Explain the concept of endemic species and their significance in biodiversity studies.
Describe the role of isolation in the process of speciation.
Explain how the following mechanisms contribute to maintaining genetic variation in populations:
Heterozygote advantage
Frequency-dependent selection
Figure 2(b): Examples of ecosystems in London
[Source: (top left) O’Connor, P., 2015. GOC Walthamstow to Stratford 164: Old English Garden, Victoria Park. [image
online] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/anemoneprojectors/25609419345/in/photostream/Attribution-
ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/[Accessed 22 May
2020]. Source adapted.
(top right) Taylor, J., 2009. Park Crescent, London NW1 private communal garden. [image online] Available at:
https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Park_Crescent,_London_NW1_private_communal_garden_-_geograph.org.
uk_-_1268358.jpg Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/bysa/
2.0/ [Accessed 22 May 2020]. Source adapted.
(bottom left) Haywood, Jay., 2004. Grey Heron in London Wetlands Centre. [image online] Available at:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grey_Heron_in_London_Wetlands_Centre_-_geograph.org.uk_-
_795424.jpg Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/[Accessed 22 May 2020]. Source adapted.
(center left and right) Oberst, T., 2019 Untitled. [photograph].]
Figure 3: Climate graph for London
Figure 4(a): Green spaces in London
[Source:Greater London Authority, 2016. Draft Economic Evidence Base 2016. [online] Available at: https://www.london.
gov.uk/sites/default/files/draft-eeb-2016.pdf [Accessed 1 June 2020].]
With reference to Figures 2(b) and 3, identify an ecosystem found in London.
Outline one factor which limits the primary productivity of an ecosystem in London.
Identify one distribution pattern of green spaces seen in Figure 4(a).
Outline three ways that London’s green spaces are considered natural capital.
Explain how genetic drift can lead to changes in allele frequencies in small populations.
Explain how soil can be viewed as an ecosystem.
Examine the role of humans in the destabilization of ecological systems.
Compare and contrast the impact of humans on the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
Explain how hybridization can contribute to the origin of new species.
When addressing environmental issues, mitigation strategies can be seen as ecocentric and adaptation strategies as technocentric.
With reference to named strategies addressing global warming, to what extent is this view valid?
Discuss how the atmosphere plays a role in maintaining life-supporting temperatures over the Earth’s surface.
Explain the processes by which a species evolves a greater tolerance to higher temperatures.
Explain the concept of convergent evolution and provide an example.
Figure 2: A graph showing past mass extinctions.
[Source: The Earth Through Time, Eighth Edition by Harold L. Levin. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 9780471697435. 2006. Chapter 14 Life of the Mesozoic. Graph:Diversity of marine animals through geologic time, as indicated by number of known fossil genera. Used with permission from Wiley. Permission conveyed through Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.]
State two possible causes of these past mass extinctions.
Identify two ways in which the current extinction differs from mass extinctions inthe past.
Explain one factor that may make a species less prone to extinction.
Outline how the process of natural selection is a mechanism for evolution.
