Cambridge IGCSE · Biology 0610

IGCSE Biology: Human influences on ecosystems — Practice Questions & Answers

Understand food supply, deforestation, water and air pollution, eutrophication, conservation and sustainability for IGCSE Biology.

890 practice questions available for this topic — here are 10 with full answers and explanations.

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Practice questions with answers

1 Multiple choice · Easy

Which human activity involves the large-scale removal of forests?

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WhyDeforestation is the clearing or removal of large areas of forest.
2 Multiple choice · Easy

What is the name for the enrichment of water with nutrients leading to excessive algal growth?

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WhyEutrophication is nutrient enrichment that causes algal blooms.
3 Multiple choice · Easy

Which gas released by burning fossil fuels is the main cause of the enhanced greenhouse effect?

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WhyCarbon dioxide is the principal greenhouse gas from fossil fuel combustion.
4 Multiple choice · Easy

Which of these is a sustainable resource if managed correctly?

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WhyForests are renewable and can be sustained through careful management and replanting.
5 Multiple choice · Easy

What term describes the protection and careful management of species and their habitats?

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WhyConservation is the protection and management of organisms and their environment.
6 Multiple choice · Easy

Which farming method aims to maximise food production using high inputs in a small area?

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WhyIntensive farming uses high inputs to maximise yield from a given area.
7 Multiple choice · Easy

Which material is a major non-biodegradable pollutant found in oceans?

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WhyPlastics are non-biodegradable and accumulate in marine environments.
8 Multiple choice · Easy

What process reuses materials such as glass and metal to make new products?

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WhyRecycling reprocesses used materials into new products, conserving resources.
9 Multiple choice · Medium

Why does an algal bloom caused by eutrophication eventually lead to the death of fish?

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WhyDecomposing algae are broken down by aerobic bacteria that use up dissolved oxygen, suffocating fish.
10 Multiple choice · Medium

How does deforestation contribute to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide?

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WhyFewer trees means less photosynthesis removing carbon dioxide, and burning trees releases stored carbon.

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Key terms in Human influences on ecosystems

Food security: Having reliable access to enough safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. It is threatened by a growing human population, climate change, drought, flooding and conflict.
Food supply: The total amount of food available to a population, which humans try to increase using modern farming methods such as machinery, fertilisers, pesticides and selective breeding.
Modern technology in food production: The use of machinery, chemicals and improved breeds to raise crop and livestock yields, which boosts output but can damage soil, water and surrounding ecosystems.
Agricultural machinery: Powered equipment such as tractors and harvesters used to farm large areas quickly and with fewer workers, increasing the area cultivated and the yield obtained.
Chemical fertiliser: A manufactured substance added to soil to supply mineral ions such as nitrate and phosphate, helping crops grow larger and produce a higher yield.
Pesticide: A chemical used to kill organisms that damage or compete with crops, including insecticides and herbicides.
Insecticide: A chemical used to kill insect pests that feed on or damage crop plants, reducing losses and increasing yield.
Herbicide: A chemical used to kill weeds so that crops face less competition for light, water and mineral ions.

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