A LevelGeographyAQAExam QuestionsEcosystems Under StressBiomes

Biomes (AQA A Level Geography): Exam Questions

Exam code: 7037

2 hours15 questions
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1
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1 mark

Which of the following are adaptations found in savanna vegetation?

  • Buttress roots give the trees stability and access to nutrients found in the upper soil. Waxy leaves and drip tips help to remove large quantities of water during the short wet season.

  • There are distinctive layers of vegetation adapted to deal with the intense summer insolation. Trees lose their leaves in winter as insolation levels fall and the dry season arrives.

  • Only a few tree species can survive the long dry season. Waxy leaves reduce moisture loss. Deep tree roots reach groundwater. Grasses die and return during the wet season.

  • Coniferous trees dominate and give way to small shrubs at the edges of the savanna. Needle-like leaves are adapted to cope with the large diurnal temperature variations.

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2
1 mark

What is a biome?

  • A large-scale ecosystem defined by its climate and the climax vegetation that develops in response to it, such as tropical rainforest or savanna grassland.

  • A small, local area of vegetation, such as a single woodland or pond, defined by the species living in it.

  • The layer of soil and weathered rock that supports plant growth, formed by the breakdown of bedrock over time.

  • A stage in ecological succession in which pioneer species first colonise bare ground before being replaced by others.

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3
4 marks

Outline the global distribution of the major biomes.

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4
1 mark

Which of the following best describes how plants are adapted to the tropical rainforest?

  • Drip-tip leaves let the heavy rainfall run off quickly, and buttress roots give the tall trees stability in the thin, shallow soil.

  • Waxy, needle-like leaves reduce water loss during long dry seasons, and deep tap roots reach groundwater far below the surface.

  • Thick, fire-resistant bark protects the trees from frequent grassland fires, and many grasses die back during the dry season.

  • Small, fleshy leaves store water during long droughts, and a thick waxy coating reduces transpiration in the intense heat.

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5
4 marks

Outline the climatic characteristics of the tropical rainforest biome.

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1
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6 marks

Figure 16 shows the temperature and precipitation associated with different world biomes.

Figure 17 shows information about productivity in various ecosystem types.

Figure 16

fig-16-paper1-specimen-aqa-alevel-geography

Figure 17

Biome

Area

Mean net primary productivity

Mean biomass

(10^6^ km^2^)

(g/m^2^/yr)

(kg/m^2^)

Tropical rainforest

17

2 200

45

Temperate deciduous forest

7

1 200

30

Savanna

15

900

4

Tundra

8

140

0.6

Subtropical desert

18

90

0.7

With reference to any two biomes shown in Figure 16 and Figure 17, analyse the relationship between climate characteristics and natural vegetation.

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2
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9 marks

With reference to a tropical rainforest, evaluate the role of governance in environmental management.

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3
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6 marks

Figure 11

fig-11-inserts-paper1-nov2021-aqa-alevel-geography

Figure 11 shows selected climate extremes and impacts affecting coral and forests in tropical and sub-tropical regions.

Analyse the data shown in Figure 11.

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4
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9 marks

How far do you agree that global governance has a role to play in the conservation of the savanna grassland biome?

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5
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6 marks

Figure 11a shows rainfall totals and cumulative rainfall in a woodland savanna (cerrado) in south-east Brazil between 2009 and 2012.

Figure 11b shows the relationship between albedo and soil water content over the same time period for the same area.

Figure 11a

Rainfall totals and cumulative rainfall in a woodland savanna (cerrado), south-east Brazil, 2009–2012

fig-11a-paper1-june2019-aqa-alevel-geography

Figure 11b

Relationship between albedo and soil water content over the same time period and same area as in Figure 11a

fig-11b-paper1-june2019-aqa-alevel-geography

Note: Albedo PAR is a measure of the reflectivity of a surface. Darker surfaces absorb sunlight and warm up. Lighter surfaces reflect the sun’s energy and stay cooler. A lower PAR score indicates a darker surface and vice versa.

Analyse the data shown in Figure 11a and Figure 11b.

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6
6 marks

Analyse the data in Figure 1, which shows deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon, 1988–2022.

Figure 1: Annual deforestation rates and remaining forest cover in the Brazilian Amazon, 1988–2022

Period

Annual deforestation rate (km²/year)

Remaining forest cover (% of original)

1988–2000

17,860

87

2001–2004

22,420

85

2005–2012

9,035

82

2013–2018

7,420

81

2019–2022

11,760

80

Source: INPE (Brazil's National Institute for Space Research), 2023

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7
9 marks

Using Figure 1 and your own knowledge, to what extent can conservation strategies successfully protect tropical rainforest ecosystems?

Figure 1: Land protection status in the Brazilian Amazon, 2022

Land management category

Approximate share of Legal Amazon (%)

Notes

Strictly protected conservation units

24

Federal and state reserves; no-use designation

Sustainable-use conservation units

15

Managed human use permitted

Indigenous territories

13

Legally demarcated; constitutionally protected

Undesignated public and private land

48

Higher deforestation rates; 'arc of deforestation' located here

Source: INPE/MapBiomas, 2022

Note: The 'arc of deforestation' runs along the southern and eastern margins of the Amazon, predominantly within the undesignated and private land category.

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20 marks

With reference to the tropical rainforest biome, assess the view that latitude is the most important factor in its natural development.

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2
20 marks

Evaluate the view that human activities pose the greatest threat to the long-term resilience of tropical ecosystems.

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3
20 marks

How far do you agree that the development pressures facing savanna grassland are more extreme than those facing tropical rainforest?

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