CIE IGCSE BIOLOGY: CH 19: Revision MCQ WS-1
Name.......................................................... Grade: 10 A/B Date....................................
1 The graph shows a population growth curve.
population X
size
time
Which factors would cause region X on the graph to become steeper?
A decrease in predation, decrease in food supply
B increase in food supply, decrease in disease
C increase in food supply, increase in predation
D increase in predation, decrease in disease
2 The diagram shows a simple food chain.
green plant → herbivore → carnivore
If a disease causes the number of herbivores to decrease, what will be the effect on the numbers
of green plants and carnivores?
3 In the food chain below, the population of snakes is halved owing to a viral disease.
grass → locusts → snakes → eagles
What effect does this have on the other members of the food chain?
4 Which is an example of a population?
A all the animals and plants living in a pond
B all the mahogany trees growing in a forest
C all the people born in a country over a period of 100 years
D all the species of animals in Africa
5 The diagram represents the carbon cycle.
carbon dioxide
in air
decomposing
animals material fossil fuels
in soil
green plants
Which process is represented by arrow X?
A combustion
B feeding
C photosynthesis
D respiration
6 The graph shows the increase in the human population of the world since 1630.
6000
5000
4000
population
/ millions 3000
2000
1000
0
1630 1730 1830 1930 2030
year
What was the longest time taken for the population to double?
A 100 years B 200 years C 300 years D 400 years
7 The diagram shows a food chain.
tree → small insects → small birds → birds of prey
What is the correct pyramid of numbers for this food chain?
A B C D
birds of prey
small birds
small insects
tree
8 Which process is not part of the water cycle?
A condensation
B fossilisation
C precipitation
D transpiration
9 Which processes are part of the carbon cycle?
10 The diagram shows organisms feeding on a dead rat and one of the organisms which, in turn,
feeds on them.
What is needed to complete the food chain?
A carnivore
B consumer
C predator
D producer
11 The diagram shows a food web.
seagulls
lobsters whelks
prawns mussels crabs
tiny floating
lugworms limpets
animals
tiny floating
sea lettuce
plants
Which organisms feed on the greatest variety of other organisms, as shown in this food web?
A crabs
B limpets
C lobsters
D mussels
12 Which pathway is taken by energy from the Sun?
chemical energy trapped by
A stored in plants
in carbohydrates chlorophyll
B chemical energy trapped by
stored in plants
in carbohydrates chlorophyll
trapped by chemical energy
C stored in plants
chlorophyll in carbohydrates
trapped by chemical energy
D stored in plants
chlorophyll in carbohydrates
13 The diagram shows a food chain.
lettuce greenflies ladybirds insect-eating hawks
birds
If the hawks are removed from this food chain, what is likely to happen to the numbers of the
other organisms in this chain?
greenflies
reenflies insect-eating birds
A decrease increase decrease
B decrease increase increase
C increase decrease decrease
D increase decrease increase
14 The diagram shows a food web including a producer, consumers and a decomposer.
Which organism is the decomposer?
organism
A
organism organism
D B
organism
C
15 Which organisms remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?
A carnivores
B decomposers
C herbivores
D producers
16 The diagram shows a simple water cycle.
cloud
tree
rain
soil
What is responsible for water loss from the tree?
A evaporation
B photosynthesis
C respiration
D translocation
17 The graphs show the number of carnivores in a habitat over a period of time. At time X the
herbivores in their food chain are removed from the habitat.
Which graph shows the effect of this on the number of carnivores?
A B
number of number of
carnivores carnivores
X time X time
number of number of
carnivores carnivores
X time X time
18 Which factors affect the rate of growth of a plant population?
disease grazing by herbivores light intensity
A
B
C
D
19 What can be continuously recycled in ecosystems?
20 Which diagram shows a pyramid of biomass for a woodland?
A B
C D
21 Which of the following is an example of a food chain?
A carnivore → herbivore → producer
B flower → fruit → seed
C grass → antelope → lion
D starch → maltose→ glucose
22 The diagram shows the movements of water between oceans, land and the air. The figures are
based on an annual mean precipitation of 100 units.
precipitation transpiration evaporation
evaporation (rain, snow, hail, sleet, etc)
23
77
84
land
oceans
What is the total of evaporation from the land and transpiration from plants at X?
A 7 B 13 C 16 D 77
23 What is shown in the diagram?
air
burning
respiration
fossil fuel photosynthesis
decomposition
plant animal
A a food web
B non-cyclical energy flow
C the carbon cycle
D the water cycle
24 Lichens are organisms that do not grow well in air containing sulfur dioxide.
Which graph shows the change in number of lichen species from the centre of an industrial city to
the countryside 15 km away?
A B
number of number of
lichen species lichen species
0 0
0 15 0 15
distance from distance from
city centre / km city centre / km
C D
number of number of
lichen species lichen species
0 0
0 15 0 15
distance from distance from
city centre / km city centre / km
25 Which pair of statements about energy flow in ecosystems is correct?
energy entering the
nature of energy flow
ecosystem from the Sun
A light and chemical cyclical
B light and chemical non-cyclical
C light and heat cyclical
D light and heat non-cyclical
26 The diagram shows a food chain based on a tree.
tree aphids beetles birds
Which diagram shows a pyramid of numbers for this food chain?
A B C D
27 Which process forms part of the carbon cycle?
A combustion
B evaporation
C osmosis
D transpiration
28 Herbivores take in carbon atoms from plants.
How do carbon atoms leave the herbivores?
29 In which stages in the water cycle is the water in vapour form?
30 The graph shows how the population of the world has increased from 1650 until the present day.
7
6
P
5
world
4
population
/ billions 3
2
1
0
1700 1800 1900 2000
year
What stage in the sigmoid population growth curve is represented by region P?
A death phase
B exponential (log) phase
C lag phase
D stationary phase
31 Which organisms can be sources of energy for decomposers?
32 The diagram shows a pyramid of biomass for all organisms in an ecosystem.
P
Q
R
S
Which organisms are carnivores?
A P and Q B P and R C Q and R D R and S
33 The diagram shows a food chain.
producer
roducer consumer consumer
1 2 3
A disease reduced the numbers of consumer 3.
What would be the likely effect of this on the numbers of consumer 1 and consumer 2?
34 Which process removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?
A combustion
B decomposition
C photosynthesis
D respiration
35 In which labelled stage in the water cycle is the water in vapour form?
B C
plant
roots
A
sea river
land
36 The graph shows a growth curve for a population of yeast.
stationary
phase
death
number of exponential phase
yeast cells (log) phase
lag phase
0
0 time
Which two phases of the growth curve are caused by factors such as predation, disease or lack
of food?
A exponential (log) and death
B exponential (log) and stationary
C lag and exponential (log)
D stationary and death
37 Which way does energy flow directly in a food chain?
A carnivore to herbivore
B consumer to producer
C decomposer to producer
D producer to herbivore
38 The diagram shows a food web.
leopard
baboon
scorpion impala
locust
grass
At which trophic levels is the leopard feeding?
A first and second
B second and third
C second and fourth
D third and fifth
39 The graph shows changes in biomass of different organisms in an ecosystem over a 12 month
period. Each line represents a different trophic level.
Which line represents the herbivores?
biomass of A
organisms B
D
January April August December
month
40 Which processes result in organisms gaining carbon compounds, and in the addition of carbon
dioxide to the atmosphere?
organisms gaining carbon addition of carbon dioxide
compounds to the atmosphere
A photosynthesis and combustion respiration by animals
B photosynthesis and combustion respiration by plants
C photosynthesis and feeding dead organisms changing to fossil fuels
D photosynthesis and feeding respiration by plants
41 The diagram shows part of the water cycle.
Where is osmosis occurring?
clouds
A
water
soil
vapour
D C
plants
lake
42 The diagram shows energy passing through an ecosystem.
Which arrow shows energy leaving the food web?
decomposers
B
A first second C third
Sun producer
consumer consumer consumer
heat energy - mainly from respiration
43 The diagram shows a food web.
snakes birds
squirrels toads lizards beetles
grasshoppers greenfly snails
green plants
Which organisms will increase in number, if the number of snakes increases?
A birds
B grasshoppers
C lizards
D squirrels
44 The diagram shows some feeding relationships in a woodland area.
Which of the labelled animals are in competition with seed-eating insects for their food?
C birds of prey
B swifts D finches
A insects insects
flowers (nectar) seeds
woodland plants
45 The diagram shows the water cycle.
clouds rain, hail and snow
water vapour X ground
water
living living
plants animals
rivers and
streams
sea, lakes and ponds
Which process is represented by X?
A osmosis
B photosynthesis
C respiration
D transpiration
46 The diagram shows the carbon cycle.
Which process produces carbon dioxide from substances made by photosynthesis millions of
years ago?
carbon dioxide
dissolved in
seas and lakes
carbon dioxide
gas in the air
A
B C D
carbon compounds carbon
coal and in decaying compounds
oil organisms in plants
carbon compounds
in animals
47 The graph shows part of a growth curve for a bacterial population.
population
size
time
What is missing from the graph?
A the death phase
B the exponential phase
C the lag phase
D the stationary phase
48 Which diagram shows energy passing along a food chain?
primary secondary tertiary
A producer
consumer consumer consumer
primary secondary tertiary
B producer
consumer consumer consumer
primary secondary tertiary
C producer
consumer consumer consumer
primary secondary tertiary
D producer
consumer consumer consumer
49 Which statement about population growth is correct?
A The rate of population growth decreases as disease increases.
B The rate of population growth increases as food supply decreases.
C The rate of population growth increases when predation increases.
D The rate of population growth is not affected by social conditions.
50 The diagram shows what happens to the energy that enters the atmosphere from the Sun.
2% is absorbed by plants
16% is reflected
Sun’s energy
32% warms the ground
50% evaporates water
How much of the Sun’s energy is not used for photosynthesis?
A less than 2%
B about 32%
C about 66%
D more than 98%
