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CAIE A Level Biology 9700

Classification, biodiversity and conservation questions

Exam-style questions on Classification, biodiversity and conservation, ordered from foundation to challenge. Pick one, write your answer the way you would in the exam, and it comes back marked against the mark scheme, point by point.

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Written by Markquill to follow the Cambridge International syllabus. Markquill is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge International.

  1. Discuss4 marksStandardThe Mountain Toad (Bufo montanus) is a species endemic to a high-altitude region. Conservationists have recorded a rapid population decline over the past 20 years. The table below shows estimated population sizes and…
  2. Describe4 marksStandardA student used Simpson's index of diversity (D) to compare two habitats. The meadow habitat had D = 0.93 and the arable field habitat had D = 0.64. Describe what these D values indicate about the biodiversity of the…
  3. Discuss4 marksStandardThe pink-headed frog (Pseudophryne roseiceps) is a critically endangered amphibian endemic to a small tropical island. Its population has declined by over 90% in the past 20 years due to deforestation for agriculture…
  4. Outline4 marksStandardThe blue crane (Anthropoides paradiseus) and the wildflower Gibbaeum heathii are both endangered species in South Africa. Outline the roles of seed banks and frozen zoos in conserving such endangered species.
  5. Outline4 marksStandardA new virus, Argoviridae, has been isolated. Its genome consists of single-stranded DNA. Outline how viruses are classified based on the type of nucleic acid and whether it is single or double stranded.
  6. Outline5 marksStandardThe Sumatran forest deer (Elaphodus sumatranus) is critically endangered, with fewer than 100 individuals remaining in the wild. Conservationists are considering assisted reproduction techniques to boost the…
  7. Discuss5 marksStandardThe Thorny Lantana (Lantana spinosa) is a fast-growing shrub that was introduced to the island of Viti Levu as an ornamental plant. It has since spread across the island, forming dense thickets that shade out native…
  8. Describe5 marksStandardA biologist discovers a new organism and records its features in the table below. Feature Observation Cell structure Eukaryotic, multicellular Cell wall composition Cellulose Nutrition Autotrophic (photosynthetic)…
  9. Compare4 marksStandardA field biologist is studying two groups of beetles (Group A and Group B) found in different valleys. The beetles in Group A and Group B are morphologically indistinguishable, but when individuals from the two groups…
  10. Outline5 marksStandardThe Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is critically endangered, with fewer than 70 individuals surviving in Ujung Kulon National Park, Indonesia. The population is threatened by poaching, loss of habitat due to…
  11. Explain5 marksStandardThe mountain pygmy possum (Burramys parvus) is a small marsupial found only in alpine regions of Australia. Scientists collected data on its population size over 20 years, along with records of average summer…
  12. Outline5 marksStandardA student is comparing the characteristics of two prokaryotic organisms, Organism X and Organism Y. Their features are shown in the table below. Feature Organism X Organism Y Membrane lipid linkage Ether-linked…
  13. Outline4 marksStandardA student is studying a small woodland area. They observe three bird species feeding in different parts of the trees: one species feeds on insects in the bark, another feeds on fruits in the canopy, and a third feeds…
  14. Discuss5 marksStandardThe Rufous-winged sunbird (Nectarinia rufipennis) is a bird species found only on a small tropical island. Its population has declined sharply due to the loss of its forest habitat to oil palm plantations, competition…
  15. Compare5 marksStandardTwo populations of small mammals, Population X and Population Y, are found in neighbouring valleys. They are very similar in appearance (same fur colour, body size and skeletal proportions). However, when individuals…
  16. Compare4 marksStandardA biologist studying two populations of small mammals, X and Y, observes that they are very similar in appearance but differ in diet and mating calls. They do not interbreed in the wild. Compare the biological…
  17. Compare5 marksStandardTwo populations of frogs, Rana cantans and Rana silens, are found in separate but adjacent regions. They are indistinguishable in external morphology (size, colour, body shape) and occupy similar pond habitats…
  18. Explain5 marksStandardThe Azure-winged Magpie (Cyanopica cooki) is a bird species endemic to the forests of the island of Atlantica. Its population has declined sharply over the past 50 years. Two major factors are deforestation for…
  19. Describe5 marksStandardThe table below lists features of a newly discovered organism. Feature Description Cell type Eukaryotic Cell wall composition Chitin Nutrition Heterotrophic, absorptive Body organization Multicellular, filamentous…
  20. Explain4 marksStandardA student uses the mark-release-recapture method with the Lincoln index to estimate the population size of a species of snail in a park. The formula for the Lincoln index is N = (n1 × n2)/(m) , where: n1 = number of…
  21. Outline5 marksStandardA student investigated the distribution of five species of marine invertebrates on a rocky shore using a belt transect. A frame quadrat (0.25 m²) was placed at 5 m intervals along the transect from the high tide mark…
  22. Explain4 marksStandardThe table shows the estimated population sizes of two species of fish, Species X and Species Y, in a coastal lake over a 20-year period. Year Species X population Species Y population 2000 15000 8000 2005 12000 10000…
  23. Describe4 marksStandardDescribe the classification of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) from domain to species.
  24. Outline4 marksStandardA marine biologist calculated Simpson's index of diversity (D) for two coastal habitats: a pristine coral reef (D = 0.95) and a polluted estuary (D = 0.28). Outline what these two different values of D indicate about…
  25. Explain5 marksStandardA freshwater pond ecosystem contains various species, including a species of water lily (Nymphaea alba) and a species of dragonfly nymph that lives among the lily pads, preying on small invertebrates. Using this…
  26. Explain4 marksStandardThe Mountain Pygmy Frog (Microhyla montana) is a small amphibian found only in high-altitude forests of a single mountain range. Its population has declined sharply due to habitat destruction for agriculture and…
  27. Explain5 marksStandardAn ecologist investigated the relationship between soil pH and the abundance of a rare orchid species, Orchis rara, in a grassland ecosystem. At 10 randomly selected sample sites, she measured soil pH and counted the…
  28. Describe4 marksStandardDescribe the classification of the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) from domain to species. Explain how the biological species concept supports its classification as a separate species.
  29. Outline5 marksStandardA biologist isolates two prokaryotic organisms: Organism X from a thermal spring and Organism Y from the human intestine. Preliminary tests show differences in their cell wall composition and membrane lipids. Outline…
  30. Describe4 marksStandardA student wants to estimate the biodiversity of plant species in an old meadow. They plan to use 0.25 m² frame quadrats placed at 50 locations in a 100 m × 50 m field. Describe the importance of using random sampling…
  31. Describe5 marksStandardAn ecologist investigated the biodiversity of flowering plants in two different habitats: a mature woodland (Area A) and a recently restored grassland (Area B). Random quadrat sampling was carried out in each area, and…
  32. Compare7 marksChallengeTwo species concepts are often used by taxonomists: the biological species concept and the morphological species concept. A third concept, the ecological species concept, defines a species as a group of organisms that…
  33. Explain6 marksChallengeAn ecologist compared two woodland fragments, X and Y, in a nature reserve. She placed 50 random quadrats (each 1 m²) in each fragment and recorded the number of individuals of every plant species present. Using these…
  34. Describe5 marksChallengeA student investigated the biodiversity of organisms on a rocky shore using a belt transect. A 100 m transect line was laid perpendicular to the shoreline, from the low tide mark (0 m) to the high tide mark (100 m). At…
  35. Outline6 marksChallengeA researcher isolates a novel virus from deep-sea sediments with a single-stranded RNA genome. Outline the system used to classify this virus. Explain why viruses are not placed in any of the three domains of life…
  36. Describe5 marksChallengeA salt marsh is a coastal ecosystem that experiences tidal flooding. It has high salinity, waterlogged soil, and is dominated by cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). The marsh periwinkle snail (Littoraria irrorata)…
  37. Outline7 marksChallengeA student is investigating the relationship between soil moisture (an abiotic factor) and the abundance of a plant species in a grassland ecosystem. She uses random sampling with 10 frame quadrats. For each quadrat…
  38. Outline6 marksChallengeThe Himalayan blue pheasant (Lophophorus caeruleus) is a bird species endemic to high-altitude forests. Its population has declined sharply due to habitat loss from logging and agricultural expansion, as well as…
  39. Explain5 marksChallengeIn a marine protected area, an invasive species of alga, Caulerpa taxifolia, has been accidentally introduced. The alga grows rapidly, forms dense mats that smother native seagrasses and corals, and is avoided by…
  40. Discuss7 marksChallengeThe Mountain Striped Antelope (Antilope striata) is a critically endangered mammal endemic to a single mountain range. Its population has declined due to habitat destruction for agriculture and illegal hunting for…
  41. Outline6 marksChallengeThe table below shows some differences between Archaea and Bacteria. Feature Archaea Bacteria Membrane lipid structure Branched hydrocarbon chains Straight-chain fatty acids Ribosomal RNA sequence Distinct from…
  42. Describe5 marksChallengeA biologist discovers five new organisms. Their key features are shown in the table. Organism Cell type Cell wall Mode of nutrition Other features P Prokaryotic Present (peptidoglycan) Autotrophic (photosynthetic)…
  43. Outline6 marksChallengeThe Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is critically endangered, with fewer than 70 individuals remaining in a single national park in Java. The main threats have been habitat loss due to agricultural expansion…
  44. Explain6 marksChallengeA student investigates plant biodiversity in a large meadow. They place 20 quadrats (0.5 m × 0.5 m) only in the area closest to the footpath, because it is easier to access. They record the number of individuals of…
  45. Discuss7 marksChallengeSome conservationists claim that seed banks and frozen zoos are the most effective methods for conserving endangered species. Discuss this statement, with reference to the roles of these methods in conservation and the…
  46. Outline6 marksChallengeThe Misty Mountain Forest Frog (Rana monticola) is endemic to high-altitude forests of Southeast Asia. The table below shows its estimated population size from 2000 to 2020. Year Estimated population 2000 12,500 2005…
  47. Explain6 marksChallengeA student investigated plant biodiversity in two grassland areas, X and Y. In each area, 20 quadrats of area 0.25 m² were placed using random coordinates. The table shows the number of individuals of each plant species…
  48. Compare7 marksChallengeTwo populations of ciliated protists, Ciliatus morphus, are found in two separate ponds. Under a light microscope, individuals from both populations appear identical in size, shape, and arrangement of cilia. However…
  49. Describe5 marksChallengeA new unicellular organism, Novella marina, has been discovered in coastal waters. It has a nucleus, chloroplasts, a cell wall made of cellulose, and reproduces by binary fission. Describe how biologists would…
  50. Outline6 marksChallengeThe Spotted Tuskbeast (Tuskus spottedus) was a large mammal endemic to the forests of the island of Mabira. It became extinct in the wild in the 1990s due to a combination of habitat loss from logging and agriculture…
  51. Compare7 marksChallengeA researcher studies two populations of small mammals, one living in a coastal forest and the other in an inland grassland. The animals are morphologically very similar, with only slight differences in fur colour. They…
  52. Explain5 marksChallengeThe Mountain capuchin (Cebus montanus) is an endangered primate endemic to the Sierra Blanca mountains. Its population has declined sharply due to deforestation for agriculture, reduced fruit availability caused by…
  53. Discuss7 marksChallengeA critically endangered plant, the Mountain Bluebell (Campanula alpina ficta), is endemic to alpine meadows. Its population has declined due to climate change reducing snowmelt and competition from an invasive grass…
  54. Outline7 marksChallengeA conservation biologist is studying a population of a rare beetle species in a grassland. She catches 120 beetles, marks them with a small spot of non-toxic paint, and releases them back into the same area. One week…
  55. Outline6 marksChallengeA biologist investigating microbial diversity in a hot spring discovers two new entities. Entity X is a unicellular organism with cells that lack a nucleus. Chemical analysis shows its cell walls do not contain…
  56. Outline7 marksChallengeA student wants to estimate the population size of a species of grasshopper in a meadow. She uses the mark-release-recapture method. The Lincoln index is: N = (M × C)/(R), where N = estimated population size, M =…
  57. Explain6 marksChallengeTwo grassland sites, A and B, were sampled using random quadrats. The table shows the total number of individuals of each plant species recorded across all quadrats. Site A Site B Species Count Species Count Grass sp…
  58. Outline6 marksChallengeOutline the differences between Archaea and Bacteria with respect to their membrane lipids, ribosomal RNA, and cell wall composition.