Bees are flying insects that feed on nectar made in flowers - AQA - A-Level Biology - Question 3 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 3
Bees are flying insects that feed on nectar made in flowers. There are many different species of bee.
Scientists investigated how biodiversity of bees varied in thr... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Bees are flying insects that feed on nectar made in flowers - AQA - A-Level Biology - Question 3 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
What is meant by 'species richness'?
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Answer
Species richness refers to the number of different species present in a particular habitat or ecosystem. It is a key measure of biodiversity, indicating the variety of life forms that coexist in an environment.
Step 2
From the data in Figure 4, a student made the following conclusions. The natural habitat is most favourable for bees.
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The data in Figure 4 supports this conclusion because the peak mean number of bees in the natural habitat is highest throughout the year, particularly evident until day 200.
Step 3
From the data in Figure 4, a student made the following conclusions. The town is the least favourable for bees.
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Yes, this is supported by the data as the species richness in the town remains the lowest compared to both the natural habitat and farmland, particularly noticeable by day 125.
Step 4
The scientists collected bees using a method that was ethical and allowed them to identify accurately the species to which each belonged. 1.
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The method must not harm the bees, ensuring they are handled gently to avoid stress or injury.
Step 5
The scientists collected bees using a method that was ethical and allowed them to identify accurately the species to which each belonged. 2.
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The method must allow close examination of the bees, permitting researchers to accurately identify species based on physical characteristics.
Step 6
Suggest and explain two ways in which the scientists could have improved the method used for data collection in this investigation. 1.
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The scientists could collect data at more times of the year to have a better understanding of bee populations across all seasons, potentially leading to more comprehensive data.
Step 7
Suggest and explain two ways in which the scientists could have improved the method used for data collection in this investigation. 2.
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They could increase the number of individuals collected in each species, allowing for a more accurate calculation of species diversity and population dynamics.
Step 8
What do these names suggest about the evolutionary relationships between these bee species? Explain your answer.
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The names suggest that Andrena chlorogaster and Andrena piperi are closely related to each other as they belong to the same genus, indicating a common ancestor. In contrast, Peponapis pruinosa being a different genus suggests a more distant evolutionary relationship, possibly having diverged more significantly from the common ancestral line.