Answers to Biology for IGCSE Chapter 19

note that the extension box on page 245 should be around Q.2 and Q.3, not Q.1

Chapter 18 Summary Questions page 254.

(Suggested marks are given in square brackets)

1 population - a group of organisms of one species, living in the same area at the
same time [1]
2 (a)
stationary

decline

numbers

exponential
lag

time

axes labelled; correct shape of curve; labels on the curve - lag, exponential / log;
stationary [3]

(b) death / decline, added to the curve; [1]

3 (a)
6
billions of people

1500 2009

years AD

axes labelled; correct shape of curve; key dates added; numbers of people given in
billions [4]
 (b) population was small until 16th century because of, disease / famine / malnutrition /
wars; population increased exponentially; because of public health; sanitation;
improvements in agriculture; more land for agriculture; better storage and supply of
food; better, quality of food / nutrition; piped / safe / treated, water supplies; better
housing; better medical care; antibiotics; vaccination [6]

note that improvements in medicine only became available from mid 20th century
onwards

(c) e.g. food supplies run short / poor food security / starvation; malnutrition; not enough
housing; not enough energy; nowhere to dispose of rubbish; not enough land for
agriculture; lack of natural resources; pollution; loss of, habitats / ecosystems [4]

4 (a) limiting factor a resource that is in short supply so that it restricts population
growth [1]
(b) disease; predators; food supply; space; competition; natural disasters [4]

5 (a) pollution harm done to the environment by release of substances (and heat)
produced by human activity [1]
(b) e.g. rivers, release of sewage; covers the bottom of the river killing animals and
plants; decomposed by bacteria; reduction in concentration of oxygen in water; kills
invertebrates and fish; loss of biodiversity
e.g. lakes, acid rain; lowers pH; many species cannot survive in water with low pH;
cannot breed; loss of biodiversity
e.g. reclamation of spoil heaps from mining; toxic materials removed; landscaped;
grass grown; trees planted; increase in biodiversity

1 mark for each ecosystem + result of human activity

2 marks for effects on the ecosystem [9]

6 (a) erosion; loss of soil; loss of nutrients from the soil; weather patterns change; more
storms; flooding; loss of habitats; loss of biodiversity; extinction; carbon dioxide
added to atmosphere when trees are burnt; and dead wood is decomposed [5]

(b) eutrophication; increase growth of, plants / algae; algae cover the surface of the
waters; block out light to plants growing on the bottom of, lakes / rivers; plants /
algae, die; bacteria feed on dead plants; decomposers; respire aerobically;
concentration of oxygen in water decreases; invertebrates and fish die as cannot
respire anaerobically; fish migrate away from areas of rivers affected [6]

7 annotations:
lag phase numbers are small; organisms building resources, e.g. proteins /
membranes / enzymes; reproduction rate is low; birth rate = death rate;
exponential phase no limiting factors; reproduction rate is at its highest; birth rate >
death rate;
stationary phase limiting factors influence population; shortage of food; toxins
accumulate; lack of space; death rate = birth rate;
decline phase lack of food; build up of toxins; shortage of oxygen; death rate > birth
rate [8]

8 ecosystems / habitats, provide services; e.g. providing foods / water; maintain

balance of life on Earth; complex interactions between species; many aspects of
 ecosystems that humans do not understand; species have the right to existence;
many species are useful in providing food and medicines [5]

9 (a) carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas; prevents some infra red escaping to space;
radiated back to Earth; this is the greenhouse effect; extra carbon dioxide since the
industrial revolution is contributing to enhanced greenhouse effect

(b) methane is a greenhouse gas; has much greater effect than carbon dioxide

(c) sulfur dioxide forms acid rain; the gas forms sulfuric acid in the atmosphere; falls as
acid rain; acidifies soils; lowers pH of water (streams, rivers and lakes); especially on
hard rocks like granite; causes nutrients to become more soluble and wash out from
soils; aluminium compounds become more soluble; aluminium ions are toxic [6]

Chapter 19 Exam-Style Questions page 254-255.

Multiple Choice Questions (1 mark each)

1 D
2 C
3 B
4 A

Short Answer Questions

5 (a) the forest is too dense to be able to see them; from inside the forest or from the air;
difficult to identify individual elephants so not counted twice; not enough people to do
the counting; elephants migrate within the park (do not stand still to be counted); [3]
(b) need to know whether population is changing or stable; to find out whether
conservation methods are effective; or numbers are decreasing due to, poaching /
unlawful killing / natural methods of population control; if numbers are critical species
should be removed to, protected areas / zoos / botanical gardens; restrictions on
trade in species should be, tightened / enforced more carefully; [3]
(c)(i) competition for food; shortage of water; disease (especially young and old animals);
competition with people who may kill elephants that cause, damage / eat crops;
poaching for, ivory / meat; [4]
(ii) important position in the ecosystem; e.g. knock over trees; create forest clearings for
new growth in the forest; distribute seeds in their dung; dig holes that fill with water
for other animals; overpopulation may lead to loss of trees; change in habitat; may
migrate outside the park and cause damage; [5]
6 (a)

at least half the graph paper used;

axes correctly orientated with time on the x-axis;
x-axis labelled with unit, y-axis labelled;
points plotted accurately (allow +/- a small square);
joined by straight lines between points; [5]

(b) labels added: lag; exponential; stationary; decline; [4]

(c) rate of, division / budding of yeast decreased; death rate increased; limiting factors;
shortage of, nutrients / glucose; build up of, toxic waste / ethanol; [2]
7 (a) 354-290 = 64, 64/290 x 100; 22%; [2]
(b)(i) carbon dioxide burning of fossil fuels; increase in transport; increase in industry;
deforestation; burning of forests; [2]
(ii) methane lots of rubbish; in rubbish tips / landfill; decays anaerobically; increase in
areas growing rice; increase in number of cattle; extraction of, oil / natural gas; [2]
(c) builds up in the atmosphere; solar radiation passes through atmosphere; heat lost
from Earths surface; absorbed by greenhouse gases; radiated back to Earth as infra
red radiation; [5]
(d) need to know which gas to deal with first if to limit the enhanced greenhouse effect;
cut emissions of this gas first; assess improvements in controlling emissions in terms
of effect; (so important to tackle methane as well as carbon dioxide) [3]
8 (a)(i) non-biodegradable cannot be broken down by, bacteria / decomposers; take up
space in, landfill / rubbish dumps; if burnt releases toxic gases; if discarded in
environment may kill animals that eat it;

(ii) paper is made from wood pulp; which is a limited resource; if recycled less wood pulp
is required; fewer trees are cut down; [5]
(b) primary treatment screens to remove large material; settlement tank to remove
suspended material;
secondary treatment aerobic digestion by microorganisms; in trickle filters /
activated sludge digester tanks;
tertiary treatment sludge digested anaerobically; produces methane which is burnt
for energy; [5]
(c) prevents pollution; prevents spread of water borne diseases; prevents smell of
untreated sewage; removes biodegradable material which will cause eutrophication;
harm ecosystems (rivers, lakes, seas); [4]