Fig. 1 shows a simplified food web recorded during fieldwork on a sheep farm in the Pennines. The farm is part of a rural ecosystem used for grazing. The en...
Question 1 Report
Fig. 1 shows a simplified food web recorded during fieldwork on a sheep farm in the Pennines. The farm is part of a rural ecosystem used for grazing. The enquiry compared an ungrazed strip beside a stone wall with closely grazed pasture. Rabbits and sheep both feed on grass, while foxes may feed on rabbits. A farm adviser is considering leaving wider ungrazed margins to support wildlife.
(a) Identify the producer in Fig. 1. [1]
(b) Name the organism in Fig. 1 that is a primary consumer but is not livestock. [1]
(c) Describe two effects that intensive sheep grazing could have on the pasture ecosystem. [4]
(d) Explain why an ungrazed field margin could increase biodiversity on this farm. [6]
Answer Details
(a) The producer is grass, because it makes its own food by photosynthesis. [1]
(b) The non-livestock primary consumer is the rabbit. It eats grass. [1]
(c) Intensive grazing can produce shorter grass and less plant cover, reducing flowering plants. It may expose and compact soil, increasing erosion, and reduces food and habitats for invertebrates. Any two developed effects. [4]
(d) In an ungrazed margin, reduced grazing allows a greater variety of plants to grow. These plants provide nectar, seeds and other food, while taller, denser vegetation provides shelter and nesting sites. More insects can survive, providing food for birds and small mammals. Consequently both the number and range of species increase, so biodiversity rises. [6]
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