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 community or ecosystem. It measures biodiversity by counting the various species within a given habitat.
Step 2
From the data in Figure 4, a student made the following conclusions.
a. The natural habitat is most favourable for bees.
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The data indicates that the mean number of bees is highest in the natural habitat throughout the year, especially before day 200 where the numbers peak.
Step 3
From the data in Figure 4, a student made the following conclusions.
b. The town is the least favourable for bees.
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The town shows a peak in species richness later in the year compared to natural and farmland habitats and has the lowest mean number of bees, indicating it is the least favourable environment for bees.
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. was ethical.
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The method must not harm the bees during collection, allowing them to be released unharmed and ensuring minimal stress.
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. allowed them to identify accurately the species to which each belonged.
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The method should facilitate close examination of bees, possibly using identification keys or photographic documentation to ensure accurate species 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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The scientists could collect data more frequently throughout the year to observe variations in bee populations effectively. This could provide better insights into trends over time.
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 survey a greater number of sites within each habitat, which would enhance the representativeness of their data and improve the accuracy of their findings.
Step 8
What do these names suggest about the evolutionary relationships between these bee species? Explain your answer.
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The inclusion of 'Andrena' in two of the species names suggests that Peponapis pruinosa and Andrena chlorogaster are more closely related to each other than to Andrena piper. This indicates they share a more recent common ancestor, highlighting the evolutionary relationships among these bee species.