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 a measure of the number of different species in a community, indicating biodiversity.
Step 2
From the data in Figure 4, a student made the following conclusions.
1. The natural habitat is most favourable for bees.
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The data shows that the peak of mean bee numbers occurs in the natural habitat, reaching the highest values throughout the year, especially around days 190 to 200.
Step 3
From the data in Figure 4, a student made the following conclusions.
2. The town is the least favourable for bees.
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The findings indicate that the species richness and mean number of bees in the town is at its lowest point around day 125, making it less favourable compared to the natural habitat.
Step 4
The scientists collected bees using a method that was ethical and allowed them to identify accurately the species.
1.
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The method must not harm the bees during collection, ensuring their survival.
Step 5
The scientists collected bees using a method that was ethical and allowed them to identify accurately the species.
2.
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The method must allow for close examination of the bees to facilitate accurate identification.
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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They could collect data more frequently throughout the year to get a more accurate representation of bee populations at all times.
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 sites sampled to enhance the representativeness of the data and provide a clearer picture of species diversity.
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 A. chlorogaster and A. piper are closely related to each other, likely sharing a common ancestor with P. pruinosa, which points to a potential evolutionary relationship within the same family, as all belong to the same genus.