OCR A Biology

23.1
Summary questions
1 Ecosystem whose biotic and/or abiotic factor(s) are constantly changing (1); all ecosystems are
dynamic (1).
2 Biotic populations of (named) organisms (1); competition between (named organisms) for a
resource (1). Abiotic any two from (for example): temperature, light intensity, dissolved oxygen
concentration, pH (2).
3 Animals able to migrate, e.g., towards warmer/cooler temperatures, to search for alternative food
supplies (1); animals able to move, e.g., to find shelter, to search out water supplies (1); many
animals able to regulate their internal temperature, so less affected by temperature changes (1);
many animals able to survive using a range of food sources (1). Any other sensible reasons.

23.2

Monitoring biomass during conservation

1 Secondary consumers (1)
2 a 86–87 mm (1)
2 b 25 mm (1)
2 c Sheyma island as larger urchins present (1); no predators present so have reached maturity (1)
3 After oil spill the kelp biomass will increase (1); as sea urchin population will have reduced (1); a
measured decrease in kelp biomass indicates recovery from spill, as kelp will be eaten by increasing
population of sea urchins (1).

Summary questions
1 Water removed from one organism by heating it in an oven at 80°C (1); the ‘dry’ organism is then
weighed to measure its mass in grams (1); this figure is multiplied by number of organisms present in
given area (1).
2 Through agriculture number of trophic levels in food chain is minimised (1); to maximise energy /
biomass transfer to humans (1).
3 6300/42000 (1) × 100 = 15% (1); potential gain in biomass of an organism is reduced due to energy
losses from the organism (1).
4 Energy is lost from an organism because (any three from): not all of an organism may be eaten,
parts of an organism may be indigestible, some energy is transferred to the environment through
metabolic heat, some energy is lost through excretion (3 max).

23.3

Reward and punishment

Any six from: Mutualistic relationships mean that both organisms benefit (1); Rhizobium fixes nitrogen
gas into ammonia (1); plant gains amino acids which use to form proteins (1); bacteria gain
carbohydrates which they use as an energy source (1); produced by the plant during photosynthesis
(1); animals gain nitrogen and carbon from eating plants (1); natural selection of most productive
bacteria ensures nitrogen fixation occurs at maximum rate (1).

Summary questions
1 Detritivores break down organic matter into small pieces, providing a larger surface area for
decomposers to act on (1); detritivores carry out internal digestion whereas decomposers carry out
external digestion (1).
2 Respiration carbon dioxide is released as a waste product of respiration and from the bodies of
dead organisms through respiration of decomposers (1). Combustion burning of forests/fossil fuels
releasing carbon dioxide as a waste product (1). Deforestation fewer trees and plants mean less
carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere (1).

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 OCR A Biology

3 When a decomposer obtains its energy from dead organisms (1); by the process of external
digestion/process described (1).
4 Any two from: Ice core samples are collected from glaciers which have existed for many
(tens/hundreds of) thousands of years (1); air bubbles trapped within these glaciers are representative
of the atmosphere at a point in history (1); gas analysis of trapped air bubbles reveals atmospheric
composition at this point in history (1).
5 Max 1 mark for each correctly named bacterium in each process. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
(Azotobacter/Rhizobium (1);) convert gaseous nitrogen into ammonia/organic compounds (1).
Nitrifying bacteria (Nitrosomonas (1);) oxidise ammonium compounds into nitrites (1); (Other) nitrifying
bacteria (Nitrobacter (1);) oxidise nitrites into nitrates (1); denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates into
nitrogen gas (1); ammonification is carried out by bacteria that convert nitrogen-containing molecules
into ammonium salts (1).

23.4

Conservation
1 Cows trample larger plants (e.g., bracken, gorse) (1); new growth is nibbled preventing plants
becoming established/larger (1); tree saplings are destroyed / removed / eaten (1); removal of
leguminous plants / gorse maintains low soil nutrient level (1); therefore, succession to woodland /
scrubland is prevented.

Succession on a sand dune

1 Primary succession
2 a Sea couch grass / other relevant example
b Any two from: deep tap roots to obtain available moisture (1); low profile to avoid strong wind (1);
waxy leaves to retain moisture (1); (high) salt tolerance (1); or suitable features explained of chosen
example.
3 Marram grass stabilises the dune by trapping sand in its roots (1); / nutrients are added to sand as
marram grasses die (1).
4 Environment becomes less alkaline (1); more (non-salt) water is present (1); presence of nutrients
increase soil depth / humus increases (1); plants generally experience less windy conditions (1); any
other suitable explained factor.
5 They are out-competed for factors such as light / water / space.

Summary questions
1 Climax community is the final stage of succession whereas plagioclimax community is the final
stage of succession as deflected by humans or some other outside factor (1).
2 Primary succession occurs on bare rock/sand without soil (1); whereas secondary succession takes
place where soil is present but the area contains no plants or animals (1).
3 Abiotic conditions/non-living environment becomes less hostile as soil forms when organisms
decay/ soil becomes more nutrient-rich/ soil retains more water (1); increased biomass supported (1).
4 Biodiversity increases (1); because range of habitats increase / number of food sources increases
(1); climax community develops (1); dominant species outcompete others for light / space / other
relevant example (1).
5 Any six from: Named example e.g., conservation of smooth snake at Studland Heath, Dorset (1);
sampling technique(s) used to monitor population size of endangered species (1); scientific
knowledge is required to understand a species’ habit requirements (1); scientific knowledge used to
produce coherent plan of action to conserve population of the species (1); human interference in an
ecosystem can stop succession (1); through land management / relevant example (1); this maintains
biotic and abiotic factors in favour of the endangered species (1); allowing the endangered species’
numbers to increase / preventing conditions favouring a competitor species (1).

23.5

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 OCR A Biology

Monitoring biodiversity in the Sonoran desert

1 For example: plants random sampling using quadrats / belt transect (1); animals direct observation /
pitfall traps / filmed samples taken over time (1).
2
2 Figures for animal abundance per 50 m are not integer values, therefore must derive from a
number of observations (1)
3 (3 marks)

4 Positive correlation (1); the greater the plant abundance, the greater the animal abundance (1)
5 0.986 (1)
6 df = 13 (1); correlation of 0.986 >> 0.654 at p=0.01 (1); therefore we can say that the conclusion is
>99% certain (1); therefore, the conclusion formed is: In the Sonoran desert, the greater the plant
abundance, the greater the animal abundance (1).

Summary questions
1 Abundance is the total number of organisms whereas distribution refers to where individuals are
found (1).
2a Pooter/pitfall trap (1).
b 20 × 15 / 2 (1) = 150 (1)
3a Removes sample bias / makes sample more reliable (1).
b Allows scientist to study how differing abiotic factors may affect the distribution of a species (1).
4 Doesn’t take into account births/deaths (1); immigration / emigration (1); mark may rub off (1); mark
may make animals more visible to predators (1); animals don’t redistribute evenly (1); samples taken
may not be representative of the whole population (1); or other acceptable suggestions.

© Oxford University Press 2016 This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.