in body size
but will be few in numbers. What accounts for the small numbers

A. ood eaten by animals at the highest trophic level has a lower energy content per
gram

. nergy losses through the food chain

C. Conversion of heat energy into chemical energy

. iomass of producers is small

Which conditions favour peat formation

about:blank 27/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

In addition to carbon dioxide, which of these greenhouse gases is the most significant

A. ethane

. zone

C. itrogen oxides

. Water vapour

The image shows a food web.

a.i. Using the food web, identify a detritivore. [1]

[Link]. Using the food web, identify a saprotroph. [1]

b. tate the name of the domain to which birds, such as the lf owl, belong. [1]

c. utline the energy flow through this food web. [3]

about:blank 28/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

The oxygen consumption rate of the fish plegnathus insignis was examined in a
respirometer at three different water temperatures and at four different body masses.

a. uggest how the oxygen consumption rate is determined using this apparatus.

[ ]

b. tate the relationship between body mass and the oxygen consumption of fish.

[1]

c. Predict the effects of global warming on aerobic respiration in fish. [ ]

The diagram shows a leaf from ryopteris arguta.

about:blank 29/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[https [Link] wiki ile 0161 08-

0001 80 4 ryopteris_arguta_( everse) 80 4 P _(306 8 5004).jpg,
0161 080001 ryopteris arguta ( everse) P ource
https www.fl[Link] photos john_d_rusk 306 8 5004 Author ohn usk from
erkeley, CA, United tates of America, licensed under Creative Commons licence
https [Link] licenses by 4.0 legalcode]

a.i. tate the phylum of this plant. [1]

[Link]. tate characteristics of plants from the phylum you stated in (a)(i).

[ ]

b. utline why the number of trophic levels is limited in a food chain. [1]

Plants have widespread influences, from food chains to climate change.

a.

raw a diagram of a palisade mesophyll cell labelling only the structures that would
not be present in a pancreatic cell.

[3]

b. xplain the process of photosynthesis. [8]

c. escribe the process of peat formation. [4]

ife is based on carbon compounds.

a. raw a molecular diagram of alpha- -glucose. [3]

about:blank 30/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

b. utline how carbon compounds are produced in cells using light energy. [5]

c. xplain the transformations of carbon compounds in the carbon cycle. [ ]

a.

raw a labelled diagram to show the fluid mosaic model of the plasma membrane.

[4]

b.

Unicellular and multicellular organisms share the same functions of life. utline
functions of life.

[4]

c.

The structure of organisms is based on organic molecules containing carbon.

xplain the cycling of carbon in an ecosystem.

[ ]

White clover (Trifolium repens) is native to urasia but is now a common plant found
worldwide in lawns, next to roads, in pastures and similar habitats.

[ ource International accalaureate rganization 0 0.]

ome T. repens plants are able to produce the toxin hydrogen cyanide ( C ) by
cyanogenesis. A study at 1 8 sites ( 50 plants) in Toronto (Canada) looked at the
proportion of T. repens plants producing C . The sites were at regular intervals from the
city centre towards rural areas.

about:blank 31/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource Adapted from Thompson, .A., enaudin, . and ohnson, .T. ., 016.
Urbanization drives the
evolution of parallel clines in plant populations. Proceedings of the oyal ociety , [e-
journal] 83.
https [Link] 10.10 8 rspb. 016. 180.]

To determine whether similar patterns in cyanogenesis were seen in other cities, studies
were also carried out around ew ork City and oston (U A) and ontreal (Canada).

[ ource Adapted from Thompson, .A., enaudin, . and ohnson, .T. ., 016.
Urbanization drives the
evolution of parallel clines in plant populations. Proceedings of the oyal ociety , [e-
journal] 83.
https [Link] 10.10 8 rspb. 016. 180.]

The researchers considered two possible ecological causes for the observed gradients in
cyanogenesis. irst, the researchers assessed the extent of herbivory of T. repens plants
in Toronto by measuring the percentage of leaf area that was eaten. The graph shows the
results for both cyanogenic and non-cyanogenic plants.
about:blank 32/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource Adapted from Thompson, .A., enaudin, . and ohnson, .T. ., 016.
Urbanization drives the
evolution of parallel clines in plant populations. Proceedings of the oyal ociety , [e-
journal] 83.
https [Link] 10.10 8 rspb. 016. 180.]

The researchers then investigated a possible correlation between cyanogenesis and

exposure to freezing conditions. It had been proposed that when a cyanogenic plant
freezes, its cells burst, releasing C which is toxic to the plant. now can insulate the
ground and plants from freezing temperatures. owever, snow is more likely to melt in
cities, which then exposes plants to freezing temperatures.

All four of the cities studied receive below freezing temperatures and winter snowfall.
esearchers looked at the number of days below freezing (0 C) that did not have snow
cover in these cities.

about:blank 33/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource Adapted from Thompson, .A., enaudin, . and ohnson, .T. ., 016.
Urbanization drives the
evolution of parallel clines in plant populations. Proceedings of the oyal ociety , [e-
journal] 83.
https [Link] 10.10 8 rspb. 016. 180.]

a.i.

tate the distance from the city centre at which the highest proportion of plants
sampled contained C .

[1]

[Link]. utline the relationship shown in the graph. [1]

b.

educe whether the pattern of cyanogenesis was the same in all of the areas around
all four cities.

[ ]

c.

iscuss whether the data supports the hypothesis that the gradient in cyanogenesis
is due to its benefits against herbivory in rural areas.

[ ]

d.i.

Identify with a reason the city where the plants were more insulated from freezing
temperatures.

[1]

[Link].
about:blank 34/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Using all of the data so far, suggest whether exposure to freezing temperatures in
the four cities is supported as a reason for the differences in C production in T.
repens.

[ ]

White-nose syndrome (W ) is a disease caused by the fungus eomyces

destructans. This kills bats from many species during their winter hibernation cientists
used echolocation to record the number of bat flights over a station in 10 minute sample
periods during the summers of 00 to 00 . The graph shows the mean number of
flights and number of recording samples for little brown bats ( yotis lucifugus), a species
affected by the fungus, along with those of hoary bats ( asiurus cinereus), which are not
affected.

cientists have hypothesised that bats affected by W could be more likely than
unaffected bats to emerge from hibernation during the winter. ats occasionally undergo
short interruptions in hibernation accompanied by an increase in body temperature.
cientists used sensors attached to . lucifugus to monitor the temperature of a group
infected with the fungus over the winter months. A second uninfected group was also
monitored. The graphs show the results for two typical individuals.

about:blank 35/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

The graph shows data from a small group of infected bats that died during hibernation.
The average time interval between hibernation emergence periods and the date of death
were recorded using temperature sensors for these bats.

a.

about:blank 36/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Calculate the total number of . lucifugus flights that were recorded in the summer
of 00

[1]

b.

uggest limitation of this recording method in determining the accurate mean

number of individual bats flying.

[1]

c.i.

Calculate the percentage decline in the mean number of . lucifugus flights for
00 when compared to 008.

[1]

[Link].

valuate the conclusion that the decline in the population of . lucifugus is due to
infection by the fungus.

[ ]

d.

istinguish between the patterns of hibernation of the uninfected and infected bats.

[1]

e.

ased on the data and your biological knowledge, suggest how the infection could
lead to premature death in a bat.

[3]

f.

utline the relationship between date of death and the mean interval between
hibernation emergence periods.

[1]

g.

iscuss whether the data in the graph show that there is a causal link between the
date of death and the interval between hibernation emergence periods.

[ ]

h.

about:blank 37/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

uggest reason, other than the interval between hibernation emergence

periods, for some infected bats surviving longer than others.

[1]

i. Using all of the data, predict the effect of W on bat populations. [3]

The three-toed sloth, radypus variegatus, lives in tree tops where it feeds on leaves. It
also feeds on algae and fungi which live in its fur.

[ ource Image from https [Link] wiki ile radypus_variegatus.jpg.

Christian ehlf hrer.
icensed under CC by .5 https [Link] licenses by .5 [Link]]

In which trophic group should the three-toed sloth be classified

A. Autotroph

. Consumer

C. etritivore

. aprotroph

All living organisms depend on a continuous supply of energy.

a.

xplain the stages of aerobic respiration that occur in the mitochondria of

eukaryotes.

[8]

b. utline how ventilation in humans ensures a supply of oxygen. [4]

about:blank 38/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

c. escribe the reasons for the shape of a pyramid of energy. [3]

ore than 8 million different species are alive today but over the course of evolution,
more than 4 billion may have existed.

a.

utline the criteria that should be used to assess whether a group of organisms is a
species.

[3]

b. escribe the changes that occur in gene pools during speciation. [5]

c.

iscuss the process, including potential risks and benefits, of using bacteria to
genetically modify plant crop species.

[ ]

Three-toed sloths ( radypus variegatus) are placental mammals that live in trees in
Central and outh America. They eat leaves and fruit and get almost all their water from
succulent plants.

[ ource Adapted from aube, ., 003. Three-toed-sloth ( radypus variegatus), ake

atun, epublic of Panama. [image online] Available at
https [Link] wiki User radipus media ile [Link]]

about:blank 39/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Three-toed sloths change their body posture in response to the temperature of their
environment (ambient temperature). esearchers assessed posture on a scale from 1 to 6,
with 1 being when the sloth was curled into a tight ball and 6 when it had all limbs
spread. The percentage of time the sloths were observed in each position was recorded
at ambient temperatures from C to 34 C. The researchers also measured the body
temperature of the sloths over the same range of ambient temperatures.

[ ource Adapted from Cliffe, . ., cantlebury, . ., ennedy, . ., Avey-Arroyo, .,

indich, . and Wilson, .P., 018. The metabolic response of the radypus sloth to
temperature. Peer , [e-journal] 6 e5600. http [Link] 10. 1 peerj.5600. icensed
under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International icense
https [Link] licenses by 4.0 .]

The daily food intake of three-toed sloths and daily ambient temperatures were
monitored over a 160-day period from ebruary to early uly. The graphs show the mean
results.

about:blank 40/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource Cliffe et al. ( 015), loths like it hot ambient temperature modulates food intake
in the brown-throated sloth ( radypus variegatus). Peer 3 e8 5 I 10. 1 peerj.8 5
icensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International icense
https [Link] licenses by 4.0 .]

a.i.

tate the relationship between sloth body temperature and ambient temperature.

[1]

[Link]. xplain how this relationship differs from that in humans. [1]

b.i.

escribe the trend in body posture as ambient temperature rises from to 34 C.

[1]

[Link]. uggest reasons for this trend. [ ]

f.

The mean daily food intake fluctuated from day to day. tate the month that
contains the day on which the mean intake of food was highest.

[1]

g.

about:blank 41/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

utline the relationship between ambient daily temperature and food intake in
arch.

[ ]

h.

uggest, with a reason, how the activity of the sloth varies with ambient
temperature.

[1]

i. tate feature of the sloth that would indicate it is a mammal. [1]

oreal forests stretch across Canada, ussia and candinavia. This northern ecosystem
accounts for of the world’s forest areas. The long, cold winters favour tall evergreen
trees with either needles or scale-like leaves. These trees are wind-pollinated and their
seeds are not enclosed in a fruit. The photograph shows a typical boreal forest in winter.

a. Identify the dominant plant phylum in the boreal forest. [1]

b.

In some areas there are gaps in the boreal forest where trees fail to grow and peat
tends to accumulate. uggest reasons for this.

[ ]

c.

An increase in global temperatures poses a critical threat to boreal forests. xplain

the consequences of climate change to this northern ecosystem.

about:blank 42/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ]

d.

The boreal forests are situated close to the north pole and even in summer the
intensity of sunlight is lower than at the equator. ketch a graph showing the effect
of light on the rate of photosynthesis, labelling the axes.

[ ]

An investigation into food web interactions was conducted in mesocosms in the

editerranean ea, off the coast of rance. The effects of the addition of soil and fish on
bacterial populations were tested.

about:blank 43/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

a.

ach of the mesocosms is an open ecosystem. tate the property that makes the
mesocosms open ecosystems.

[1]

b.

Assuming that the populations of bacteria are under bottom-up control, identify the
mesocosms in which the bacterial populations will be highest.

[1]

c. utline top-down effects on the bacteria in the four mesocosms. [ ]

d.

uggest advantages of undertaking this experiment in the sea rather than in the
laboratory.

[ ]

about:blank 44/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Which processes occur in an ecosystem

I. iomass increases in each successive trophic level.

II. Inorganic nutrients are recycled.

III. Chemical energy is stored in carbon compounds.

A. I and II only

. I and III only

C. II and III only

. I, II and III

ethane can be the product of anaerobic respiration in some organisms.

a. escribe anaerobic respiration in humans and in yeast. [3]

b.i. istinguish between the thermal properties of water and methane. [ ]

[Link]. xplain the role of methane in climate change. [ ]

White sage ( alvia apiana) is a native Californian shrub. lender oat (Avena barbata) is a
grass, originally from the editerranean, which was introduced to California. The map
shows the distribution of the two species in relation to one another in an area near anta
nez, California.

about:blank 45/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

a. Using the scale bar, determine the area of quadrat A1, giving the units. [1]

b.

utline how chi-squared can be used to test for an association between the
distributions of the two species.

[3]

The growing human population has an increasing demand for energy derived from crop
plants. At the same time, increasing droughts that are part of climate change make it
difficult to grow crops in some parts of the world.

a. utline energy flow through a community in a natural ecosystem. [5]

b.

xplain how natural selection can cause traits such as drought resistance to develop
in wild plants.

[ ]

c.

uggest possible benefits risks of using genetic modification to develop

varieties of crop plant with traits such as drought resistance.

[3]

about:blank 46/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

impets are molluscs with conical shells that cling tightly to rocks on seashores. In a
study of two species of limpets found on rocks along the regon coast, 30 randomly
placed quadrats were used to determine how often the two species occurred together.
The table shows the data that were collected.

Which statistical method will determine whether these two species occur together by
chance or by some kind of interaction

A. Chi-squared test

. t-test

C. tandard deviation

. eans and ranges

The diagram shows part of a food chain. The left box represents producers and the right
box primary consumers. Arrows show energy flows.

Which forms of energy are represented by and

about:blank 47/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Which activity directly contributes the most to recent increases in atmospheric C

concentrations

A. andfills

. Planting trees

C. Cattle rearing

. urning of fossil fuels

a.i.

tate causes of the decrease of biomass along food chains in terrestrial

ecosystems.

[ ]

[Link].

The table shows the global carbon budget over two decades the years 1 0 to
1 and 000 to 00 .

about:blank 48/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource International accalaureate rganization 01 ]

Using the table, explain causes of the changes in carbon flux over the two decades.

[3]

b.

uggest how climate change can influence the natural selection of organisms that
live in the Arctic oceans.

[3]

The diagram shows interactions between food chains in an ecosystem in the African
savannah.

Which arrows indicate the flow of chemical energy

A. I and II only

. I and III only

C. II and III only

. I, II and III

about:blank 49/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

The Australian pitcher plant (Cephalotus follicularis) is a green plant that traps and feeds
on flies and other live insects. What is this plant’s mode of nutrition

A. Producer and saprotroph

. Autotroph and detritivore

C. Autotroph and heterotroph

. Consumer and saprotroph

In 1 8 ilbert White, a naturalist, observed eight breeding pairs of swifts (Apus apus) in
the nglish village of elborne. n average, each pair of swifts produces two offspring
per year. This would allow the population to rise to 1030 swifts over 00 years. A bird
survey carried out in 1 83 revealed only 1 breeding pairs in this village.

What could have prevented the numbers rising to 1030

I. The number of nesting sites remained the same.

II. The food supply of the swifts remained constant.

III. Predatory birds in the area were exterminated.

A. I only

. I and II only

C. II and III only

. I, II and III

a.

xtensive areas of the rainforest in Cambodia are being cleared for large-scale
rubber plantations. istinguish between the sustainability of natural ecosystems
such as rainforests and the sustainability of areas used for agriculture.

[3]

b. escribe the roles of the shoot apex in the growth of plants. [5]

c.

esearch suggests that many living plant species are polyploid. xplain how
polyploidy occurs and, using a example, how polyploidy can lead to

about:blank 50/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

speciation.

[ ]

The graph shows global C contributions from the use of fuels since 18 5. missions
estimates for the years since 1 50 are based on energy data from the United ations
while emissions estimates for years prior to 1 50 have been constructed using a variety
of sources.

[ ource oden T arland Andres (1 ) lobal, egional, and ational ossil-

uel C missions (1 51 014)
( . 01 ). Carbon ioxide Information Analysis Center (C IAC), ak idge ational
aboratory ( ),
ak idge, T (United tates). doi 10.3334 C IAC 00001_ 01 ]

a. Calculate the percentage increase in the use of liquid fuels from 1 50 to 1 5.

[1]

b.

eferring to the data, compare and contrast the changes in the use of the different
fuels between 1 50 and 1 5.

[ ]

Which organism can best be described as a saprotroph

A. A fungus that digests its food externally and absorbs the products of digestion

about:blank 51/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

. A beetle that feeds by ingesting the dung of other animal species and digesting its
food internally

C. A single-celled eukaryote that is able to photosynthesize and consumes smaller

organisms by endocytosis

. A giraffe that feeds by ingesting leaves from an acacia tree

The diagram shows the food web for an aquatic ecosystem in which letters represent
individual species.

[ ource International accalaureate rganization 01 ]

Which organism is a tertiary consumer

A. rganism T

. rganism U

C. rganism W

. rganism

about:blank 52/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Which organisms produce methane in anaerobic environments such as waterlogged

soils

A. Archaea

. ungi

C. ukaryotes

. ubacteria

The diagram shows the food web for an aquatic ecosystem in which letters represent
individual species.

[ ource International accalaureate rganization 01 ]

Which organism is a tertiary consumer

A. rganism T

. rganism U

C. rganism W

. rganism

eforestation and agricultural activities including the production of crops and livestock
are thought to play a major role in the greenhouse effect. The graph shows annual trends
in rates of deforestation and the production of soybeans and cattle in the state of ato
rosso in razil in the period from 001 to 010.

about:blank 53/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource ' ecoupling of deforestation and soy production in the southern Amazon during
the late 000s.'
arcia . acedo, uth . e ries, ouglas C. orton, Claudia . tickler, illian .
alford, and osio .
himabukuro P A anuary 4, 01 , 10 ( ) 1341 1346
https [Link] 10.10 3 pnas.11113 410 ,
used with permission]

What conclusion can be drawn from the information in this graph

A. The decline in rates of deforestation led to an increase in production of C .

. oybean production accounted for a greater proportion of deforestation than cattle

production.

C. orest habitats declined during the first few years of the study.

. The decline in rates of deforestation is due to an increase in soybean production.

cientists have constructed systems to reproduce the conditions of natural wetlands. The
mesocosms below were used to study nutrient removal from water flowing through.

about:blank 54/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource 013. ilviya avrova and ogdana oumanova ( ctober nd 013). utrients
and rganic atter emoval in a
ertical- low Constructed Wetland, Applied ioremediation Active and Passive
Approaches, ogesh . Patil and
Prakash ao, Intech pen, I 10.5 56 45. Available from
https [Link] books applied-bioremediationactive-
and-passive-approaches nutrients-and-organic-matter-removal-in-a-vertical-flow-
constructed-wetland]

a.

Compare and contrast the design of both mesocosms (vertical flow and horizontal
flow).

[ ]

b.

uggest with a reason which system best reproduces the conditions of the natural
environment.

[1]

about:blank 55/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

c.

tate variables other than temperature and light that should be controlled in
this experiment, in order to discover which system is more effective at removing
nutrients from water.

[ ]

a.

escribe how detritivores obtain nutrition and the effects they have in ecosystems.

[4]

b. utline the role of amylase in digestion in humans. [4]

c. xplain how plants capture and use light in photosynthesis. [ ]

In an ecosystem, in the transfer of carbon from producers to consumers, what is carbon

transferred as

I. Carbon dioxide

II. Protein

III. ydrogencarbonate ions

A. I only

. II only

C. I and II only

. I and III only

a.

istinguish between the transfers of energy and inorganic nutrients in ecosystems.

[ ]

b.

utline the role of methanogenic archaeans in the movement of carbon in

ecosystems.

about:blank 56/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ]

c. escribe how autotrophs absorb light energy [3]

The ilver prings feed into the ilver iver in lorida. The diagram shows a pyramid of
energy for the ilver prings ecosystem. The units are k m y 1.

[ ource International accalaureate rganization 01 ]

What do level I and level III represent in the pyramid of energy

Which is essential in a viable mesocosm

A. ight source

. Autotroph

C. aprotroph

. erbivore

about:blank 57/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

When feed for animals is stored, moisture levels need to be kept low to prevent the
growth of fungi. eed was exposed to 15 moisture and placed into a respirometer.
consumption was monitored using the respirometer over a period of six days.

[ ource International accalaureate rganization 01 ]

a.i. utline how consumption is measured using a respirometer. [ ]

[Link].

uggest conclusion that can be drawn from the results shown in the graph. [1]

[Link].

ther than humidity, suggest a variable that would need to be controlled in this
experiment.

[1]

b. utline the role of fungi in nutrient cycling. [ ]

The global carbon cycle involves sinks where carbon is stored, and fluxes where carbon is
transferred. What are the largest sink and flux

about:blank 58/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

The map shows the widespread distribution of coral reef ecosystems (indicated by black
dots) in the world’s oceans. eath of coral reefs is related to increasing atmospheric
carbon dioxide concentrations.

[ ource ational ceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 0 1. Where eef uilding

Corals ound. [map online] Available at
https [Link] education tutorial_corals media supp_coral05a.html
[Accessed 0 ay 0 1].]

xplain how increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations can lead to coral
death.

What is the ecological term for a group of different types of organisms that live together
and interact with each other

A. Community

about:blank 59/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

. omain

C. cosystem

. Population

In the diagram, which of the processes labelled A to transfers the largest mass of
carbon per year in a woodland ecosystem

[ ource International accalaureate rganization 01 ]

What material is formed when organic matter is not fully decomposed in acidic
waterlogged soils

A. Coal

. ydrogen

C. il

. Peat

about:blank 60/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

a.

Compare and contrast the mode of nutrition of detritivores and saprotrophs.

[ ]

b.i. The image shows an example of a soil food web.

[ ource Anon., n.d. The oil ood Web. [image online] Available at
https [Link] wps portal nrcs
photogallery soils health biology gallery cid 1 88 position Promo [Accessed 11
arch 0 0].]

raw a food chain from this food web, showing at least three organisms. [1]

[Link].

xplain the reasons for food chains rarely containing more than four or five trophic
levels.

[3]
about:blank 61/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

c.

The amount of food passing into food chains can be affected by the rate of
photosynthesis. xplain the effect of limiting factor on photosynthesis.

[3]

d. All of the leaves in the image are from olanum, a wild genus of tomato.

[ ource Courtesy ational cience oundation, Credit eonie oyle.]

tate cause of variation in a plant such as the tomato. [1]

Cultivated rice, ryza sativa, is one of the most important human foods. The two main
sub-species of cultivated rice are . sativa indica and . sativa japonica. . rufipogon is a
wild species from which they probably evolved.

To investigate whether the sub-species of cultivated rice evolved independently from the
wild species, scientists analysed their chromosomes to find areas with similar A base
sequences. Wild species tend to have many different alleles of genes present on each
chromosome, but during the development of a crop plant by artificial selection from a
wild species, this diversity drops considerably, increasing the base sequence similarity.
The number of different alleles of the genes on a chromosome can be represented by a
diversity index. The following graph of part of chromosome shows the diversity index of
. rufipogon and two varieties of cultivated rice, . sativa indica and . sativa japonica.
The gene P 1 allows the plant to stand upright, which is typical of cultivated rice. Its
position is indicated by the vertical arrow on the graph.

about:blank 62/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource e , hai W, Wen , Tang T, Wang , u , et al. ( 011) Two volutionary

istories in the enome of ice
the oles of omestication enes. P o enet (6) e100 100.
https [Link] 10.13 1 [Link].100 100]

In another experiment, scientists retrieved genome sequences of the wild rice .

rufipogon taken from a wide range of geographical sites (I, II and III) and those of the two
sub-species of . sativa from gene banks.

The pie charts, presented along with a cladogram, show the proportion of alleles for
three genes which confer specific characteristics to . sativa. utations can produce
derived alleles that are different from the original ancestral alleles. The control group
represents wild rice species other than . rufipogon.

about:blank 63/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource reprinted by permission from pringer ature ature, uang, ., urata, .,

Wei, . et al. A map of rice
genome variation reveals the origin of cultivated rice. ature ,4 501 ( 01 )
doi 10.1038 nature1153 ]

a.

tate the reason that . sativa and . rufipogon are classified as different species.

[1]

b. etermine which type of rice has the lowest overall diversity index. [1]

c. Compare and contrast the trends for . rufipogon and . sativa indica. [ ]

d.

tate the proportion of the ancestral allele for the gene 3 in the . rufipogon-III
population.

[1]

e.

istinguish between the proportion of ancestral and derived alleles for all three
genes in . sativa indica and . sativa japonica.

[ ]

f. tate reason for having a control group. [1]

g.

Using of the data, discuss whether there is evidence that the two sub-species of
. sativa might have evolved independently from . rufipogon.

[4]

a.

tate the immediate consequence of a species producing more offspring than the
environment can support.

[1]

b.

xplain the consequence of overpopulation on the survival and reproduction of

better adapted individuals within a population.

[3]

about:blank 64/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

a.

raw a half-view of an animal-pollinated flower.

[4]

b. utline the growth of plant shoot apex. [4]

c. xplain the movement of energy and inorganic nutrients in an ecosystem. [ ]

ummingbirds eat flower nectar and small insects. To which nutritional group do they
belong

A. Autotrophs

. Consumers

C. etritivores

. aprotrophs

Which level(s) of ecological complexity involve(s) biotic factors but not abiotic factors

I. Community

II. cosystem

III. Population

A. I only

. II only

C. I and II only

. I and III only

ow can a chi-squared test be used in ecological research

A. To test the effect of an abiotic factor on one plant species

. To test whether two species tend to live together

C. To test whether one population of plants is taller than another

about:blank 65/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

. To test whether one species is more tolerant to heavy metals than another

Under certain conditions, living organisms on arth produce and release methane. What
favours the production of methane

A. orest fires

. igh light intensity

C. Anaerobic conditions

. ry conditions

The oceans absorb much of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The combustion of
fossil fuels has increased carbon dioxide ocean concentrations. What adverse effect does
this have on marine life

A. eterotrophs consume more phytoplankton.

. Phytoplankton have increased rates of photosynthesis.

C. Corals deposit less calcium carbonate to form skeletons.

. Increased p reduces enzyme activity in marine organisms.

ver time, the hull of a sunken ship may become colonized by a wide range of marine
organisms. What term is used to describe all of the organisms living in and on a sunken
ship

A. A community

. An ecological niche

C. A population

. An ecosystem

Plankton are major producers in marine ecosystems. nly a small proportion of the
energy harvested by plankton is passed to the primary consumers. Which process in
phytoplankton results in the largest loss of energy that could otherwise be utilized by
consumers

about:blank 66/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

A. eproduction

. omeostasis

C. xcretion

. espiration

The diagram shows the energy flow between five “sinks” in a terrestrial ecosystem.

In a typical terrestrial ecosystem, which trophic level would have the highest biomass

A. Autotrophs

. Primary consumers

C. econdary consumers

. etritus feeders

The mass of an individual organism can affect its physiology and feeding ecology. The
diagram shows the relative mass of carbon (black) and total wet mass (grey) of a marine
crustacean, Calanus hyperboreus and a jellyfish, athocyroe fosteri.

about:blank 67/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource ristian cConville, Angus Atkinson, laine . ileman, ohn I. picer, Andrew .
irst. isentangling the counteracting effects of water content and carbon mass on
zooplankton growth. ournal of Plankton esearch. 01 , olume 3 , Issue , Pages 46
56. https [Link] 10.10 3 plankt fbw0 4. Adapted (and translated) by permission of
xford University Press.]

a.

tate process that results in the loss of carbon dioxide from a marine organism
such as a crustacean or a jellyfish.

[1]

b.

The crustacean and the jellyfish obtain carbon compounds by feeding. tate
source of carbon for marine organisms, other than feeding.

[1]

c. xplain how energy enters, flows through and is lost from marine food chains.

[3]

d.i.

educe whether jellyfish or crustacea are a richer source of carbon in a food chain.

[1]

[Link].

uggest with a reason whether having a large body mass is an advantage or

disadvantage for jellyfish.

[1]

about:blank 68/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

a.

utline the process of inhalation.

[4]

b. xplain the process of gas exchange taking place in the alveoli. [ ]

c.

iscuss the relationship between atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and

global temperatures.

[4]

The graph shows atmospheric oxygen levels over time.

About .5 billion years ago, a significant rise in atmospheric oxygen occurred. What was
the cause of this rise

A. Photosynthesis by non-vascular land plants

. Photosynthesis by vascular land plants

C. xygen produced by photosynthetic bacteria being released from the ocean into the
atmosphere

about:blank 69/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

. olcanic activity

The photomicrograph below shows the protozoan Paramecium caudatum.

[ ource euterostome, CC - A 3.0

https [Link] licenses by-sa 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.]

a.i. tate the genus of this organism. [1]

[Link]. tate the domain in which it is classified. [1]

b. utline the method of nutrition carried out by P. caudatum. [1]

c. utline aspect of how P. caudatum carries out homeostasis. [ ]

d.

Apart from the ribosomes, explain the evidence for the endosymbiotic theory of the
origin of eukaryotic cells.

[3]

oneybees (Apis mellifera) are key pollinators in most ecosystems. The worldwide use of
neonicotinoid pesticides has caused concern because they may be contributing to the
decline of honeybee populations.

cientists measured the concentration of five neonicotinoids (acetamiprid, clothianidin,

imidacloprid, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam) in honey samples from 1 8 different

about:blank 70/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

locations across the world. ach pie chart shows the relative frequency of neonicotinoids
in honey samples from a continent.

[ ource epublished with permission of American Association for the Advancement of

cience, from A worldwide survey of neonicotinoids in honey, itchell, .A., et al.,
cience, olume 358, Issue 635 , 01 . Permission conveyed through Copyright
Clearance Center, Inc. https [Link] content 358 635 10 .full.]

The neonicotinoids can be used alone or together with other neonicotinoids. The
percentage of honey samples with 0, 1, , 3, 4 or 5 different neonicotinoids in each
continent are shown in the stacked bar chart.

about:blank 71/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource epublished with permission of American Association for the Advancement of

cience, from A worldwide survey of neonicotinoids in honey, itchell, .A., et al.,
cience, olume 358, Issue 635 , 01 . Permission conveyed through Copyright
Clearance Center, Inc. https [Link] content 358 635 10 .full.]

In order to grow, honeybee larvae are fed royal jelly, a high energy food with very high
acetylcholine concentrations.

In an experiment, larvae were bred artificially on a diet with reduced acetylcholine

content in the royal jelly. The graph shows the mean survival rate of these larvae
compared to control larvae fed on a normal diet.

[ ource Wessler I, rtner -A, ichel- chmidt , rochhausen C, chmitz , Anspach ,

et al. ( 016) oneybees Produce illimolar Concentrations of on- euronal
Acetylcholine for reeding Possible Adverse ffects of eonicotinoids. P
11(6) e0156886. doi 10.13 1 [Link].0156886 Copyright 016 Wessler et al. This is
an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
icense (https [Link] licenses by 4.0 ), which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source
are credited.]

The concentration of acetylcholine was measured in royal jelly produced by honeybees

that had never been exposed to neonicotinoids (control) and honeybees that had been
exposed for three weeks to two neonicotinoids clothianidin and thiacloprid.

about:blank 72/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Wessler I, rtner -A, ichel- chmidt , rochhausen C, chmitz , Anspach , et al.

( 016) oneybees Produce illimolar Concentrations of on- euronal Acetylcholine for
reeding Possible Adverse ffects of eonicotinoids. P 11(6) e0156886.
doi 10.13 1 [Link].0156886 Copyright 016 Wessler et al. This is an open access
article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution icense
(https [Link] licenses by 4.0 ), which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source
are credited.

a.

Identify in which continent the fewest types of neonicotinoid were detected in

honey samples.

[1]

b.

Using the data, outline the different use of thiamethoxam in orth and outh
America.

[1]

c.

Identify the total percentage of honey samples contaminated with neonicotinoid

pesticides in the continent with the lowest overall levels of contamination.

............ [1]

d. educe the conclusions that can be drawn from the data in the graph. [ ]

e.

uggest a reason for the effect of a diet reduced in acetylcholine on the larval
survival rate.

[1]

f.
about:blank 73/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Compare and contrast the effect of clothianidin and thiacloprid treatments on the
concentration of acetylcholine in royal jelly.

[ ]

g. xplain how neonicotinoids affect synaptic transmission in insects. [3]

h.

Companies that manufacture neonicotinoid pesticides have argued that they do not
cause significant harm to honeybees. Construct an argument, based on the data in
this question, for serious concern about the manufacture and use of neonicotinoid
pesticides.

[4]

Which organism would be classified as a saprotroph

A. A single-celled eukaryote that obtains its carbon compounds by photosynthesis and

ingestion of other single-celled organisms

. A jellyfish that uses the stinging cells in its tentacles to paralyse its prey, which is
passed to an internal gastric cavity through a single opening

C. A fungus that feeds by secretion of digestive enzymes onto its food and absorption of
digested material

. A dung beetle that feeds on the fecal material left behind by other animals

The diagram shows the flow of energy through an ecosystem in

about:blank 74/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource “ nergy flow igure 3,” (https [Link] contents 4nI-

8 4.18 fb he o 8 nergy- low) by pen tax College, iology CC 4.0
(https [Link] licenses by 4.0 ).]

What percentage of the energy passed from primary producers to primary consumers is
lost to cellular respiration by tertiary consumers

A. 0.001

. 0.08

C. 0.

. 0.4

Which gases have made the most significant contributions to global warming
about:blank 75/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

A. Water and carbon dioxide

. Carbon dioxide and methane

C. ethane and nitrous oxide

. Carbon dioxide and ozone

What is exchanged between a sealed mesocosm and the surrounding external

environment

A. nergy

. Water

C. Air

. othing can pass

In a woodland ecosystem, each tree provides food for numerous aphids which feed on
the sap of the tree. The aphids are eaten by carnivorous beetles, as shown in the food
chain.

ak Tree Aphids eetles

Which pyramid of energy represents this relationship

ow do greenhouse gases contribute to global warming

about:blank 76/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

A. They destroy the ozone layer, allowing radiation to reach the arth’s surface.

. They prevent radiation from the arth escaping into space.

C. They trap short wavelength radiation in the atmosphere.

. They are a product of combustion, which generates heat.

The diagram shows the carbon flux in gigatonnes per year between some of the arth’s
global reservoirs.

[ ource igure .3 and Table .1 from enman, . ., . rasseur, A. Chidthaisong, P. Ciais,

P. . Cox, . . ickinson, .
auglustaine, C. einze, . olland, . acob, U. ohmann, amachandran, P. . da ilva
ias, .C. Wofsy and
. hang, 00 Couplings etween Changes in the Climate ystem and
iogeochemistry. In Climate Change
00 The Physical cience asis. Contribution of Working roup I to the ourth
Assessment eport of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [ olomon, ., . in, . anning, . Chen,
. arquis, . . Averyt,
. Tignor and . . iller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United
ingdom and ew ork, , U A.]

What can be deduced from the information in the diagram

A. Arrows are mainly due to respiration of marine plants and animals.

. Photosynthesis is a component of both arrows and .

about:blank 77/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

C. very day, more carbon is removed from the ocean than is added.

. cean carbon is stored as dissolved calcium carbonate.

The incidence of white syndrome, an infectious disease of coral, was investigated in a six-
year study on Australia’s reat arrier eef. The map shows disease conditions on coral
reefs at six study sites.

[ ource adapted from runo, . ., elig, . ., Casey, . ., Page, C.A., Willis, . ., arvell,
C. ., weatman,
. and elendy, A. ., 00 . P iology, [e-journal] 5(6), e1 4.
https [Link] 10.13 1 [Link].00501 4.]

atellites were used to record sea surface temperatures. The temperatures each week
above a reef were compared with mean temperatures for that week between 1 85 and
004. If the sea surface temperature was 1 C or more above the mean, this was recorded
as a weekly sea surface temperature anomaly (W TA). The number of W TAs was
calculated for the twelve months preceding the date on which a reef was surveyed for
white syndrome.

n each reef, the number of cases of white syndrome in a 1500 m sample area was
surveyed once per year. The table shows these cases in relation to numbers of W TAs
about:blank 78/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

and coral cover on the reef. ow coral cover was 0 4 and high coral cover was 50 5
.

[ ource adapted from runo, . ., elig, . ., Casey, . ., Page, C.A., Willis, . ., arvell,
C. ., weatman,
. and elendy, A. ., 00 . P iology, [e-journal] 5(6), e1 4.
https [Link] 10.13 1 [Link].00501 4.]

The graphs show the relationship between the weekly sea surface temperature anomalies
(W TA) and coral cover during two twelve-month periods (1 8 and 00 03),
which were the warmest in the six-year study. ach dot represents one studied reef.

[ ource adapted from runo, . ., elig, . ., Casey, . ., Page, C.A., Willis, . ., arvell,
C. ., weatman,
. and elendy, A. ., 00 . P iology, [e-journal] 5(6), e1 4.
https [Link] 10.13 1 [Link].00501 4.]

a.i. Identify the site with the highest incidence of diseased colonies. [1]

[Link].

about:blank 79/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

educe whether there is a trend in the incidence of white syndrome over the north-
south range of latitude.

[1]

b.i.

escribe the evidence that is provided by the data in the table for the harmful
effects of rising sea temperatures on corals.

[ ]

[Link].

The researchers concluded that there was a threshold coral cover percentage,
below which infection rates tended to remain fairly low. Using the data in the table,
identify this threshold level.

[1]

[Link].

uggest a reason for a larger percentage of corals being infected with white
syndrome on reefs with a higher cover of corals.

[1]

c.i. Compare and contrast the data for 1 8 1 and 00 003. [ ]

[Link].

uggest a reason for the correlation between coral cover and W TA in 1 8 1 .

[1]

d.

ome scientists predict that, if humans continue to produce carbon dioxide at the
current rate, the p of the oceans will become more acidic. uggest possible
effects on the coral reefs.

[3]

e.

This study was carried out over six years on the Australian reat arrier eef. tate
advantage of field investigations compared with mesocosm experiments to
study ecological processes.

[1]

about:blank 80/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

A community living in the water of an estuary was used to investigate how climate
change may affect ecological systems. The food web in this community included
phytoplankton (producers), zooplankton (consumers) and saprotrophic bacteria. mall
plastic mesocosms were set up with water from the estuary containing only these three
groups of organisms. The mesocosms were subjected to four different temperatures and
two nutrient levels (control and nutrients added) to replicate local variations of the
conditions in the estuary during springtime warming.

The graph shows the biomass of the community for each of the eight mesocosms at the
end of the experimental period. iomass was measured in terms of the amount of carbon
present. The horizontal line indicates the initial biomass.

[ ource adapted from ’Connor, .I., Piehler, . ., eech, . ., Anton, A. and runo,
. ., 00 .
P iology, [e-journal] ( ). https [Link] 10.13 1 [Link].10001 8.]

The graph shows the mean biomass of autotrophs and heterotrophs in the eight
mesocosms. The horizontal lines indicate the initial biomasses.

about:blank 81/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource adapted from ’Connor, .I., Piehler, . ., eech, . ., Anton, A. and runo,
. ., 00 .
P iology, [e-journal] ( ). https [Link] 10.13 1 [Link].10001 8.]

Chlorophyll concentration was used as an estimate of the photosynthetic capacity of the

community. The rate of photosynthesis and mass of chlorophyll per unit volume were
measured in a mesocosm at three different temperatures.

about:blank 82/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource adapted from ’Connor, .I., Piehler, . ., eech, . ., Anton, A. and runo,
. ., 00 .
P iology, [e-journal] ( ). https [Link] 10.13 1 [Link].10001 8.]

In a larger study, California grassland was exposed to elevated temperature and nitrate
concentration for five years. The graph shows the total biomass production in individual
and in combined treatments. rror bars denote one standard error.

about:blank 83/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ource adapted from ukes, . ., Chiariello, . ., Cleland, . ., oore, .A., haw, . .,

Thayer, ., Tobeck, T.,
ooney, .A. and ield, C. ., 005. P iology, 3(10), e31 .
https [Link] 10.13 1 [Link].003031 .]

a. escribe the effect of temperature on the total biomass. [ ]

b.

Compare and contrast the effects of temperature on the biomass of autotrophs and
heterotrophs with added nutrients.

[ ]

c.

xplain the effect of temperature on the rate of photosynthesis in this mesocosm.

[ ]

d.

uggest reasons for the decreases in biomass of autotrophs as temperature rises,

despite the increases in photosynthesis.

[ ]

e. escribe the effects of temperature and nitrate concentration on biomass. [3]

f.

uggest abiotic factors, other than temperature and nutrient supply, that may
affect the production of biomass of the grasslands.

[ ]

g.

The first study used mesocosms and the second study was carried out in natural
grassland. iscuss the use of mesocosms as opposed to a study in a natural
environment.

[ ]

a.

Compare and contrast the mode of nutrition of detritivores and saprotrophs.

about:blank 84/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

[ ]

b.

xplain how some plant species are able to respond to changes in their abiotic
environment and flower at a precise time of the year.

[3]

c. utline the extension of the stem in plants. [ ]

What is a community

A. A group of individuals of the same species in a given area

. A group of animals that interact socially

C. A group of organisms interacting with the abiotic environment

. A group of populations interacting with each other within a given area

What is a potential consequence of the rise in global temperatures

A. Increased exposure to U light due to ozone depletion

. Increase in ocean p threatening the survival of marine organisms that require calcium
carbonate

C. ecrease in the number and severity of storms due to the increased evaporation

. Changes to circulating ocean currents

The table contains information about the diet of some animals.

about:blank 85/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Which pyramid of energy represents this information

The diagram shows a simplified carbon cycle.

Which processes are taking place at and

about:blank 86/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

The graph shows the mean annual changes in global temperatures between 1880 and
014. The mean temperature from 1 51 to 1 80 was used as the value of zero change in
temperature.

[ ource ational Aeronautics and pace Administration, n.d. I urface Temperature

Analysis (v3). [online]
Available at https [Link] gistemp graphs_v3 [Accessed 0 August 01 ].]

a. Calculate the increase in mean global temperature between 1880 and 010.

.......... C [1]

b.

utline how changes in temperature over short time periods could give a
misleading impression of changes to the arth’s climate.

[1]

c. xplain how increased carbon dioxide in the air leads to the greenhouse effect.

[3]

about:blank 87/88
4/13/25, 2:49 PM QuestionBank Test

Which process contributes to the formation of limestone

A. Partial decomposition of biomass in waterlogged soils

. ossilization of biomass in anaerobic conditions in waterlogged soils

C. ecomposition of soft tissues of marine animals in sea beds

. ossilization of hard parts from marine animals in sea beds

The table shows features of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

According to the data in the table, which greenhouse gas contributes the most to climate
change

A. Carbon dioxide because it is the most abundant greenhouse gas

. ethane because it has the shortest lifespan

C. itrous oxides because they absorb the greatest amount of shortwave radiation

. C Cs because they destroy the ozone layer

about:blank 88/88