Download EDEXCEL - Biodiversity - QP

BIODIVERSITY
Q1.
Conservation programmes are used to save endangered species.
The Scottish wildcat, shown in the photograph, is a subspecies of the European wildcat, Felis silvestris silvestris.
The Cairngorms Wildcat Project estimates that there are 150 breeding pairs left, but the Scottish Wildcat
Association believes that only 35 cats remain.
A conservation group proposed that a captive breeding programme, and the relocation of Scottish wildcats,
would be necessary to prevent extinction.
(i) State why the Scottish wildcat has been described as endemic.
(1)
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(ii) The Scottish wildcat can interbreed successfully with domestic cats.
Explain the effect this could have on the genetic diversity of the Scottish wildcat.
(2)
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BIODIVERSITY
(iii) Describe how the proposed conservation programme could prevent the Scottish wildcat from becoming
extinct.
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(Total for question = 7 marks)
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BIODIVERSITY
Q2.
Some fish live in very cold parts of the sea where ice can form.
Many of these fish produce anti-freeze proteins, which help to stop ice forming inside the fish.
Sea ice forms only during ice ages.
The table shows Earth's ice ages over the last 1000 million years.
The diagram shows how the number of families of fishes has changed over time.
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BIODIVERSITY
(i) At which time does the diagram show a major loss of biodiversity?
(1)
A
B
C
D
65 million years ago
252 million years ago
359 million years ago
419 million years ago
(ii) Many different types of anti-freeze protein are produced by ray-fin fishes.
Analyse the data to explain when these ray-fin fish are likely to have evolved the ability to produce antifreeze proteins.
(3)
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(Total for question = 4 marks)
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BIODIVERSITY
Q3.
(i) A study compared the diversity of species at different places on a shore.
On the upper shore the following data were obtained.
Calculate an index of diversity (D) for this site using the formula below.
(3)
n = total number of organisms of a particular species
N = total number of organisms of all species
Answer ...........................................................
(ii) On the middle shore the index was found to be 7.74 with a total individual count of 37.
Comment on the relationship between diversity and the total number of individuals on these two parts of
the shore.
(2)
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(Total for question = 5 marks)
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BIODIVERSITY
Q4.
The Iberian lynx, Lynx pardinus, is very rare. The wild population consists of less than 200 individuals.
The Iberian lynx and the Eurasian lynx are both found in Spain. The Iberian lynx inhabits open scrubland and
the Eurasian lynx inhabits forests.
The Iberian lynx is smaller than the Eurasian lynx and it hunts smaller animals, such as rabbits.
(i) Explain why the Iberian lynx is not in competition with the Eurasian lynx.
(2)
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(ii) The Iberian lynx has low genetic diversity.
Evidence from lynx fossils shows little change in the genetic diversity over the past 50 000 years.
Discuss the potential of a captive breeding programme to conserve the Iberian lynx.
(5)
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Q5.
Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGSV) is a seed bank. It keeps seeds from almost 4000 species of plants,
focussing on food crops such as wheat, rice and maize.
State suitable conditions for keeping seeds in a seed bank.
(2)
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(Total for question = 2 marks)
Q6.
The biodiversity of species in Costa Rica is one of the highest in the world.
Costa Rica represents 0.3% of the Earth's total land area. It has 4% of all identified
species of living organisms. Many of these species live in the rainforests of this country.
(i) Explain what is meant by the term biodiversity.
(2)
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(ii) Describe how the species richness of the rainforests in Costa Rica could be
measured.
(1)
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(Total for question = 3 marks)
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Q7.
Genetic diversity can be determined by the frequency of different alleles within a population.
The table shows the numbers of individuals of each genotype within three different populations of the same
species, P, Q and R.
(i) The table shows the heterozygosity indices for populations P and Q.
(1)
Which of the following is the heterozygosity index for R?
A
0.10
B
0.24
C
0.32
D
0.44
(ii) Inbreeding has taken place in either population P or population Q.
Identify and justify which population has been inbreeding.
(2)
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BIODIVERSITY
Q8.
Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGSV) is a seed bank. It keeps seeds from almost 4000 species of plants,
focussing on food crops such as wheat, rice and maize.
SGSV keeps seeds from more than 865 000 varieties of plant, including 200 000 varieties of wheat and rice.
Some of these varieties are rare or extinct in the wild.
Since 2004, more than 410 million dollars have been spent on SGSV and other seed banks around the world.
However, it is estimated that 75% of global crop diversity is not stored in international seed banks.
Critics argue that many crop varieties stored in SGSV are not actually used for food, and that the money
would be better spent supporting farmers who are growing food crops.
Justify the continued funding of SGSV.
(3)
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(Total for question = 3 marks)
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BIODIVERSITY
Q9.
The finches of the Galapagos Islands have different shaped beaks to feed on different
food sources.
The photograph below shows one of these finches, the medium ground finch, Geospiza fortis.
The medium ground finch has a deep beak that enables it to crush seeds.
In the 1970s, there was a severe drought on the Galapagos Islands. This caused a
decrease in the production of the seeds eaten by this finch.
The graph below shows the number of medium ground finches, on one of the
Galapagos islands, from 1974 to 1978.
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BIODIVERSITY
Place a cross
in the box next to the correct word or words to complete each of
the following statements.
(i) The deep beak of the medium ground finch is an example of
(1)
A
anatomical adaptation
B
behavioural adaptation
C
physiological adaptation
D
selective adaptation
(ii) The number of medium ground finches fell most rapidly from
(1)
A
1974 to 1975
B
1975 to 1976
C
1976 to 1977
D
1977 to 1978
Q10.
A study was carried out to investigate the antimicrobial properties of plants found
in Costa Rica. The species tested are all used in traditional medicine.
Nine of the species tested showed antimicrobial properties and six of these
species are found only in the rainforest.
Suggest why the results of this investigation support the need to maintain biodiversity.
(2)
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