Ecology

Question 1

Describe why more land is being used for farming and how farming has decreased biodiversity

Answer 1

Increased population required more crops for more food. Farming crops for biofuels, and increased use of pesticide

Deforestation and loss of hedgerows to make fields larger and loss of habitat and run off fertiliserpollutes water this all causes decreased biodiversity

More CO2 and more methane from cow’s impact biodiversity as animals aren’t adapted to the climate, acid rain

Question 2

Advantage of golden rice compared to non GM rice

Answer 2

Improved nutritional value

Question 3

Describe two reasons why the biomass of the insects eaten by dogs does not all become biomass of the dogs

Answer 3

Urea from excretion
Carbon dioxide from respiration

Question 4

Explain how making dog food from insects could improve human food security in the future

Answer 4

Less land required
So more space for crops for humans
Less methane from animals therefore less global warming
Therefore less harmful effects of global warming on food production

Question 5

Explain the advantage of making crop plants resistant to glyphosate

Answer 5

Can use glyphosate to kill weeds but not kill the crop
So Less competition for light
So crops have higher yield

Question 6

Suggest why it is useful for bubbles of air and materials to move around inside the fermenter

Answer 6

So the bacteria/fungus/whatever can
Grow faster
And get sufficient oxygen

Question 7

Suggest one possible disadvantages of intensive farming methods

Answer 7

Disease spread more rapidly

Question 8

Give two reasons why people may disagree with farming cows in a tightly packed area

Answer 8

It is cruel
Disease spreads faster

Question 9

Suggest two possible advantages of producing cultured meat instead of farmed meat

Answer 9

Disease free meat
No harm to animals or less intensive farming

Question 10

Describe how mycoprotein is produced

Answer 10

Fungus
with glucose
In aerobic conditions
Then mycoprotein is harvested