Cambridge O-Level Environmental Management: Land — Practice Questions (5014, 2027-2029)

These questions practise every learning outcome in Topic 2 Land of the 2027-2029 Cambridge O Level Environmental Management (5014) syllabus: soils and crop growth, food production and crop yield, and soil erosion. They include data interpretation and “discuss” items like those on Paper 1 Principles of Environmental Management and Paper 2 Environmental Management in Context.

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: Land study guide (2027-2029) | Land revision notes

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Section A

1. Name the three types of mineral particle in soil. [1]

2. State the ion that supplies each nutrient: (a) nitrogen; (b) phosphorus; (c) potassium. [3]

3. Define weather. [1]

4. Define sustainable food production. [2]

Section B

5. A farmer tests three soils.

Soil	Water retained after 1 hour (%)	Drainage	Ease of digging
A	15	Very fast	Easy
B	70	Very slow, surface puddles	Hard
C	45	Moderate	Easy

(a) Identify which soil is most likely to be loam. Give a reason from the table. [2] (b) Explain why soil B could reduce crop growth. [3] (c) Explain two reasons, other than those in the table, why loam is a good medium for crop growth. [2]

6. Explain why the length of the growing season and daylight hours affect crop yield. [3]

7. Distinguish between: (a) subsistence and commercial agriculture; [2] (b) arable and pastoral agriculture. [2]

8. Describe how each of the following increases crop yield: (a) trickle (drip) irrigation; (b) hydroponics; (c) agroforestry. [3]

9. Define a genetically modified organism and give one favourable characteristic a crop could be given. [2]

10. A cotton-growing region has used large amounts of insecticide for many years. (a) Explain how overuse of insecticide can lead to pest resistance. [3] (b) Describe one other impact of pesticide overuse. [1] (c) Suggest one alternative method of pest control. [1]

11. Explain how poor management of irrigation can lead to salinisation. [2]

12. Describe four impacts of soil erosion on people and the environment. [4]

13. Explain how terracing and wind breaks each reduce soil erosion. [4]

Section C

14. Discuss the benefits and limitations of using inorganic NPK fertilisers rather than organic fertilisers to increase crop yield. [6]

15. “Growing cash crops does more harm than good to people in low-income countries.” Discuss. [6]

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Answers

1. Sand, silt and clay. [1]

2. (a) nitrate (NO3-) [1]; (b) phosphate (PO4 3-) [1]; (c) potassium ion (K+) [1].

3. The day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere in a location. [1]

4. Producing enough food for the present generation [1] using methods that ensure future generations can grow food from the same land [1].

5. (a) Soil C [1] - it retains a moderate amount of water and drains, and is easy to dig [1]. (b) Slow drainage leads to waterlogging [1], so pore spaces fill with water and lack air [1]; roots cannot get oxygen for respiration, and the soil is hard to cultivate [1]. (c) Any two: contains organic content [1]; contains inorganic ions such as nitrate [1]; ideal combination of mineral particles and pore spaces [1]. [max 2]

6. Crops need enough time with suitable temperature and rainfall to grow and ripen [1]; more daylight hours give more time for photosynthesis [1], so more glucose is made for growth and yield is higher [1].

7. (a) Subsistence farming produces food for the farmer’s family [1]; commercial farming produces food or crops for sale [1]. (b) Arable farming grows crops [1]; pastoral farming rears livestock [1].

8. (a) Water drips directly to roots, reducing waste by evaporation, so crops get water even in a dry season [1]. (b) Plants grow with roots in nutrient solution in a controlled environment, so nutrients and water are optimal all year [1]. (c) Trees grown with crops provide shelter and add organic matter to soil, improving growth [1].

9. An organism whose genetic material has been changed by removing, changing or inserting individual genes [1]; e.g. pest resistance, drought tolerance or higher yield [1].

10. (a) Some insects have natural resistance [1]; they survive spraying and reproduce [1]; over generations most of the population becomes resistant, so the insecticide no longer works [1]. (b) Any one: pest resurgence; harm to pollinators such as bees; water pollution. [1] (c) Biological control (using a natural predator) or crop rotation. [1]

11. Too much irrigation water evaporates from the soil surface in a hot climate [1], leaving dissolved salts behind that build up and damage crops [1].

12. Any four: silting of rivers [1]; desertification [1]; landslides or mudslides [1]; loss of habitats and biodiversity [1]; reduced crop yields [1]; malnutrition and famine [1]; displacement of people [1]. [max 4]

13. Terracing creates flat steps on slopes [1], which slow surface run-off and stop soil being washed downhill [1]. Wind breaks (lines of trees or hedges) reduce wind speed [1], so less soil is blown away and crops are protected [1].

14. [6] NPK benefits: exact amounts of nitrate, phosphate and potassium; fast-acting; large yield increases. NPK limitations: cost; overuse causes leaching into water, nutrient enrichment and eutrophication; adds no organic matter, so soil structure can decline. Organic benefits: cheap or free (manure, crop residue, mulch), improve soil structure and water retention, reduce erosion. Organic limitations: bulky, slow to release nutrients and variable in content. Conclusion: a mix is often most sustainable.

15. [6] Harm: cash crops (coffee, cotton, soya beans, palm oil) replace food crops, causing food shortages; monoculture and intensification reduce biodiversity and pollute soil and water; land for palm oil and soya may come from deforestation. Good: earn income and foreign exchange, create jobs and can fund food imports or schools. Conclusion: harm is greatest where food crops are displaced and profits leave the area; benefits are greater with fair prices and mixed farming.

Where marks are usually lost

• Describing data without quoting the figures in the table.
• Giving “fertiliser pollutes water” without the chain leaching → nutrient enrichment → eutrophication.
• In “discuss” questions, giving only benefits or only limitations.

Frequently asked questions

How many strategies to increase food production must I know? Twelve are listed in syllabus 2.2.3, from mixed cropping and irrigation to GMOs, controlled environments, fertilisers and pest control.

Do I need soil percentages? No. The 5014 syllabus says knowledge of the percentage composition of soils is not required.

What is the difference between pest resistance and pest resurgence? Resistance means the pesticide no longer kills the pest. Resurgence means pest numbers rebound, often because the pesticide also killed the pest’s natural predators.

Official syllabus

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