1 The diagram shows a food chain.

producers herbivores carnivores top carnivores

trophic level: 1 2 3 4

If the carnivores in trophic level 3 suddenly die out as a result of disease, in which trophic levels
will the number of organisms be likely to decrease?
A 1 and 2 B 1 and 4 C 2 and 4 D 4 only

2 The surface waters of the ocean contain a population of microscopic plants.

Which factor would result in fewer of these plants?

A an increase in the population of microscopic animals

B greater concentration of mineral nutrients
C higher temperature
D more light

3 By which process does water enter the atmosphere?

A condensation
B photosynthesis
C precipitation
D transpiration

4 The diagram shows part of the carbon cycle.

Which labelled arrow represents photosynthesis?

carbon dioxide green

in atmosphere plants
bacteria
C D

animals

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 5 What are products of respiration in green plants?

A glucose and carbon dioxide

B glucose and oxygen
C water and carbon dioxide
D water and oxygen

6 In 2005, fifteen mice were set free on an island where mice had never lived before. The table
shows how their population changed over the next three years.

What caused the population change shown in the table?

A lack of food
B lack of predators
C lack of space
D lack of water

7 The diagram shows the water cycle.

Which letter represents transpiration?

A rain, hail
clouds and snow

ground
water
water living
vapour living animals
in air D plants

B
C rivers and
streams
sea, lakes
and ponds

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8 A food chain shows how organisms depend on each other for their sources of energy, but all
energy comes ultimately from one source.

What is this energy source?

A leaves of plants
B meat
C sunlight
D water

9 The diagram shows a food web.

foxes

hawks
toads and lizards
carnivorous
X
insects
spiders
voles rabbits
herbivorous
insects
vegetation, fruits and seeds

What type of organism is X?

A a carnivore
B a decomposer
C a herbivore
D a producer

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10 The diagram shows the carbon cycle.

carbon dioxide
in the air
S
R
carbon compounds
Q in green plants

P T
carbon compounds
in animals

V
U

carbon compounds in
micro-organisms which
cause decay

Which three letters represent respiration?

A P, Q and R B P, Q and S C T, S and V D T, U and V

11 In which natural cycles do photosynthesis and respiration both play a part?

carbon cycle water cycle

A  
B  
C  
D  

12 What is the correct sequence for the stages in a sigmoid population growth curve?

A lag → log → stationary

B log → lag → stationary

C stationary → lag → log

D stationary→ log → lag

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13 The chart shows which species of different animals are present in rivers of different pH.

species

trout
bass
key
perch
present
frogs
absent
salamanders
clams
crayfish
snails
mayflies
6.5 6.0 5.5 5.0 4.5 4.0
pH

Which conclusion can be drawn from this information?

A Both frogs and mayflies can live in more acidic river water than trout.
B Clams and snails are most affected by acidic river water.
C Most species can live in river water below pH 5.5.
D Not all species are affected by acidic river water.

14 In an ecosystem, what happens to most of the chemical energy in the decomposers?

A It becomes heat.
B It is transferred back to the producers.
C It is transferred back to both producers and consumers.
D It is destroyed.

15 The three-toed sloth is a mammal that lives in the forests of Central America. Sloths are eaten by
wild cats such as jaguars and also by snakes. The sloths mainly eat leaves.

What is the original source of the energy supplied to the jaguars?

A leaves
B sloths
C snakes
D Sun

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 16 The diagram shows part of the water cycle.

sea
cows

What must occur for water in the sea to reach the cows?

A condensation only
B condensation, then evaporation
C evaporation, then condensation
D evaporation only

17 The diagram represents part of the carbon cycle.

carbon dioxide
in air

plants animals fossil fuels

dead matter

What is missing from this diagram?

A an arrow from animals to plants

B an arrow from carbon dioxide in the air to animals
C an arrow from carbon dioxide in the air to fossil fuels
D an arrow from plants to animals

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18 The graphs show the changes in the populations of predator and prey over a period of time.

Which point on the graph shows a decrease in predator population?

A
C
number of
individuals

D
B

time

19 In a pyramid of numbers, what does the top of the pyramid represent?

A carnivores
B decomposers
C herbivores
D Sun

20 Which statement explains why the energy flow in a food chain is in one direction?

A Decomposers recycle nutrients for plants.

B Energy is not recycled.
C Plants convert light energy to chemical energy.
D The number of organisms decreases at each level in the food chain.

21 Which organisms do not get their energy by eating other organisms?

A consumer
B decomposer
C herbivore
D producer

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22 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 biomass?

A B

C D

23 The diagram shows part of the carbon cycle.

Which letter represents photosynthesis?

carbon dioxide
in air
A

fossil fuels C D

B
plants animals

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24 The diagram shows part of the water cycle.

cloud

tree
rain

soil

How is water lost from the tree?

A condensation
B respiration
C translocation
D transpiration

25 Rabbits eat grass and foxes eat rabbits.

What would cause the highest increase in the number of rabbits?

A less grass and fewer foxes

B less grass and more foxes
C more grass and fewer foxes
D more grass and more foxes

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26 The diagram shows two pyramids based on food chains in which the producer is a large tree.

P Q

What do the two pyramids represent?

P Q

A biomass
iomass
B biomass
iomass
C numbers
umbers
D numbers
umbers

27 The diagram shows a food chain.

rice plant → caterpillar → song bird → hawk

How many decomposers are shown in this food chain?

A 0 B 1 C 3 D 4

28 The numbers in the diagram below show the amount of energy, in kJ, transferred through a part
of an ecosystem.

sunlight

88 000
73 000
plants energy lost

15 000
13 200
herbivores energy lost

carnivores energy lost

How much energy, in kJ, is transferred from herbivores to carnivores?

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29 The diagram shows part of the carbon cycle without the arrows.

Which labelled line should have an arrow head on its lower end?

carbon dioxide
in air
D
A
B C
plants
decay respiration

animals
burning

wood

fossil
fuels

30 Which letter represents the lag phase in the population graph shown?

A B C D

number of
individuals
in the
population

time

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31 The diagram shows a population pyramid for a city.

age
males 90+ females
80
80-
70
70-
60
60-
50
50-
40
40-
30
30-
20
20-
10
10-
0
0-
60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
thousands thousands

What feature of the population is shown in the diagram?

A A quarter of the population is aged above 70.

B The greater proportion of the population is aged below 40.
C There are more females over 80 than males over 80.
D There is a low birth rate.

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32 The diagram shows a food chain.

mahogany tree → caterpillar → small bird → owl

In this food chain, which population has the largest biomass and which has the largest population
size?

largest biomass largest population size

A owl mahogany tree

B owl small bird
C mahogany tree caterpillar
D mahogany tree owl

33 The diagram shows a food web near a sea shore.

seagulls
(birds)

tiny floating tiny floating

animals plants
limpets
(molluscs)
prawns lugworms
(crustaceans) (annelids)
whelks crabs
(mollusc) (crustaceans)
lobsters
(crustaceans)

mussels
(mollusc) seaweed

Which animals have the most varied food, as shown in this food web?

A crabs
B limpets
C lobsters
D seagulls

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34 In the carbon cycle, what is the simple substance absorbed by producers?

A carbohydrate
B carbon dioxide
C nitrate
D protein

35 Which process forms part of both the carbon and water cycles?

A condensation
B fossilisation
C photosynthesis
D transpiration

36 The graph shows the growth of the human population of the world.

7
6
5
number of people 4
(× thousand million) 3
2
1 world population

0 400 800 1200 1600 2000

year

Between which years did the population grow fastest?

A 0 – 800
B 80 – 1200
800
C 1200 – 1800
D 1800 – 2000

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 37 The diagram shows the flow of energy in a food chain.

energy energy
input released

P Q Q Q

producer R primary R secondary

consumer consumer

What are the forms of energy P, Q and R?

P Q R

A chemical light heat

B heat chemical light
C light heat chemical
D light chemical heat

38 In a pond, the biomass at each trophic level is measured. The results are shown in the table.

Which trophic level contains herbivores?

trophic 3
mass / g m
level

A 0.1
B 0.6
C 1.2
D 17.9

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39 Carbon is essential to life.

Which process provides a carbon-containing compound for all life forms?

A eating
B gaseous exchange
C photosynthesis
D respiration

40 The diagram shows part of the water cycle.

clouds

T
air

S plants water in soil

humans

rivers and lakes

What are processes S and T?

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41 The diagram shows part of the carbon cycle.

simple
substance

decomposers plants

animals

What is the simple substance?

A carbohydrate
B carbon dioxide
C chlorophyll
D light

42 The graph shows the population of mosquito larvae in a pond. On day 3, mosquito fish, which eat
mosquito larvae, are released into the pond.

fish released

800
700
600
population of 500
mosquito larvae 400
/ number per m3 300
200
100
0
1 2 5 6
time / days

What is the most likely reason for the decline in the population of larvae after day 3?

A disease
B lack of food
C old age
D predation

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43 The diagram shows a food chain.

Which organism is the producer?

A B C D
rose-bush greenfly ladybird blue tit

44 Which diagram shows the flow of energy in an ecosystem?

45 The diagram shows a food web.

lettuce plants slugs toads snakes

fungi

Fungi are decomposers. What is their importance in this food web?

A They control the number of toads.

B They provide energy for plant growth.
C They provide food for snakes.
D They release minerals for plant growth.

46 During aerobic respiration glucose is broken down.

This process recycles

A carbon only.
B carbon and water.
C energy only.
D water only.

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47 In an ecosystem, which are the only organisms to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?

A carnivores
B decomposers
C herbivores
D producers

48 What name is given to the diagram below?

age in years
85+
males 80-84 females
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9
0-4
20 15 10 5 0 0 5 10 15 20
thousands

A a food web pyramid

B a population pyramid
C a pyramid of biomass
D a pyramid of energy

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49 The diagram shows a food chain.

grass → wildebeest → lion

What is the original source of energy used in this food chain?

A grass
B lion
C sunlight
D wildebeest

50 What may happen to the Sun’s energy that reaches the Earth?

A converted to chemical energy by animals

B recycled by bacteria
C stored in fossil fuels
D used by plants for absorbing water

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