3 The diagram shows part of a food web in a marine ecosystem. herring zooplankton phytoplankton grey seal killer whale (orca) humpback whale cormorant (a) (i) Complete the food chain using the diagram. … … cormorant … [2] (ii) Explain how overfishing of herring might affect the population of killer whales. … … … … [2] (b) Explain two strategies to prevent overfishing. strategy 1 … explanation … … strategy 2 … explanation … … [4] [Total: 8] Section B

3(a)(i) phytoplankton  zooplankton  (cormorant)  killer whale (orca) 1 correct; 3 correct; 2 3(a)(ii) either: killer whale numbers will decrease; as fewer herring to eat; or: killer whale numbers will remain the same; as other food sources available / will eat more humpback whales; 2 3(b) any two named strategies with associated explanations, e.g.: reduce the season for fishing; prevents fish being caught in breeding season; (introduce / decrease) quotas: limits the number of fish caught; increase size of mesh in nets; allows smaller / immature, fish to escape to breed; (introduce / increase) limits to net, sizes / types; prevents all the fish from being caught in the area; (introduce / increase) licensing (of boats); restricts number of vessels / time at sea; (introduce / increase) enforcement of laws: allows monitoring of catch / stops illegal fishing; (introduce / increase) marine reserves / no-fishing areas; provides undisturbed habitat for fish; (introduce / increase) fish-farming; reduce amount of wild fish caught; 4 (a)(i) To earn marks, you must correctly complete the food chain by identifying phytoplankton, zooplankton, and killer whale (orca) in the correct sequence. (a)(ii) To score marks, you need to explain how overfishing of herring affects killer whale populations, either by stating that killer whale numbers will decrease due to less food, or that they will remain the same by eating other food sources. (b) To earn marks, you must describe two distinct strategies to prevent overfishing, each with a clear explanation, such as reducing the fishing season to prevent catching fish during breeding or introducing quotas to limit the number of fish caught.

3 The diagram shows part of a food web in a marine ecosystem. herring zooplankton phytoplankton grey seal killer whale (orca) humpback whale cormorant (a) (i) Complete the food chain using the diagram. … … cormorant … [2] (ii) Explain how overfishing of herring might affect the population of killer whales. … … … … [2] (b) Explain two strategies to prevent overfishing. strategy 1 … explanation … … strategy 2 … explanation … … [4] [Total: 8] Section B

3(a)(i) phytoplankton  zooplankton  (cormorant)  killer whale (orca) 1 correct; 3 correct; 2 3(a)(ii) either: killer whale numbers will decrease; as fewer herring to eat; or: killer whale numbers will remain the same; as other food sources available / will eat more humpback whales; 2 3(b) any two named strategies with associated explanations, e.g.: reduce the season for fishing; prevents fish being caught in breeding season; (introduce / decrease) quotas: limits the number of fish caught; increase size of mesh in nets; allows smaller / immature, fish to escape to breed; (introduce / increase) limits to net, sizes / types; prevents all the fish from being caught in the area; (introduce / increase) licensing (of boats); restricts number of vessels / time at sea; (introduce / increase) enforcement of laws: allows monitoring of catch / stops illegal fishing; (introduce / increase) marine reserves / no-fishing areas; provides undisturbed habitat for fish; (introduce / increase) fish-farming; reduce amount of wild fish caught; 4 (a)(i) To earn full marks, you must correctly identify all three missing organisms in the food chain: phytoplankton, zooplankton, and killer whale (orca). (a)(ii) To score marks, you need to explain how overfishing of herring affects killer whales, either by stating their numbers will decrease due to less food, or remain the same if other food sources are available. (b) To earn full marks, you must describe two distinct strategies to prevent overfishing and provide a clear explanation for how each strategy works.

4 The photograph shows an area of deforestation. (a) State two causes of deforestation. 1 … 2 … [2] (b) A food chain for a forest is shown. tree caterpillar small bird hawk State the name of the producer in this food chain. … [1] (c) Forests provide habitats and food for many organisms. Explain other reasons why forests should not be cut down. … … … … [2] [Total: 5] Section B

4(a) any two from: timber extraction / logging; farming; settlements; roads; mining; 2 4(b) tree; 1 4(c) any two from: act as carbon sinks / carbon store; reference to photosynthesis qualified e.g. supplies O2 (for respiration)/ reference to CO2; prevention of soil erosion; biodiversity / genetic resource; medicine / raw materials; ecotourism; example of the impact on water cycle e.g. prevents flooding; 2 (a) To earn marks, you need to state any two distinct causes of deforestation from the provided list, such as timber extraction, farming, or mining. (b) You must correctly identify 'tree' as the producer in the given food chain. (c) To score, you need to explain two additional reasons why forests should be preserved, such as their role as carbon sinks, prevention of soil erosion, or providing raw materials for medicine.

7 (a) The bar chart shows the percentage of species threatened with extinction for some groups of organisms. The bar chart is not complete. (i) Complete the bar chart to show that 31% of species in the sharks and rays group are threatened with extinction. [1] (ii) The total number of species assessed was 98 149. Of these, 27% are threatened with extinction. Calculate the number of species threatened with extinction. … [1] (iii) Suggest why the number of species threatened with extinction may increase in the future. … … … … … … [3] Content removed due to copyright restrictions. (iv) Describe how zoos can help the conservation of species. … … … … [2] (b) The map shows the main areas of forest around the world. N Equator Tropic of Capricorn Tropic of Cancer Key forest areas (i) Describe the distribution of forest areas around the world. … … … … … … [3] (ii) Trees in a forest prevent soil erosion. Describe how trees prevent soil erosion. … … … … [2] (iii) Describe causes of deforestation. … … … … [2] [Total: 14]

7(a)(i) bar line correctly completed at 31%; 1 7(a)(ii) 26 500(.23); 1 7(a)(iii) any three from: climate change / getting hotter / getting wetter / getting drier; vegetation changes; sea levels rise; acid rain; disease / epidemic; spread of invasive species; increased human population; destruction of habitats; pollution; hunting / poaching; 3 7(a)(iv) any two from: breeding programs; maintaining genetic diversity; education; reintroduction; funding conservation / research; veterinary assistance / training / support; prevents predation / hunting; 2 7(b)(i) any three from: (north) Asia; Canada / north of North America; east / west sides of North America; south of North America; north of South America; central Africa; Indonesian islands; Japan; AVP; 3 7(b)(ii) any two from: (leaves) reduce interception; (leaves) reduce force of wind / wind speed; roots hold soil; reduce run-off; 2 7(b)(iii) any two from: increasing human population; (which means increased): timber extraction and logging; farming; roads; settlements; mining / rock / mineral extraction; 2

8 The graph shows the global percentage of land covered by trees from 1992 to 2016. 32.0 31.8 31.6 31.4 31.2 31.0 30.8 30.6 30.4 30.2 30.0 1996 1992 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 global percentage of land covered by trees (%) year (a) (i) Describe the trend in global percentage of land covered by trees from 1992 to 2016. … … … … [2] (ii) Suggest reasons for this trend. … … … … … … [3] (b) Describe strategies a country can use to preserve its forests. … … … … … … … … … … [5] [Total: 10]

8(a)(i) general trend identified: (overall) decrease; plus one further detail: by 0.9%; from 31.62% to 30.72%; with a reduction in the rate of decline from 1999 / 2000; 2 8(a)(ii) any three from: increase in population; increased demand for timber; requirements of land for, food production / fuel / mining; urbanisation / description of urbanisation / building of infrastructure; climate change / increasing desertification; 3 8(b) any five descriptions of: legislation; use of quotas / managed extraction; afforestation / reforestation; agroforestry; education; investment into other fuel sources; national parks / reserves; ecotourism; policing / wardens, to protect forest; increase recycling of, paper / cardboard; 5

Cambridge IGCSE Environmental Management · 0680

IGCSE Environmental Management (0680) Natural ecosystems and human activities past paper questions

Revise IGCSE Environmental Management (0680) — Natural ecosystems and human activities with real Cambridge past-paper questions grouped by topic, each shown with its marking scheme. Working one topic at a time targets exactly the skill each question tests.

38 free questions from 2019–2021, each with its marking scheme. Open the full topical bank to filter by subtopic, paper, and year.

Natural ecosystems and human activities in IGCSE Environmental Management 0680 exams, 2020–2025

Across 2020–2025, Natural ecosystems and human activities accounted for 75 questions worth 1,157 marks in Cambridge IGCSE Environmental Management (0680) papers.