BISHOP’S HIGH SCHOOL, TOBAGO

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE
EXCRETION
BIOLOGY
TEACHER: K.SMITH
FORM: UPPER 6 TERM 1
35
2020-2021

NAME: ______Janae Campbell____________ DATE_____30.11.2020_______

SECTION A

PLEASE CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER FROM THE OPTIONS GIVEN BY

HIGHLIGHTING THE ANSWER.

1. Which of the following is considered as a limit to the number of trophic levels in a food
chain?
a) The diversity of species in the ecosystem
b) A high percentage of the energy consumed is converted to heat
c) Some of the energy consumed is lost in faeces and urine
d) The net productivity of the ecosystem.

2. Which of the following BEST describes an ecological niche?

a) The relationship between the species and the other organisms in the habitat
b) The functional role that the organism plays in its habitat
c) The habitat that provides food for the organism
d) The habitat that provides the most suitable environmental conditions for the
organism.

3. Endangered species may be BEST described as species

a) Which are under threat of declining in number
b) With low population numbers that are in considerable danger of becoming extinct
c) Which cannot be found in areas that they recently inhabited or in other likely habitats
d) With small populations which are restricted geographically with localized habitats

4. Improvement of biodiversity can BEST be achieved by

a) Controlled hunting
b) Systematic logging
c) Creating green areas
d) Monocropping

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 5. Which of the following sequences is correctly ranked in order of decreasing size?
a) Ecosystem- biome- habitat
b) Biome- ecosystem- habitat
c) Habitat- ecosystem- biome
d) Habitat- biome- ecosystem

6. Nitrifying bacteria are MOST active at the conversion of

a) Atmospheric nitrogen to nitrogen in soil
b) Dead and decaying organism to ammonium compounds
c) Ammonium compounds to nitrites and nitrates
d) Nitrates to atmospheric nitrogen

SECTION B
ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS USING THE SPACES PROVIDED

1) A) Define the term food chain in terms of energy flow (2 marks)

- A food chain is the linear sequence of transfer of matter and energy in the form of
food between organisms in an ecosystem.

B) Distinguish between the term ecosystem and ecological niche. (4 marks)

- There are significant differences between an ecosystem and niche. An ecosystem
consists of a of interrelated organisms and their physical and chemical non-living
environment within which they occur naturally. On the contrary, a niche speaks about
the role a species plays in a community i.e. its position in relation to the food chain.
C) Explain why energy is said to flow through and not cycle as it is transferred within an
ecosystem. (2 marks)
- As opposed to nutrients, energy flows through ecosystems. This is because when
energy enters the ecosystem, organisms consume the amount of energy required for
cellular processes such as respiration but the energy is released back into the
biosphere as heat. So, the energy isn’t cycled; after fulfilling its purpose it lost due to
heat.

2) A) Distinguish among the following terms as they relate to the nitrogen cycle:
Nitrification, denitrification, and nitrogen fixation. (5 marks)
- In the nitrogen cycle, nitrification refers to the process by which ammonia is
converted to nitrite and nitrate through oxidation. Denitrification, on the other hand is
the microbial process by which nitrite and nitrate are reduced to produce gaseous
forms of nitrogen such as nitrogen dioxide through the action of denitrifying bacteria.
Lastly, nitrogen fixation, is the process by which atmospheric, molecular nitrogen is
converted to ammonia or any related nitrogenous compounds in the soil. It can be
achieved through nitrogen fixing bacteria or an industrial process known as the Haber
Process.

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 B) A farmer who is experiencing difficulty getting his grass to grow was advised to plant
the legume, alfalfa, along with the grass, He was also advised to plough the legume into
the soil after reaping the grass. Suggest THREE ways in which this practice enables him
to have a better crop of grass. (3 marks)

- Alfalfa significantly mitigates soil erosion. Notably, alfalfa requires little to no

cultivation once it has been established and consequently soil lost from wind and
water erosion is drastically diminished. Additionally, as alfalfa grows, it forms a
dense canopy which covers the soil and protects it from erosion. Which collectively
adds to great soil sustainability. The canopy also suppresses the growth of weeds. To
add, alfalfa has a deep root system. These deep roots retain the soil and creates spaces
and channels for water movement increasing the overall efficiency of water transport.
Lastly, alfalfa would produce the grass with nitrates and nitrites in the soil so artificial
fertilizers would not be required. Bacteria that live symbiotically in alfalfa root
nodules are capable of converting (or fixing) nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into
useable forms of nitrogen which are available to the current crop and increases the
nitrogen concentration in the soil, essentially providing “free” fertilizer to subsequent
crops.

3) (a) Conservation International has identified the Caribbean as a “hotspot” for

biodiversity and as such conservation of biological resources has become a priority for
several countries of the region.
Discuss the concept of ‘biodiversity’ in terms of genetic, species and ecosystem
diversity (3 marks)
- Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns it generates.
It can be distinguished in three ways. The first of which is the diversity of genes. This
refers to the fact that within any given species, there is a wide assortment of genes for
different organisms attributing to marked variances as no two organisms have the
same genes except for twins. Species diversity is another way to examine
biodiversity. Species diversity is the sum of all the different species that are
represented in a given community and cam be broken down into species richness and
species evenness which are both self-explanatory. Lastly ecosystem diversity refers to
the distinct variation of habitats, community types abiotic environments present in
that given area.

outline three reasons why it is important to conserve biodiversity. (In your discussion
cite at least one direct and one indirect benefit). (3 marks)
- The pertinence of maintaining biodiversity spans from economic sustainability,
aestheticism of the biomes and intrinsic value. From an economic standpoint, a direct
benefit would include employment through agriculture and fisheries as well as the
provision of food, shelters and building materials. An indirect benefit would include
the moderation of inundations, droughts, temperature extremes and the forces of
wind. Additionally, biodiversity is a pillar for tourism, recreation and human spirit.
Additionally, it is vital as it enables humans to get a better sense of environmental
concern; bestowing upon them the responsibility of preserving our natural
environment which includes the organisms that occupy the space which promotes
sustainability for future generations.
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b) Distinguish between insitu and exsitu conservation of biodiversity, giving an
example of each type of conservation. (4 marks)
Insitu conservation refers to the conservation of species in their natural habitats. An
example of this would include forest reserves like the Tobago Main Ridge Rainforest.
Contrastingly, exsitu conservation is the preservation of components of biological
diversity outside their natural habitats. A very common example would be the
collection of organisms to occupy zoos.

c) Using your knowledge of exsitu conservation methods, briefly comment on THREE

limitations of using exsitu conservation methods to maintain biodiversity. (3 marks)
- One of the most prevailing disadvantages of this form of conservation is the fact that
species would eventually lose their natural instincts of the wild. Also, the organisms
may be exposed to a wide range of diseases, Lastly, because the organisms are exposed
to abnormal conditions, they would act differently and inbreeding can occur resulting
in unwanted genetic traits.
RESPONSES (REMEMBER TO NUMBER YOUR RESPONSES)