4-7 Ecology – Trilogy
1.0 Figure 1 shows a fennec fox.
Figure 1
Drew Avery Creative Commons 2.0
Fennec foxes live in the desert.
1.1 Draw one line from each adaptation of the fennec fox to the advantage of the
adaptation.
[3 marks]
Adaptation Advantage
To help it to find food
in places there is
a lack of food
Omnivorous To reflect the sun’s rays
Able to get water To keep it warm
from food in cold nights
To allow it to cool
Large ears
down blood quickly
To keep it hydrated
Page 1
www.accesstuition.com
1.2 Fennec foxes mate for life.
What type of adaptation is this?
[1 mark]
Tick one box.
Behavioural
Emotional
Functional
Structural
1.3 Animals, such as fennec foxes, compete with each other.
Give two biotic factors that animals compete for.
Choose from the words in the box.
[2 marks]
Carbon dioxide Mates Light
Heat Territory Oxygen
1.4 Factors that affect communities are biotic factors and abiotic factors.
Name two abiotic factors that affect communities.
[2 marks]
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Page 2
www.accesstuition.com
2.0 Students investigated the distribution of a green alga on a tree trunk.
The students:
• tied a piece of string horizontally round a tree
• put a quadrat on the string so that the quadrat faced south
• estimated the percentage of the area in the quadrat covered with the green alga
• repeated the observation with the quadrat facing south west, west, north west,
north, north east, east and south east.
Figure 2 shows the quadrat the students used.
Figure 2
2.1 Describe how you would estimate the percentage of the area covered with the green
alga in one quadrat.
[2 marks]
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Page 3
www.accesstuition.com
2.2 Figure 3 shows the students’ results.
Figure 3
Direction the quadrat faced
Describe how the direction that the quadrat faced affected the percentage area
covered with the green alga.
[2 marks]
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2.3 What was the median of the percentage area covered with the green alga?
[2 marks]
Show your working.
Median = _________________ %
Page 4
www.accesstuition.com
3.0 Each year more crops are being grown. Large areas of rain forest are being cleared
and burnt in many parts of the world. The cleared land is being used to grow crops.
The cleared land will often produce crops for only a few years.
3.1 Explain why more crops are being grown each year.
[2 marks]
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Page 5
www.accesstuition.com
3.2 Explain why burning rain forests is not seen as a sustainable answer to increasing crop
production.
Include in your answer both local and global effects.
[6 marks]
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Page 6
www.accesstuition.com
4.0 The future of the human species on Earth relies on us maintaining a good level of
biodiversity.
4.1 State what is meant by the term biodiversity.
[1 mark]
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4.2 Give three examples of ways in which scientists and other people have tried to
maintain biodiversity in different environments.
[3 marks]
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Page 7
www.accesstuition.com
MARK SCHEME
Qu No. Extra Information Marks
extra lines from left cancel 3
mark
1.1
1.2 Behavioural 1
1.3 Territory in either order 1
Mates 1
1.4 any two from: do not allow biotic factors 2
• light (intensity)
• temperature
• moisture levels
• soil pH
• soil mineral content
• carbon dioxide levels (for plants)
• oxygen levels (for aquatic animals)
Qu No. Extra Information Marks
2.1 estimate / count number of squares covered do not allow number of squares 1
containing algae
divide by total number of squares and 1
multiply by 100 or multiply by four.
2.2 any two from: 2
• more / most in North east facing
• followed by the North facing
• the South facing had no green alga
2.3 List numbers in increasing order: 1
0, 2, 10, 20, 40, 40, 60, 82
Median half way between 20 & 40
Median = 30 1
Page 8
www.accesstuition.com
Qu No. Extra Information Marks
3.1 increased human population 1
increased standard of living 1
3.2
Level 3: Clear, coherent answer including effects on crops, local environment and the global 5–6
environment both in the long and short term.
Level 2: Answer includes relevant points from at least two of the three areas, but lacking in 3–4
detail or scientific explanations.
Level 1: Isolated points made from at least one of the three areas. Little detail. 1–2
Indicative content
Local effects
Effects on crops
• Short term increase in production
• Longer term: nutrients in the soil are absorbed by plants
• Longer term: plants are destroyed so the nutrients are not replaced / recycled
Effects on local environment
• Decreased biodiversity
• Plants and animals lose their natural habitat
• Possible loss of species
• Erosion of soil due to shallow roots
Global effects
Effects on global environment
• increased release of carbon dioxide into atmosphere when trees are burned
• reduced rate of carbon dioxide removal from atmosphere
• increased carbon dioxide absorbs more of energy radiated by Earth
• (leading to) global rise in temperature
Qu No. Extra Information Marks
4.1 variety of all the different species of 1
organisms on Earth / in an ecosystem
4.2 any three from: allow specific examples 3
• breeding programmes for endangered
species / example e.g. rhinos
• protecting and regenerating rare habitats
• reintroduction of field margins and
hedgerows where only one crop is
grown
• reducing deforestation
• reducing carbon dioxide emissions
• recycling resources and reducing landfill
Page 9
www.accesstuition.com
