Species & Populations (DP IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS): SL)

Exam Questions

58 mins10 questions
13 marks

Define the term species.

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23 marks

List three biotic interactions occurring between organisms.

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34 marks

Define the term limiting factor in the context of environmental systems and ecology.

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4a2 marks

Briefly explain what an S population curve represents.

4b2 marks

Briefly explain what a J population curve represents.

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1a4 marks

Outline the role of abiotic factors and how they influence ecosystems, providing examples to illustrate their impact.

1b4 marks

Outline the role of biotic factors and how they influence ecosystems, providing examples to illustrate their impact.

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2a2 marks

With reference to a named species, distinguish between the terms habitat and niche.

2b2 marks

Distinguish between the terms fundamental niche and realised niche.

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3a4 marks

Compare and contrast predation and competition.

3b5 marks

i)

Define the term carrying capacity.

[1]

ii)

Outline four factors that contribute to the difficulty in estimating carrying capacity. At least two of these factors should be specific to human populations

[4]

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4a3 marks

The figure below shows how the dominant vegetation changes with altitude in the Alps mountain range in Europe.

altitudinal-zonation-1

Identify three limiting factors likely to be affecting alpine vegetation above 2 500 m.

4b4 marks

Explain the role of limiting factors in shaping S and J population curves.

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17 marks

When plotted on a graph, the population growth of a particular population often takes on an 'S' shape, sometimes known as an S-population curve.

Explain how the interactions that a species has with its environment can result in this curve.

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29 marks

Discuss the role of carrying capacity in determining population size in humans and other species.

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