Population and Conservation
Question Booklet
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Unit 4- Woodford County High School
1.
Attempts are being made to conserve the natterjack toad, which breeds in ponds. A
number of recommendations have been made about how to do this. Some of these are
shown in the table, together with a reason for each one.
Recommendation
Reason
Keep, or create, shallow ponds.
Deep ponds contain insect predators that eat
natterjack tadpoles.
Keep pH of ponds between 5 and 7.
Optimum pH for natterjack tadpoles.
Keep vegetation content of ponds low.
Large amounts of vegetation attract insect
predators.
Remove shrubs from around ponds.
Shrubs provide cover for common toads,
whose tadpoles kill natterjack tadpoles.
Keep grass around ponds short by
mowing, or allowing rabbits to graze.
Short grass suits beetles that natterjack toads
eat.
(a)
Explain two ways in which these recommendations could reduce populations of
animals other than common toads.
1 ..................................................................................................................................
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2 ..................................................................................................................................
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(2)
(b)
Most of the UK populations of natterjack toads are found on sand dune systems.
The communities of plants and animals on such systems usually change over time
as a result of succession. Explain how the natterjack conservation
recommendations could affect succession in a sand dune system.
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(3)
(Total 5 marks)
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
2.
The Solomon Islands are situated in the Pacific Ocean. The nearest large land mass is
Australia, which is about 1500 km away. The biggest islands are mountainous, with large
areas of tropical forest and a wide range of habitats. Some islands have a very high
species diversity, and many species are endemic, that is they occur only in the Solomon
Islands.
The table shows the total number of species on the islands in four vertebrate classes and
the percentage which are endemic.
Vertebrate class
Total number of
species
Endemic species
/%
53
223
61
17
36
20
16
53
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians
(a)
How many reptile species are endemic?
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(1)
(b)
Suggest an explanation for the high proportion of endemic species on the Solomon
Islands.
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(3)
(c)
Many of the endemic species of plants and animals are threatened with extinction
as a result of deforestation and the introduction of non-native species such as cats
and rats. Some of the populations of endemic species are now very small.
Describe ways in which the endemic species could be conserved and suggest
reasons for protecting them from extinction.
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(6)
(Total 10 marks)
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
Question 3
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
Question 4
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
Question 5
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
Question 6
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
mark scheme
1.
(a)
(b)
two suitable examples, e.g.
reduction in insect predators from ponds, because ponds kept shallow;
reduction in animals that prefer pH outside 5-7, because lime added;
reduction in species that feed on/live on trees/shrubs,
because these are removed/eaten by sheep/rabbits;
2 max
conservation (measures) tends to stop this;
keep communities the same;
(adding lime) stops abiotic change/pH change;
no climax community/community of trees and shrubs;
sheep/rabbits prevent growth of shrubs/trees;
3 max
[5]
2.
(a)
10 (reject: 9.76)
(b)
isolation (on islands);
variety of habitats / conditions different from origin/other islands;
differing pathways of natural selection;
leading to organisms too different to interbreed.
(c)
1. protection of habitat;
2. legal measures, e.g. quotas, hunting bans;
3. capture/culling of non-native species;
4. captive breeding;
5. surrogacy / artificial insemination / genetic manipulation techniques;
6. ethical / aesthetic reasons for conservation / tourism;
7. possible undiscovered benefits, e.g. crop plants, drug sources;
8. maintaining genetic diversity for future breeding programmes;
9. avoid damage to food webs / control local pests;
(max 4 for either ways or reasons)
1
3 max
6 max
[10]
Question 3
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
Question 4
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
Question 5
Unit 4- Woodford County High School
Question 6
Unit 4- Woodford County High School