SARALA BIRLA ACADEMY BANGALORE

Academic Session: 2023-2024

Second Assessment
BIOLOGY
Grade X IGCSE
07/08/2023, Monday Max. Marks (25)
Portion: Organisms and their Environment Time: 40 Minutes

SECTION A
ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS:

1. In an ecosystem, plants absorb sunlight. Which other organisms in the ecosystem depend on
this process for their energy?

2. The diagram shows a pyramid of biomass for all organisms in an ecosystem. Which organisms
are herbivores?

3. A single tree is food for a large population of caterpillars. Several small birds eat the
caterpillars. The small birds are eaten by a bird of prey. Which is the pyramid of numbers for this
food chain?

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4. The diagram shows a food chain. Where does energy enter the food chain? producer A B C D
decomposer primary consumer secondary consumer

5. The diagram represents the flow of substances within a balanced ecosystem. The boxes are
various trophic levels. Which box represents producer?

6. The diagram shows a food web

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What is likely to happen to the owl population if foxes die out?

A It will decrease because there will be more competition with stoats for food.

B It will increase because there will be more rats, beetles and rabbits for them to eat.

C It will stay the same because owls do not eat foxes.

D It will stay the same because stoats will eat less food

7. Which organisms convert ammonium compounds to nitrates?

A decomposing bacteria B decomposing fungi
C nitrifying bacteria D nitrogen-fixing bacteria
8. How do nitrogen-fixing bacteria improve soil fertility?
A They convert nitrates to nitrites.
B They convert nitrites to nitrates.
C They release nitrogen gas from nitrates.
D They use nitrogen gas to make nitrogen-containing compounds.

9. Why does an ecosystem need to be exposed regularly to sunlight?

A Energy is converted to biomass. B Energy is lost as heat.
C Energy is lost to decomposers. D Energy is reflected by plants.
10. The diagram shows the carbon cycle.

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What are processes P, Q, and R?

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Section B
Answer all the questions
1. The passage describes the feeding relationships between some of the organisms in an African
grassland ecosystem. The dominant grass species in the African grassland ecosystem are star grass
and red oat grass. Star grass is eaten by antelope species, such as topi and Thomson’s gazelle.
Smaller animals such as mice and grasshoppers also feed on grass. Antelopes are eaten by
predators such as cheetahs, lions and serval cats. Grasshoppers and mice are eaten by serval cats
and tawny eagles. Ruppell’s vulture feeds on dead mammals. Fig. 1.1 shows part of the food web
for this ecosystem. Fig 1.1

(a) Complete the food web in Fig. 1.1 by writing the names of the organisms in the boxes.
Write your answers in the boxes in Fig. 1.1. [3]
(b) Name the trophic level of the following species:
star grass…………………………………………………………………………………………..
topi ……………………………………………………………………………………………... [2]
(c) State the source of energy for the food web shown in Fig. 1.1.
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(ii) State what happens to energy when it leaves an ecosystem, such as the African grassland.
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(d) Nutrients are recycled in ecosystems but energy is not recycled. Explain why there are no
more than four trophic levels in the ecosystem shown in Fig. 1.1.
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(e) Fish, such as salmon reared in fish farms, are fed on high protein food made from animals.
When eating this food, these fish are feeding as secondary consumers.
Discuss the disadvantages of farming fish, such as salmon, for human food.
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[Total: 11]
2. Explain symbiosis
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3. Differentiate Biotic and Abiotic

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