STPM BIOLOGY – TERM 3

Chapter 2: Ecology

Part A: Structured
1.

[3 marks]

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2. The diagram below shows the energy flow measured during a study of a grassland ecosystem. The values
shown are kJ m-2 year-1 x 104. Values of energy lost through respiration (R) and other means (L) are
shown for some organisms. The biomass of the organisms in the ecosystem remains unchanged during
the study. [Pahang 2012]

(a) Calculate the gross primary productivity (GPP) for the grasses in this system. Show your working.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________ [ 2 marks]

(b) Describe how this figure could be used to calculate the net primary productivity (NPP) of the grasses.

________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________ [1
mark]

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 (c) Calculate the percentage of energy taken in by the grasshoppers that is converted into new
grasshopper biomass. Show your working.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________ [3 marks]

(d) Give two ways in which energy is lost by the grasshoppers other than in respiration.

________________________________________________________________________ [ 2 marks]

(e) Use your calculated figure in parts (a) and (c) to explain why food chains are of limited length.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________ [ 2 marks]

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Part B: Essays

1. (a) Describe how climatic and biotic factors affect the size of a population. [ 8 marks]
(b) Describe how the population size of rats in a rice field can be estimated. [ 7 marks]
Johor 2008

2. (a) Explain the meaning of the term ecosystem. [ 5 marks]

(b) Explain how energy is transferred along the food chain in an ecosystem. [ 10 marks]
Kedah 2011

3. (a) Describe the different types of ecological pyramids. [ 6 marks]

(b) Discuss the factors which influence the size of a population. [ 9 marks]
Melaka 2009

4. (a) Explain biogeochemical cycle. [ 5 marks]

(b) With the aid of a suitable diagram, explain the phosphorus cycle. [ 10 marks]
N.Sembilan 2011

5. (a) Describe the energy transfer from the sun to producers through the trophic levels. [ 11 marks]
(b) Describe and explain the shape of a bacterial population curve. [ 4 marks]
Pahang 2011

6. (a) Explain what is meant by:

(i) Carrying capacity
(ii) Biotic potential [ 4 marks]
(b) With reference to suitable examples, describe the adaptive features of organisms using the k
strategies and r strategies for their survivals. [ 11 marks]
Perak(2) 2009

7. (a) What are meant by niche and habitat? [ 4 marks]

(b) State three types of niche in ecology and elaborate on each of them. [ 11 marks]
Selangor 2011

END OF CHAPTER 2

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 STPM BIOLOGY – TERM 3
Chapter 2: Ecology
Answer Scheme

1. (a) Climatic factors

- Temperature influences the action of enzymes in organisms. Regions with optimum
temperature is more densely populated. 1
- Light intensity affects the rate of photosynthesis in plants (producers). Regions that have
optimum light intensity have more plants, which indirectly increases the number of
consumers in that region. 1
- Supply of water in an area is important as organisms cannot survive without it, so areas with
good water supply will have more organisms compared to areas with less water. 1
- Water current influences the distribution of nutrients in the water and strong current may
even move organisms to other areas. 1
- Oxygen is needed in aerobic respiration in organisms. Regions with higher oxygen content
generally have more organisms. 1
- Winds affect evaporation rate. The number of organisms is generally lower in regions that
have strong wind. 1

Biotic factors
- Food source and availability are important to all organisms because they have to obtain food
for growth and other metabolic processes. Regions with plenty supply of food are more
densely populated. 1
- Competition is the interaction between two or more organisms that are competing to obtain
the same limited resources. The more intense the competition, the less the chance of
organisms obtaining the limited resources. Competition reduces the reproductive rate, thus
the population growth is reduced. 1
- Predation is the interaction between two organisms in which the predators hunt, kill and eat
the prey. The populations of the prey and predator are maintained in dynamic equilibrium.
1
- Parasitism occurs in a relationship between two organisms, where one organism called the
parasite benefits, while the other organism called the host loses. Parasites weaken their host
and make them more vulnerable to predators. Parasite-infested regions generally have a
smaller number of organisms. Parasites can easily be transmitted from one host to another
in region that has bigger population size. 1
Max: 8m

(b) - Capture-recapture method can be used to estimate the size of rat population in a rice field.
1
- Traps with baits are placed randomly in the study area and left overnight since the rats are
primarily nocturnal animals. 1
- The next morning, the traps are collected and the total number of rats caught is recorded as
the first sample. 1
- Each rat caught is marked with suitable method such as using permanent and non-toxic ink.
1
- The marked rats are then released back to the study area. 1
1
 - After three days, traps with baits are again placed randomly in the study area and left
overnight. 1
- The next day, the traps are collected and the total number of rats caught is recorded as the
second sample. 1
- The total number of rats with marking in the second sample is also recorded. 1
- The population size can be estimated using the formula: 1
Number of rats in 1st sample x number of rats in 2nd sample
Population size =
Number of marked rats recaptured

- In this method, the following assumptions are made: 2

 Rates are captured randomly.
 Changes to the general population size during the experiment are negligible, that are
immigration, emigration, death and birth in the population are not significant.
 The markings made are not lost during the period of experiment.
 The marked rats mix randomly with unmarked one within the study area.
Max: 7m
Total: 15m

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2. (a) - An ecosystem comprises biotic components and abiotic components that mutually interact
and function together (to form a stable and balanced natural system). 1
- The biotic components of an ecosystem involve all the living organisms that interact with
each other in the ecosystem. 1
- The biotic components in an ecosystem comprises at least three trophic levels: producers
(autotroph), consumers (heterotrophs) and decomposers. 1
- The energy flow in an ecosystem is continuous and produces an output of heat energy.
1
- Nutrients such as water, sulphur and phosphorus are recycled by biogeochemical cycles.
1
- Ex: pond ecosystem that consists of biotic components such as carp, Daphnia, and abiotic
components such as pond water, soil and sunlight. 1
Max: 5m

(b) - Food chain reflects the transfer of energy in an ecosystem. 1

- Original source of energy is from the sun/solar energy 1
- Primary producers/photosynthetic organisms trap 1-5% of light energy received for biomass
production. 1
- Primary consumers/herbivores feed on plants/primary producers. 1
- Energy is transferred from first trophic level to second trophic level. 1
- 90% of the energy is lost to the environment // only 10% of the biomass produced consumed
by the herbivores // 10% of energy is transferred to next trophic level. 1
- There is further energy lost through respiration and excretion. 1
- Secondary consumers feed on primary consumers. 1
- Tertiary consumers feed on secondary consumers. 1
2
 - There are seldom 5 trophic levels. 1
- Large amount of energy is lost during the transfer (within or between the organisms) // each
trophic level receives less energy than the level below it. 1
- At the forth or fifth level, only a small amount of energy is left/insufficient to support further
trophic level. 1
- Limiting the number of members in higher trophic level. 1
Max: 10
Total: 15m

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3. (a) - Number pyramid 1

- shows the number of individual organisms that occupy the trophic levels in a food chain
1
- Biomass pyramid 1
- based on the total dry weight, calorific value or other measurements for the amount of living
substances in each subsequent trophic level. 1
- Energy pyramid 1
- shows the rate of energy flow or production at each subsequent trophic level. The best
ecological pyramid to illustrate as a whole the functional condition of a community. 1

(b) - Fluctuation/ increase or decrease of population size is due to the interaction between two
intrinsic factors: birth (natality) rate and death (mortality) rate of a population. 1
- In low environmental resistance, population size increases due to rise in birth rate and
conversely, in high environmental resistance, the size of population decreases when the
death rate increases. 1
(any one only)
- Population age: 1
A population with a high number of aged members/individuals result in low biotic potential
and this limits/reduces the size of a population // conversely, a population with a high
number of young individuals with high biotic potential increases the population size. 1
- Food, water, oxygen
Inadequate/lack of essential needs such as food, oxygen etc inhibit growth/reproduction of
organisms in a population. 1
This also increases the death rate and the size of population decreases. 1
- Predation: 1
When number of predators increases, population size decreases. 1
- Disease outbreak/ epidemic / parasitism / environmental disasters 1
- These will increase the death rate and will decrease the population size. 1
- Limited space/ lack of space/ overcrowding 1
- The lack of space or overcrowding results in behavioral disturbances such as mating failure,
aggressive behavior, cannabalism. 1
- Accumulation of toxic excretory products/ contamination/ pollution 1
- These factors slow down population growth thus population size decreases. 1

3
 - Migration/ emigration and immigration 1
- Emigration causes population size to decrease whereas immigration increases population
size. 1
- Territorial behavior 1
- Decreases overcrowding and competition and ensure that food supply and space are
adequate for offsprings/ mating  increase population size. 1
(any 8 m)
Total: 15m

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4. (a) Biogeochemical cycle means
- natural cycle of essential chemical elements in (various forms) by the geological and
biological processes. 1
- chemical elements flow from abiotic reserve to biotic components and back to the abiotic
pool // involve interactions between living things and non-living things 1
- The cycle prevents depletion of the resources. 1

(b) - Diagram: 4

- Sedimentation of phosphate on ocean floor from the rocks. 1

- After millions of years, geological land uplift raised the rocks containing phosphorus above
sea level. 1
- Through erosion, phosphates return to soil, rivers, lakes and oceans from the rocks. 1
- Mining of rocks for the manufacture of fertilizers supplies inorganic phosphate to the soil.
1
- Inorganic phosphates are absorbed by plants. 1
- then assimilated to synthesis important compounds/ amino acids. 1
4
 - Transferred to herbivores when eaten and then to other trophic levels in the food chain
through assimilation. 1
- When organisms die, remains of bones, teeth, shells and excretory waste area acted on by
bacteria to release inorganic phosphate into soil by decomposition. 1
(Max: 12m)
Total: 15 m

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5. (a) Transfer of energy from sun to producers:
- Less than 1% of the total amount of incoming solar radiation is used in photosynthesis/
primary production. 1
- Solar radiation reflected or absorbed (or radiated back into space) by ozone layer/ dust
particles/ clouds. 1
- Most energy fails to strike green plants/ absorbed by soil. 1
- Of the solar radiation striking the leaf much is used in evaporating water from the leaf. 1
- Sunlight is absorbed by the chlorophyll (during which it is converted to chemical energy) of
green plants. 1
- Some light striking the plants is not in the photosynthetically active range/ chlorophyll
absorbs mostly red and blue wavelength. 1
- The total amount of energy captured in newly synthesised carbohydrates/ during
photosynthesis represents the gross primary production (GPP). 1
(any 5)

Transfer of energy through trophic levels

- Much of the producer materials will die and enter the decomposer trophic level. 1
- In fact, generally over 50% of the plant material enters the decomposer food chain rather
than the consumer food chain. 1
- Some of the plant material eaten by primary consumers (herbivores) will be egested as
faeces and will (along the urine) be available to decomposers. 1
- Some of the plant material eaten and digested by primary consumers will be assimilated.
1
- Some of the energy assimilated will be respired and so lost as heat (in all trophic level).
1
- Some energy may be lost in urine. 1
- Generally the biomass/ productivity of one trophic level is less than that of the previous
trophic level/ in fact, only about 10% of the energy consumed by one trophic level is
available for the consumption of next trophic level. 1
- This results in a limit in the number of trophic levels in an ecosystem to four or five by the
fifth trophic level there is not enough energy to support another trophic level. 1
(any 6)
Max: 11m

(b) - Lag phase: period of preparation for growth/ intense metabolic activity, notably enzyme
synthesis/ numbers are low and thus rate of multiplication is low. 1
- Log/ exponential phase: no limiting factors/ abundant resources/ rapid reproduction 1
- Decelarating phase: population growth begins to slow down 1
5
 - Stationary phase: carrying capacity reached/ rate cell division = rate cell death/ population
has reached maximum size. 1
- Competition for limited resources. 1
- due to a depletion of resources/ accumulation of toxins. 1
Max: 4m
Total: 15m

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6. ai) - The maximum population size of a particular species 1
- that can be supported by a given habitat or area 1
- under certain environmental conditions over a given period of time. 1
ii) - The maximum growth rate of a population 1
- occurring during conditions of little or no environmental resistance. 1

(b) Organisms using k strategies:

- Well adapted to live in a stable environment 1
- Have long life span 1
- Low rate of natality, producing small number of offsprings. 1
- Provide good care and protection of their offspring. 1
- Large in size 1
Organisms using r strategies
- Live in unstable surrounding. 1
- Short life span 1
- High reproductive rate, produce large number of offspring for the survival of the species.
1
- Relatively small organisms 1
- High mortality rate in young stage, ex oyster, bacteria, protozoa such as Paramecium. 1
Max: 10 m
Total: 15m

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7. (a) - A niche refers to the physical area dwelt in by an organism and its functional role in the
community. 1
- The functional roles are dependent on the dwelling and the activities of the organism 1
- A habitat refers to the natural area where an organism lives and grows. 1
- Habitats consist of physical and biotic factors that influence the living of the organisms (ex:
The niche of Rhizophora is mangrove swamp) 1
(b) Three types of niche:
- Space or habitat niche 1
- Trophic or food niche 1
- Multidimensional or hyper volume niche 1
Space niche
- refers to the total overall area or various effective environments dwelt in by an organism
even though the environment changes from one stage of the organism’s life cycle to
another. 1
6
- Ex: The environment of the seedling of a plant is different from the environment of the
mature plant. 1
- The space niche of the plant is the whole area involved in its life time. 1
Trophic niche
- Trophic niche could be explained by referring to the feeding habits of caterpillars and aphids.
1
- Both feed on the same plant but the caterpillars eat the leaves while aphids suck the plant’s
stem sap. 1
- Thus, caterpillars and aphids are said to be having different trophic niche. 1
Multidimensional niche
- A niche is regarded as multidimensional of its environment and allow individual or species to
continue living there. 1
- This refers to environmental factors including the temperature, food and mineral sources,
other organisms and other environmental factors that affect a population such as
competitions. 1
-