plumiProductivity and energy transfer: Edexcel International A Level Biology questions
Every Edexcel International A Level Biology exam question on Productivity and energy transfer (specification points 5.9–5.10), 2019–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
Paper
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Q1(a)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ1(b)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ1(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q1(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ1(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q1(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q1(b)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q5(a)
The whole paper ↗Q5(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q8(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q8(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q8(b)
The whole paper ↗Q9(a)
The whole paper ↗Q5(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ5(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Your answerQ5(a)(iii)
The whole paper ↗Q5(a)(iv)
The whole paper ↗Q8(a)
The whole paper ↗Q8(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q8(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗
All 30 questions on Productivity and energy transfer, as a list
- January 2025, Unit 4, Q1(a) (1 mark): Which row of the table identifies the box that represents net primary productivity (NPP), the box that represents gross primary productivity (GPP) and the box t
- January 2025, Unit 4, Q1(b) (1 mark): Which are suitable units for NPP? (1) A kJ m yr–1 B kJ m–1 yr–2 C kJ m–2 yr2 D kJ m–2 yr–1
- January 2025, Unit 4, Q1(c)(i) (1 mark): The biomass was distributed 34% to the leaves, 37% to the roots and the rest to the wood of the trees. Calculate how many units of biomass were distributed to t
- January 2025, Unit 4, Q1(c)(ii) (1 mark): Which row of the table shows what can be found in the biomass of leaves and roots of trees? (1) Leaves Roots A chlorophyll and starch chlorophyll and protein B
- October 2024, Unit 4, Q1(b)(i) (1 mark): Only one fifteenth of this light energy was converted into plant biomass. Calculate the number of kilocalories of light energy converted into plant biomass. Giv
- October 2024, Unit 4, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): Only 6 kilocalories became animal biomass. Calculate the number of kilojoules (kJ) of energy that became biomass. 1 kilocalorie = 4.2 kJ. Give your answer to tw
- October 2024, Unit 4, Q1(b)(iii) (1 mark): In another field 154 000 kilocalories of energy was converted into plant biomass. Only 25 kilocalories of this energy was passed onto the highest trophic level
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q5(a) (1 mark): In one investigation, scientists looked at the accumulation of the neurotoxin BMAA in the food chain of the Chamorro people. The table shows some of the data. T
- June 2024, Unit 5, Q5(b)(i) (4 marks): Explain the results of this investigation. Use information from the question to support your answer. (4)
- October 2023, Unit 4, Q8(a)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the net primary productivity (NPP) as a percentage of the gross primary productivity (GPP) in this food chain. (2) Answer %
- October 2023, Unit 4, Q8(a)(ii) (3 marks): Complete the right-hand side of the diagram by adding: • arrows • the missing information in the box. (3)
- October 2023, Unit 4, Q8(b) (3 marks): Some animals eat a diet of meat and plant material. These animals can be given a trophic level number (TLN) based on a scale of 1 to 5. Animals that eat only pl
- October 2022, Unit 4, Q9(a) (2 marks): Scientists have found that on average, 24 % of plant biomass is underground in the roots. The total plant biomass underground contains 113 gigatonnes of carbon.
- June 2022, Unit 4, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): Which are the units for the energy content of these organisms? (1) A kJ m–1 year–1 B kJ m–1 year–2 C kJ m–2 year–1 D kJ m–2 year–2
- June 2022, Unit 4, Q5(a)(ii) (1 mark): The energy content of the tree is the net primary productivity (NPP). What is the relationship between NPP, gross primary productivity (GPP) and respiration (R)
- June 2022, Unit 4, Q5(a)(iii) (1 mark): Calculate the ratio of the energy contents shown in these trophic levels: trophic level 1 : trophic level 2 : trophic level 3 (1) Answer
- June 2022, Unit 4, Q5(a)(iv) (2 marks): Explain why there is no fourth trophic level in this food chain. (2)
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q8(a) (1 mark): State the meaning of the term biomass. (1)
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q8(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the percentage of biomass in organisms belonging to the domain Eukarya. Use the information in diagram A. (2) Answer %
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q8(b)(ii) (2 marks): Suggest why the scientists studied the distribution of biomass in groups of organisms and not the number of individual organisms. Use the information in diagram
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q8(b)(iii) (3 marks): Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of presenting data in Voronoi diagrams. Use diagram B to support your answer. (3)
- October 2021, Unit 4, Q8(c) (6 marks): The same study also determined the distribution of biomass in three different environments: marine, deep underground and land. The Voronoi diagram shows the dis
- June 2021, Unit 4, Q3(b) (1 mark): Calculate the efficiency of energy transfer between trophic level one and trophic level two. (1) Answer %
- June 2021, Unit 4, Q7(b)(i) (3 marks): Describe the conclusions that can be drawn from this graph. (3)
- June 2021, Unit 4, Q7(b)(ii) (4 marks): Explain how the products of the light-independent reactions become NPP below the ground. (4)
- June 2021, Unit 6, Q2(b)(i) (1 mark): State the meaning of the term biomass. (1)
- June 2021, Unit 6, Q2(b)(ii) (2 marks): When burnt, switchgrass biomass releases 14.25 MJ kg–1 of energy. Calculate the energy released from burning all the Kanlow biomass produced in year four. Give
- January 2020, Unit 4, Q1(a) (1 mark): Complete the diagram by writing the appropriate word or words in box A and in box B. (1)
- January 2020, Unit 4, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): Which of the following are the units for NPP? (1) A kg m–1 yr–1 B kg m–2 yr–2 C kJ m–1 yr–1 D kJ m–2 yr–1
- January 2020, Unit 4, Q1(b)(iii) (2 marks): In this forest, the total NPP was 11 700 units. The leaves contained 34% of the NPP and the wood contained 39% of the NPP. Calculate the NPP content in the root
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