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Biology · May / June 2022 · Paper 41 · Question 5

0610

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The question as text

The Mulanje cedar, Widdringtonia whytei, is the national tree of Malawi. This species of tree grows naturally only on Mount Mulanje in Malawi. Many of the trees have been overharvested or destroyed by wildfires, resulting in deforestation, as shown in Fig. 5.1. Fig. 5.1

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  • 5(a)[1]

    Widdringtonia ;

  • 5(b)[3]

    any three from:

    1

    no roots, to absorb water / bind soil / hold soil together ;

    2

    idea of: no canopy / AW, to protect (soil) from rainfall ;

    3

    increase in run off / AW ;

    4

    ref. to soil erosion ;

    5

    loss of, mineral content / ions / nutrients / AW, in the soil ;

    6

    flooding (in the valleys) ;

    7

    landslides / mudslides ;

    8

    ref. to visual pollution / dead tree stumps / bare ground / AW ; 9

    loss of biodiversity / disruption of food chains / disruption of food webs / (species) extinction ;

    10 AVP ;

  • 5(c)[2]

    food source(s) ;

    nesting / breeding, sites ;

    shelter / shade / protection from predators ;

    leaf litter for decomposers ;

    ref. to nutrient cycling ;

    (named) resources for humans ;

    AVP ;

  • 5(d)[2]

    any two from:

    ref. to genetic, diversity / variation ;

    importance of genetic diversity:

    plants (grown from seeds) may be adapted to changes in the

    environment ;

    plants (grown from seeds) may be resistant to, diseases / pests ; (seeds collected) may not, be viable / germinate ;

    (seeds collected) may, be diseased / have parasites / AW ;

    (seeds collected) may have harmful, alleles / mutations ;

    AVP ; e.g., increase in fitness

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