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Since 2003, in France, people have been buying Siberian chipmunks as pets but then releasing them into the wild when they are no longer wanted - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 10 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 10
Since 2003, in France, people have been buying Siberian chipmunks as pets but then releasing them into the wild when they are no longer wanted. They are now classif... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Since 2003, in France, people have been buying Siberian chipmunks as pets but then releasing them into the wild when they are no longer wanted - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 10 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
Draw a pyramid of biomass for this food chain.
Answer
To draw a pyramid of biomass, represent the biomass of each organism as a bar, where the width corresponds to the biomass value. The base will have acorns (20,650 kg), above that would be chipmunks (2,200 kg), and at the top will be wild dogs (230 kg). The width of the bars should reflect the approximate ratios to emphasize that chipmunks represent about 50% of acorns and wild dogs less than 50% of chipmunks.
Step 2
Describe how this affected the Siberian chipmunk population in France.
Answer
In France, due to the lack of natural predators, the population of Siberian chipmunks is likely to increase. With fewer chipmunks being preyed upon, their numbers can grow significantly. This increases the opportunity for reproduction, leading to a thriving invasive population.
Step 3
Step 4
Calculate the percentage increase in the number of cases of Lyme disease in humans in France from 2003 to 2015.
Answer
To calculate the percentage increase, use the formula:
ext{Percentage Increase} = rac{( ext{New Value} - ext{Old Value})}{ ext{Old Value}} imes 100
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Old Value = 9,500 (2003), New Value = 27,000 (2015).
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Substitute the values:
ext{Percentage Increase} = rac{(27000 - 9500)}{9500} imes 100 = 184.2 ext{ %}
Step 5
Explain why there has been an increase in the number of cases of Lyme disease in humans in France.
Answer
An increase in the number of cases of Lyme disease may be linked to the rise in the chipmunk population, which serves as a host for the black-legged ticks that transmit the disease. With more chipmunks in the wild, there will be a larger tick population, leading to an increased chance of humans being bitten and contracting Lyme disease.