plumiEcosystems and sampling: Edexcel GCSE Combined Science questions
Every Edexcel GCSE Combined Science exam question on Ecosystems and sampling (specification points 9.1–9.6), 2018–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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Q2(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q2(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q2(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ2(b)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q2(b)(iv)
The whole paper ↗Q6(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q6(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q6(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ6(b)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q6(b)(iv)
The whole paper ↗Q6(c)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q1(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ4(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q4(c)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(d)
The whole paper ↗Q3(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ6(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗
All 53 questions on Ecosystems and sampling, as a list
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q2(a)(ii) (1 mark): Name one piece of equipment that could be used to sample the number of indigenous plants in this area. (1)
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q2(b)(i) (1 mark): State the trend shown by the data in Figure 5 for plant species C from 2019 to 2023. (1)
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q2(b)(ii) (1 mark): A scientist suggested that the decrease in the number of plants of species B in 2021 was caused by competition from one of the other species of plant. Which spe
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q2(b)(iii) (2 marks): Explain one way that this species could have out‑competed species B. (2)
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q2(b)(iv) (1 mark): Give one way that species H could have moved into the area. (1)
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(a)(ii) (1 mark): Name one piece of equipment that could be used to sample the number of indigenous plants in this area. (1)
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(b)(i) (1 mark): State the trend shown by the data in Figure 13 for plant species C from 2019 to 2023. (1)
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(b)(ii) (1 mark): A scientist suggested that the decrease in the number of plants of species B in 2021 was caused by competition from one of the other species of plant. Which spe
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(b)(iii) (2 marks): Explain one way that this species could have out‑competed species B. (2)
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(b)(iv) (1 mark): Give one way that species H could have moved into the area. (1)
- June 2025, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q6(c) (6 marks): Figure 14 shows some plants growing in a small area of a 1000 m2 field. dandelion plantain hawkbit clover Figure 14 Devise a plan to estimate the number of name
- June 2024, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q3(a)(i) (3 marks): The scientist wanted to use a random sampling technique. Devise a plan the scientist could use to randomly sample the number of plant species in the garden. (3)
- June 2024, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q3(a)(ii) (3 marks): The scientist also measured abiotic factors in the garden. The pH of the soil was measured using a pH meter. Describe how three other abiotic factors could be m
- June 2024, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q3(a)(iii) (2 marks): Mistletoe is a parasite that grows on some trees. Figure 4 shows a tree with mistletoe growing on it. mistletoe (Source: © NagyDodo/Shutterstock) Figure 4 Descr
- June 2023, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): The egret eats parasites that live on the skin of the buffalo. Which term describes this relationship, where the buffalo and the egret both benefit? (1) A eutro
- June 2023, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(c)(i) (2 marks): The data to calculate animal biodiversity was collected using the following method. • a 100 m2 area was chosen • three 1 m2 quadrats were placed randomly on the
- June 2023, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(c)(iii) (2 marks): The data shown in Figure 8 was collected during the summer. Explain why animal biodiversity would be different if the data had been collected in the winter. (2)
- June 2023, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(d) (3 marks): A scientist observes that trees at the edge of a forest shade part of a field. Describe how a belt transect could be used to see how light intensity affects the
- June 2022, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): Which term describes the relationship between this leguminous plant and the bacteria? (1) A parasitism B indigenous C biodiversity D mutualism
- June 2022, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q6(a)(i) (3 marks): Using data from Figure 9, calculate the difference in the population size from March to July. (3) Difference in the population size
- June 2022, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q6(a)(ii) (2 marks): State two factors the scientist should control when sampling the habitat in March and July. (2) 1 2
- November 2021, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q1(c)(i) (2 marks): Explain the effect of light intensity on the number of small plants per m2. (2)
- November 2021, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q1(c)(ii) (1 mark): State one variable the scientist should have controlled to make sure the light intensity measurements could be compared. (1)
- November 2021, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q1(d) (3 marks): The scientist selects an area near the edge of the woodland where many stinging nettles are growing. This area is partly shaded by the trees. Describe how the s
- November 2021, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(a) (1 mark): There are three levels of organisation in an ecosystem. Which order shows the levels of organisation from lowest to highest? (1) A community, population, organi
- November 2021, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(b)(i) (1 mark): A scientist predicts that the number of caterpillars will decrease in garden A. Give one reason why the number of caterpillars will decrease in garden A. (1)
- November 2021, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(b)(ii) (1 mark): The scientist predicts that the number of caterpillars will increase in garden B. Give one reason why the number of caterpillars will increase in garden B. (1)
- November 2021, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(b)(iii) (2 marks): Figure 4 shows the population of slugs in garden A for five years. Slug pellets were used during the first year. slug pellets used 6000 5000 Number 4000 of slug
- November 2021, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(c)(ii) (2 marks): Figure 5 shows tiny white animals called mites on the skin of a slug. The mites feed on blood. skin of slug mite Figure 5 Explain why these mites are classed as
- November 2021, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(d)(i) (2 marks): Explain the effect of light intensity on the number of small plants per m2. (2)
- November 2021, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(d)(ii) (1 mark): State one variable the scientist should have controlled to make sure the light intensity measurements could be compared. (1)
- November 2021, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(e) (3 marks): The scientist selects an area near the edge of the woodland where many stinging nettles are growing. This area is partly shaded by the trees. Describe how the s
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(a)(i) (1 mark): The tick burrows into the skin to obtain .
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(a)(ii) (1 mark): When a tick burrows into human skin the tick benefits but the human is harmed. This means that ticks are classed as .
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(c)(i) (1 mark): Name the type of relationship where both the oxpecker and the zebra benefit. (1)
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(c)(ii) (2 marks): Zebras eat grass. Complete the food chain that includes zebras, ticks, oxpeckers and grass. (2)
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(d)(i) (2 marks): Describe the difference in the maximum number of oxpeckers on the white rhino and on the hippo. (2)
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q2(d)(ii) (1 mark): Give one reason why more oxpeckers were observed on giraffes than on zebras. (1)
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q3(a) (2 marks): Figure 6 shows an invertebrate about to fall into a pitfall trap. flat stone invertebrate pebble sand soil food Figure 6 The steps the scientist used to set up
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q3(b)(i) (2 marks): Complete the table by filling in the tally and number for the spiders and worms. (2) invertebrate tally number of invertebrates ant 6 beetle 10
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q3(b)(ii) (2 marks): The scientist selected an invertebrate at random to observe it in more detail. State the probability that the invertebrate selected is an ant. Give your answer
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q3(b)(iii) (1 mark): State how the type of food used to bait the pitfall trap could affect the number of different invertebrates caught. (1)
- November 2020, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q3(c) (2 marks): The scientist also counted the number of snails in four 1m2 areas of the garden. The garden had a total area of 40 m2. Describe how the scientist can use this i
- June 2019, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the biomass of the population of earthworms in the garden. (1)
- June 2019, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a)(ii) (2 marks): Hedgehogs eat slugs and earthworms. Slug pellets were used to kill the slugs. Explain how killing the slugs would affect the population of earthworms in this ga
- June 2019, Biology Paper 2 Higher, Q1(a)(iii) (3 marks): Describe a method that could be used to estimate the population of slugs in the garden. (3)
- June 2019, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): Calculate the biomass of the population of earthworms in the garden. (1)
- June 2019, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(a)(ii) (2 marks): Hedgehogs eat slugs and earthworms. Slug pellets were used to kill the slugs. Explain how killing the slugs would affect the population of earthworms in this ga
- June 2019, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q5(a)(iii) (3 marks): Describe a method that could be used to estimate the population of slugs in the garden. (3)
- June 2018, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q3(c) (3 marks): Algae are green plants. Figure 7 shows the number of algae in a lake in the United Kingdom during one year. number of algae Apr May Jun Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan
- June 2018, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(a) (1 mark): Figure 8 shows a British glow-worm. ª%PN(SFWFT%JHJUBM Figure 8 Read the f
- June 2018, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(c)(i) (3 marks): Describe a sampling technique to find the mean number of female glow-worms in 1 m2 of the field. (3)
- June 2018, Biology Paper 2 Foundation, Q4(c)(ii) (1 mark): The mean number of female glow-worms in 1 m2 of the field is 5. The field has a total area of 800 m2. Estimate the number of female glow-worms in the whole fiel
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