1.
The table below gives a list of energy sources used to generate electricity and their cost per
kilowatt hour.
Energy source
(a)
Unit cost / kw hr–1
Coal
4.8 – 5.5
Natural gas
3.9 – 4.4
Nuclear
11.0 – 14.5
Wind
4.0 – 6.0
Hydro electric
5.1 – 11.3
Solar
15.0 – 30.0
Identify the two energy sources with the average lowest cost in the table above, and state
one advantage and one disadvantage of each.
Energy source
...........................................
...........................................
Advantage
Disadvantage
...........................................
...........................................
...........................................
...........................................
...........................................
...........................................
...........................................
...........................................
(3)
(b)
Outline two reasons why a country may not use the cheapest energy source to produce
electricity.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
1
(c)
Suggest two reasons why it is so difficult to persuade people to reduce the amount of
energy that they use.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(d)
Describe how the second law of thermodynamics applies to environmental systems.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 8 marks)
2.
Figure 1 and Figure 2 show a rocky seashore and the distribution of four species of animal on
the seashore. Mean high water mark represents a high tide and mean low water mark a low tide.
The abundance of each species is shown by the thickness of the bars.
Figure 1
Mean low
water mark
Intertidal
zone
Mean high
water mark
Sea
Seashore
2
rough winkles
barnacles
0
Mean high watermark
mussels
sea anemones
Figure 2
1
2
Distance
from P/m
3
4
5
Mean low watermark
6
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Exposure to air/%
(a)
State the ecological term for the distribution of animals shown in Figure 2.
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b)
Identify one abiotic (physical) factor which changes from mean low water mark to mean
high water mark.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
3
(c)
Mussels are permanently attached to a rock and feed by filtering small particles of food
out of sea water. Suggest one reason why they are only found in the intertidal zone.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(d)
Distinguish between the terms herbivory and predation.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(e)
List the following terms in increasing order of size.
biome, ecosystem, biosphere, habitat
Order
Term
Smallest 1
....................................................
2
....................................................
3
....................................................
4
....................................................
(1)
(Total 6 marks)
4
3.
Figure 1 shows two wildlife reserve models. Model A has two isolated reserves whilst Model B
has a corridor connecting the reserves. Species X, Y and Z are found in all three reserves.
Figure 1
Model A
Model B
SpeciesX,Y, Z
SpeciesX,Y, Z
Road
Species
X,Y, Z
Species
X,Y, Z
1km
(a)
1km
In Figure 1, state, giving a reason, whether Model A or Model B is better for the
conservation of genetic diversity of species X.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
5
Figure 2
BIOMASS
Precipitation
LITTER
SOIL
Runoff
Leaching
Weathering
(b)
Figure 2 is a nutrient model for a rainforest ecosystem. The size of the circles represents
the amount of nutrients stored and the width of the arrows represents size of the flow of
nutrients.
(i)
Explain why the nutrient store for the biomass is so large.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii)
Explain why losses due to leaching are so large.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
6
(iii)
State, giving a reason, whether the model in Figure 2 shows an open or closed
system.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(iv)
Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the model shown in Figure 2.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(c)
Outline two reasons why tropical rainforests are vulnerable to habitat destruction.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 8 marks)
7
The diagram below shows the effects of two different fishing policies on fish stocks over four
years.
High intensity fishing policy
Low intensity fishing policy
200
36
28
18
20
1
32
36
2
3
48
Weight of fish / tonnes
200
Weight of fish / tonnes
4.
24
36
168
16
6
48
4
1
2
3
4
Year
Key:
(i)
56
20
Year
(a)
120
Catch
Stock of fish
Define the term sustainable yield.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(ii)
Calculate the total catch over four years in each fishing policy in the diagram
above.
High intensity: ...................................................................................................
Low intensity: ...................................................................................................
(1)
(iii)
Calculate the percentage difference between the year 4 catch for the high intensity
fishing policy and the year 4 catch for the low intensity fishing policy.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
8
(iv)
Predict, giving two reasons, which fishing policy would probably give the greater
profit over 20 years.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b)
Outline two reasons why hunting and fishing may not be controlled by legislation.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c)
Compare the energy efficiency of terrestrial and aquatic food production systems.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
9
(d)
Suggest one possible solution that a technocentrist might give to the problem of
overfishing.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 10 marks)
5.
The table below shows the total population of Europe and the European share of world
population at certain dates. By 2010, there will be more 55 to 64 year olds than 15 to 24 year
olds in Europe.
(a)
Year
Population of
Europe / millions
European population as a
percentage of world population
1950
547
22
2005
728
11
2050 projection
653
7
Define the term crude death rate.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(b)
Explain why the population of Europe as a percentage of world population is decreasing.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
10
(c)
Sketch an age/sex pyramid for the population of Europe in 2050. Label the axes.
(2)
(d)
The total fertility of women in Italy is 1.28 and in Nigeria is 5.45. Define the term total
fertility.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(1)
(e)
Predict the effects of an aging population on a country’s ecological footprint.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 7 marks)
6.
(a)
Distinguish between the terms natural income and natural capital.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
11
A view of Yosemite National Park, California, US
(b)
Explain why the value of a view may be hard to measure.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(c)
Describe two ways in which air pollution may decrease the value of this view.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 6 marks)
12
7.
Figure 1 Introduction
Svalbard is a group of islands within the Arctic Circle and 1000 km north of Norway. For
nearly four months of the year it is in complete darkness. Glaciers and snowfields cover 60%
of the total area. The sea freezes for part of the year. Spitsbergen is the largest island in the
group, with the only permanent settlements. There are no roads except within and close to
these settlements.
Figure 2 Fact file on Svalbard
•
the warm, North Atlantic Current flows along the west and north coasts of Spitsbergen
•
Svalbard has a permafrost layer 450 metres deep, only the top metre of soil melts during
the summer
•
natural resources include coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife and fish
•
reserves of oil and gas are believed to lie beneath the seas round Svalbard
•
there are no trees
•
many scientists come to the islands to study the glaciers and the region’s unique wildlife
•
a global seed store for conserving seeds collected from all over the world has recently
been built on the island
•
tourism is becoming increasingly important
13
Figure 3 Temperature and precipitation data for Svalbard
The mean monthly air temperature for two consecutive
time periods (1961–1990 and 1991–2004)
10
Temperature/°C
5
Key:
1961–1990
0
1991–2004
-5
-10
-15
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
-20
Month
[Source: data adapted from Norwegian Meteorological Institute]
The mean monthly precipitation for two consecutive
time periods (1961–1990 and 1991–2004)
45
35
Key:
30
Mean precipitation
1961–1990
25
20
Mean precipitation
1991–2004
15
10
December
November
October
August
September
Month
July
June
May
April
March
0
February
5
January
Precipitation/mm
40
[Source: data adapted from Norwegian Meteorological Institute]
14
Figure 4 Plants and animals of Svalbard
Svalbard reindeer
(Raingifer tarandus
platyrhynchus)
[Marius Fiskum,
www.fotopia.no]
Common_eider
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Arctic fox
(Alopex lagopus)
[Source: Mr Per Herald
Olsen, no.wikipedia]
Snow bunting
(Plectrophenax nivalis)
Purple Saxifrage, Saxifraga
oppositifolia, Svalbard, July
2002, Michael Haferkamp.
This file is licensed under
the Creative Commons
Attribution ShareAlike 3.0
Rock ptarmigan
http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Rock_ptarmigan
Mosquito
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
File:Aedes_aegypti_biting_
human.jpg
Boreal jacobs-ladder
(Polemonium boreale)
[Source: Michael
Haferkamp, wikipedia
[Sources: www.wikipedia.org and www.arcticphotos.co.uk]
15
Figure 5 Reindeer on Svalbard
Some of the animals and plants found on Svalbard are unique. The Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer
tarandus platyrhynchus) is a different subspecies to the wild reindeer of Scandinavia and Russia
and the caribou of North America (Rangifer tarandus). Svalbard became an island about 40 000
years ago when sea levels rose, leaving a small reindeer population trapped on the island.
WILD REINDEER / CARIBOU
SVALBARD REINDEER
IMAGE REMOVED FOR
COPYRIGHT REASONS
IMAGE REMOVED FOR
COPYRIGHT REASONS
[Source: www.uncommonyukon.com]
[Source: www.sciencemuseum.org.uk]
Physical features
• long legs
• lean body
• large antlers
• short legs
• large amounts of body fat stored
for winter
• small antlers
• extra large stomachs to digest
poor quality food
Behaviour
• live in large herds
• move frequently while grazing
as food supply is rapidly
exhausted
• can run fast, even when very
young
• live singly or in small herds
• remain in the same grazing area
for long periods
• move slowly
Food
• a lichen called reindeer moss,
often found beneath snow cover
in winter
• small Arctic flowering plants of
very low nutrient value,
containing natural toxins
Intraspecific competition
• compete for food and mates with
other members of herd
• little direct competition for
grazing because animals are
widely dispersed in their habitat
Predators
• wolves
• none
Parasites
• warble flies burrow under their
skin and lay eggs, that then
hatch into maggots
• no warble flies live on Svalbard
Common causes of death
• predation, parasites, injuries
caused by fighting other reindeer
• starvation when teeth are lost or
worn out
16
Figure 6 Coal mining on the coast of Svalbard
Coal has been mined on Svalbard for over 100 years. There are plans to open a new coal mine.
The diagram below shows the potential environmental problems of opening a new coal mine.
[Source: http://www.fennerdunlop.com/arctic_Mining, © Fenner Dunlop, used with permission]
Figure 7 Model to show fate of coal extracted from mines on Svalbard
Coal sold
(1.2 × 10 6
tonnes yr –1 )
Coal excavated
in mine
Blown away
as dust
Coal dust
(0.025×106
tonnes yr –1 )
Deposited locally
on soil, ice and
vegetation
17
Figure 8 Svalbard International Seed Vault
Seed vaults
Airlock doors
Office and handling area
Tunnel entrance
Sleeve to protect tunnel from
erosion and climatic changes
Bridge
[Diagram of Svalbard International Seed Vault - www.croptrust.org/main/arctic]
Species are becoming extinct at an alarming rate. The Svalbard international seed vault has been
built to preserve up to 2 billion seeds from around the world, because other seed collections
elsewhere could be lost. Threats to other seed banks include war, natural hazards, power cuts
and poor management.
The Svalbard seed vault has been dug out of a permanently frozen hill side. Even without
electricity the samples will remain frozen because of the permafrost. Seeds will only be released
from the vault if all other seed sources have been lost.
Figure 9 Arctic polar projection
IMAGE REMOVED FOR COPYRIGHT REASONS
[Source: adapted from www.britannica.com/eb/art-58/Southern-limit-of-Arctic-tundra-and-approximate-line-ofdemarcation]
8.
(a)
(i)
State which major biome is found on Svalbard.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
18
(ii)
Explain why productivity in the biome named in part (a)(i) is low.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(b)
(i)
Using the data given in Figure 3, compare the climate on Svalbard from
1961–1990 with the climate from 1991–2004.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(3)
(ii)
Suggest one possible reason for the differences in mean air temperature between
the two periods.
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
(c)
(i)
Describe two factors that have caused the speciation of Svalbard reindeer.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
19
(ii)
Using the information in Figure 5 draw a food chain or food web for wild reindeer
and another for Svalbard reindeer.
(2)
(iii)
Identify, giving a reason, which of the food chains or webs drawn in part (c)(ii) is
least stable.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(d)
(i)
Distinguish between positive feedback and negative feedback.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)
20
(ii)
Coal dust and gases from mining may affect local or global climate.
Using Figure 6 and Figure 7, describe and explain one example of positive
feedback and one example of negative feedback caused by coal mining emissions
that may affect the climate.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(4)
(e)
(i)
Describe two advantages of Svalbard as a location for a seed vault.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(ii)
Explain the importance of preserving seeds for future generations.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
21
(iii)
Suggest two reasons why interest in exploiting oil and natural gas reserves under
the Arctic Ocean is increasing.
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 24 marks)
9.
(a)
Distinguish between the terms biodiversity and species diversity.
(2)
(b)
Describe and explain how biodiversity changes during succession, and discuss how
human activities can interrupt succession.
(8)
Expression of ideas (2)
(Total 12 marks)
10.
(a)
Define what is meant by the term sustainability.
(2)
(b)
Explain, with reference to a case study, how the concept of sustainability applies in the
exploitation of water resources.
(6)
(c)
Compare the environmental value systems of two named societies and describe how these
societies might differ in the way that they exploit their resources.
(10)
Expression of ideas (2)
(Total 20 marks)
22
11.
(a)
Distinguish between pyramids of numbers and pyramids of biomass, and outline two
consequences of pyramid structure in ecosystems.
(4)
(b)
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages to ecosystems and societies of banning the
pesticide DDT.
(6)
(c)
With reference to examples other than pesticide use, describe the ways in which farmers
can improve the productivity of their soil, and discuss how the strategies adopted may
differ between technocentric and ecocentric farmers.
(8)
Expression of ideas (2)
(Total 20 marks)
12.
(a)
Outline the link between greenhouse gases and global temperatures.
(2)
(b)
Explain why the effects of global environmental problems, such as global warming and
ozone depletion, will not have an impact on every society to the same extent.
(6)
(c)
Human responses to global warming can be divided into strategies to prevent global
warming from happening (preventive) and strategies to reduce the impacts that global
warming might have (reactive). Outline preventive and reactive management strategies to
address global warming. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of preventive versus
reactive approaches.
(10)
Expression of ideas (2)
(Total 20 marks)
23