Cambridge O-Level Environmental Management: Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Fieldwork — Practice Questions (5014, 2027-2029)

These questions cover every learning outcome in Topic 5, Ecosystems, biodiversity and fieldwork, of the 2027-2029 Cambridge O Level Environmental Management (5014) syllabus. A grassland food web, a hydro-electric scheme in a rainforest and a woodland invertebrate survey provide the contexts.

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, for revision and practice on this content. They are not reproduced past-paper questions, and they do not replicate the exam’s exact structure, question count or mark tariffs — examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available free from your board.

Related: Ecosystems study guide (2027-2029) | Ecosystems revision notes

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Section A

1. Define community. [1]

2. State what is meant by an apex predator. [1]

3. Write the word equation for aerobic respiration. [2]

4. State the role of chlorophyll in photosynthesis. [1]

Section B

5. In a grassland, grass is eaten by grasshoppers and antelope. Grasshoppers are eaten by lizards and birds. Lizards are eaten by birds and jackals. Antelope are eaten by jackals. (a) Draw the food web. [2] (b) Identify an organism that is both a secondary and a tertiary consumer. [1] (c) Suggest what might happen to the lizard population if a disease killed most grasshoppers. Explain your answer. [2]

6. The energy in the grass is 120 000 kJ per square metre per year. Calculate the energy available to the jackals through the chain grass → grasshopper → lizard → jackal, assuming 10% of the energy is passed on at each step. [2]

7. Describe two abiotic and two biotic factors that could affect the number of fish in a river. [4]

8. Describe the difference between insect pollination and wind pollination. [2]

9. Describe how carbon stored in an ancient forest can end up in the atmosphere today. [3]

10. A government floods a rainforest valley to build a hydro-electric power station. (a) Describe three impacts on the ecosystem. [3] (b) Explain how the loss of forest could affect the water cycle downstream. [3]

11. Explain three reasons why forests should be managed sustainably. [3]

12. Describe how a seed bank and a wildlife corridor each help conserve biodiversity. [4]

13. Students compare ground-dwelling invertebrates in a woodland and an open field. (a) Suggest a suitable hypothesis. [1] (b) Describe how they should use pitfall traps to collect reliable data. [4] (c) State two variables they should control. [2] (d) Suggest why they might carry out a pilot study first. [1]

Section C

14. Discuss the benefits and limitations of ecotourism and sustainable harvesting for conserving biodiversity. [6]

15. Discuss the benefits and limitations of quadrats, aerial photography and automated sampling for measuring the population of a plant species. [6]

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Answers

1. All the populations of different species living in the same area. [1]

2. A predator at the top of a food chain that has no natural predators. [1]

3. glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water. [2]

4. Chlorophyll captures (absorbs) light energy for photosynthesis. [1]

5. (a) Arrows from grass to grasshopper and antelope; grasshopper to lizard and bird; lizard to bird and jackal; antelope to jackal. [2] (Arrows must point towards the consumer.) (b) Bird or jackal (bird eats grasshoppers as a secondary consumer and lizards as a tertiary consumer). [1] (c) Lizard numbers fall [1] because their food source is reduced and they compete with birds for the remaining grasshoppers [1].

6. 120 000 → 12 000 → 1 200 → 120 kJ per m² per year. [2]

7. Abiotic, any two: water temperature, oxygen level, pH, light, salinity [2]. Biotic, any two: predators such as birds, competition between species, food availability, invasive species, disease [2].

8. Insect pollination: an insect pollinator carries pollen from an anther to a stigma [1]; wind pollination: pollen is blown by the wind from anther to stigma [1].

9. Carbon dioxide was taken in by trees by photosynthesis [1]; the dead trees were buried and turned into coal over millions of years (fossil fuel formation) [1]; combustion of the coal releases carbon dioxide [1].

10. (a) Any three: habitats flooded and lost [1]; loss of biodiversity [1]; animals forced to migrate [1]; genetic depletion [1]; decomposing vegetation and lost carbon stores add to global warming [1]. [max 3] (b) Fewer trees intercept rain and transpire water [1]; more surface run-off and soil erosion upstream [1], so rivers carry more silt and flooding risk changes downstream; rainfall patterns may change [1].

11. Any three: trees are carbon sinks and stores, regulating climate [1]; they prevent soil erosion and flooding [1]; they are a genetic resource and provide food, medicine and raw materials [1]; they offer recreation, ecotourism and education [1]. [max 3]

12. Seed bank: seeds are dried and stored at low temperature [1], conserving genetic material that can be used to restore species [1]. Wildlife corridor: a strip of habitat linking isolated areas [1], so animals can move, find mates and maintain genetic diversity [1].

13. (a) More ground-dwelling invertebrates are found in the woodland than in the open field. [1] (b) Sink containers so the rim is level with the ground [1]; place several traps in each area at random [1]; cover with a raised lid to keep out rain and predators [1]; empty and count at the same time each day for several days, then calculate a mean [1]. (c) Any two: number of traps; trap size; time left out; time of day emptied; weather during sampling. [2] (d) To test whether the traps work and catch animals, and fix problems before the main study. [1]

14. [6] Ecotourism: brings money for park management and local jobs, so local people value wildlife; but visitor numbers can disturb animals and damage habitats, and income falls if tourism declines. Sustainable harvesting: allows continued use of plants and animals within limits, giving income; but limits are hard to set accurately and enforce, and overharvesting can still happen. Conclusion: both work best with regulation and monitoring.

15. [6] Quadrats: cheap and give accurate counts or percentage cover in small areas; but slow and cover only a small sample. Aerial photography and drones: cover large or inaccessible areas quickly; but cost more and cannot identify small plants under a canopy. Automated sampling: collects data continuously without people present; but equipment is expensive and can fail. Conclusion: the choice depends on the size of the area and the plant.

Where marks are usually lost

• Food web arrows pointing the wrong way.
• “Repeat the experiment” with no reason given.
• Naming a conservation strategy without explaining how it conserves biodiversity.

Frequently asked questions

Which way do food web arrows point? From the organism eaten to the organism that eats it, showing the direction of energy flow.

What is the difference between repeats and replicates? Repeats measure the same sample point again; replicates take further samples, such as extra traps or quadrats. Both make the mean more reliable.

Do I need to know flower structure? No. The syllabus requires only that pollen moves from an anther to a stigma, by insects or wind, leading to fertilisation and seed formation.

Official syllabus

Cambridge O Level Environmental Management (5014) syllabus for 2027, 2028 and 2029 - official syllabus PDF.