18.3. Conservation
A subsection of Biology, 9700, through 18. Classification, biodiversity and conservation
Listing 10 of 69 questions
Sarawak is an area of south-east Asia that is largely covered by tropical rainforest. Logging has been allowed in large parts of the forest. A study was carried out to estimate the population size of different species of mammals living in the rainforest: • before logging • immediately after logging • two years after logging • four years after logging. Table 8.1 shows the results of the study for six species of mammal. Where numbers were too small to measure the population density, the species were recorded as “present”. Table 8.1 mean number of animals km−2 mammal before logging immediately after logging two years after logging four years after logging marbled cat present small-clawed otter present giant squirrel treeshrew small squirrel barking deer present Calculate the percentage rise in the small squirrel population from before logging to two years after logging. Show your working. answer % Suggest why populations, such as that of the small squirrel, do not increase in size indefinitely. Suggest why marbled cats and small-clawed otters became extinct in this area but the other mammals did not.
9700_s13_qp_43
THEORY
2013
Paper 4, Variant 3
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The Sumatran orangutan, Pongo abelii, is found only on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. shows a Sumatran orangutan. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s largest global environmental organisation. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ evaluates the conservation status of plant and animal species. The Sumatran orangutan is categorised as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. The Sumatran orangutan spends most of its time in trees and is very sensitive to habitat destruction. Table 1.1 shows the area of natural forest of Sumatra and the numbers of orangutans in 1985 and 2016. Table 1.1 area of natural forest / million hectares 25.3 12.4 number of orangutans 25 000 With reference to Table 1.1, state the relationship between area of natural forest and number of orangutans. Calculate the mean annual decrease in orangutan numbers between 1985 and 2016. Show your working. Give your answer to the nearest whole number. mean annual decrease = Use your answer from to estimate the number of years after 2016 that it will take for the Sumatran orangutan to become extinct in the wild, if conservation work is unsuccessful. years Suggest two reasons for the decrease in numbers of Sumatran orangutans, other than habitat loss. Outline the role zoos can take in the protection of the Sumatran orangutan.
9700_s18_qp_41
THEORY
2018
Paper 4, Variant 1
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The Sumatran tiger lives on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. shows a Sumatran tiger. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s largest global environmental organisation. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ evaluates the conservation status of plant and animal species. The Sumatran tiger is categorised as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. There are approximately 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. Suggest reasons why the Sumatran tiger has become critically endangered. Some zoos in Europe have captive breeding programmes for the Sumatran tiger, which breeds well in captivity. Once cubs have reached maturity they may be moved to other zoos. For example, as part of a coordinated breeding programme carried out in 2013, one tiger born in Chester Zoo in England was moved to France and another tiger born in the same zoo was moved to Germany. This type of coordinated breeding programme is essential for the survival of the Sumatran tiger. Explain why it is important to the gene pool of Sumatran tigers to move tigers from one zoo to another. Some animals do not breed well in captivity. List the methods of assisted reproduction that may be used with animals that do not breed well in captivity.
9700_s18_qp_42
THEORY
2018
Paper 4, Variant 2
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The Sulawesi macaque, Macaca nigra, is found on the large island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. The Sulawesi macaque is also found on other smaller islands close to Sulawesi, such as the island of Bacan. shows a Sulawesi macaque. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s largest global environmental organisation. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ evaluates the conservation status of plant and animal species. The Sulawesi macaque is categorised as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Table 1.1 shows the numbers of humans and the numbers of Sulawesi macaques on Sulawesi and Bacan. Table 1.1 island area / km2 number of humans number of humans per km2 number of macaques number of macaques per km2 Sulawesi 174 600 17 360 000 99.43 Bacan 60 741 31.97 90 000 47.37 Calculate the number of macaques per km2 for Sulawesi. Write your answer in Table 1.1. Comment on the data shown in Table 1.1 and suggest reasons for the pattern shown. Suggest ways of protecting the Sulawesi macaque.
9700_s18_qp_43
THEORY
2018
Paper 4, Variant 3
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Over the past 200 years, many species of animals and plants have become extinct. shows the changes between the years 1800 and 2000 in: • the number of species becoming extinct • the size of the world human population. 10 000 20 000 number of known extinct species world human population (×106) 40 000 30 000 Key number of species human population year It has been suggested that there is a correlation between the number of species becoming extinct and the size of the world human population. Suggest reasons for this possible correlation. Calculate the rate of species extinction per year between 1950 and 2000. Show your working. answer = Extinction of animal and plant species reduces biodiversity. Explain why it is important to maintain biodiversity.
9700_s22_qp_41
THEORY
2022
Paper 4, Variant 1
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The African penguin, Spheniscus demersus, lives along the coast of South Africa. shows two African penguins. One way of estimating the size of a population of African penguins is to use the mark-release- recapture method. Suggest three assumptions that must be made for the mark-release-recapture method to be valid. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species has categorised the African penguin as endangered and could become extinct. Suggest reasons why the African penguin has become endangered and could become extinct. shows the estimated numbers of African penguins in the years of 1800, 1900 and 2000. 1 000 000 2 000 000 estimated population size year 3 000 000 4 000 000 Calculate the mean yearly decrease in population size of the African penguin between 1900 and 2000. answer = yr –1 The African penguin is a member of the kingdom Animalia. Outline the characteristic features of the kingdom Animalia.
9700_s22_qp_42
THEORY
2022
Paper 4, Variant 2
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The moose, Alces alces, is a large member of the deer family. It lives in temperate forests in North America and northern Europe, where snow is present for large parts of the year. shows an adult male moose feeding in a lake. The moose feeds on a plant in the lake called watermilfoil, Myriophyllum aquaticum. The moose and the watermilfoil belong to the domain Eukarya, which includes the kingdoms Animalia and Plantae. Describe the main differences between the kingdom Animalia and the kingdom Plantae. Measurements of the surface temperature of land and oceans can be taken from locations around the world. The mean global surface temperature for land and ocean combined can be calculated for a fixed time period. Scientists calculated: • the mean global temperature for the twentieth century • the mean global temperature for each decade (ten years) from 1880 to 2020. The mean temperature for each decade was compared to the mean for the twentieth century. For each decade, the difference in temperature was calculated. The calculated differences are shown in . 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 year 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 –0.4 –0.3 –0.2 –0.1 0.0 +0.1 +0.2 +0.3 +0.4 +0.5 +0.6 +0.7 +0.8 +0.9 calculated temperature difference / °C mean for the twentieth century Calculate the rate of increase in temperature per decade between 1980 and 2020. Show your working. Write your answer to two decimal places. answer °C per decade Moose populations have decreased in North America since 1980. Suggest and explain reasons for the decrease in moose populations.
9700_s23_qp_43
THEORY
2023
Paper 4, Variant 3
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The African hunting dog, Lycaon pictus, is a carnivore which hunts in packs in areas of East Africa. shows an African hunting dog. The African hunting dog has cells that are eukaryotic while bacteria have cells that are prokaryotic. Describe the differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells with respect to their DNA. In some parts of East Africa L. pictus is becoming an endangered species. Suggest reasons why L. pictus is becoming an endangered species. One way of protecting L. pictus is to create conservation areas. Describe two other methods of conserving endangered species such as L. pictus.
9700_w08_qp_4
THEORY
2008
Paper 4, Variant 0
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Questions Discovered
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