UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL EXAMINATIONS

General Certificate of Education

Advanced Subsidiary Level
CANDIDATE
NAME

CENTRE
NUMBER

CANDIDATE
NUMBER

* 0 5 4 0 9 4 5 9 8 9 *

8291/21

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Paper 2 Hydrosphere and Biosphere

May/June 2011
1 hour 30 minutes

Additional Materials:

Answer Booklet/Paper

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your Centre number, candidate number and name on all the work you hand in.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
You may use a soft pencil for any diagrams, graphs, tables or rough working.
Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.
Section A
Answer all questions.
Write your answers in the spaces provided on the question paper.
Section B
Answer one question from this section.
Answer the question on the separate answer paper provided.
At the end of the examination,
1.
fasten all separate answer paper securely to the question paper;
2.
enter the question number from Section B in the grid opposite.

For Examiners Use

Section A
1
2
Section B

Total

This document consists of 12 printed pages.

DC (KN/DJ) 33949/3
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Section A
Answer all questions in this section.
Write your answers in the spaces provided.

(a) An ecosystem can change, over time, as a result of the action of biotic and abiotic
processes: a change known as succession. Fig.1.1 shows stages in a succession from
open water towards a woodland climax.
coniferous woodland

open water lake

coniferous woodland

lake basin filled

grasses with shrubs

swampy ground
Fig. 1.1
(i)

Giving an example of each term, explain what is meant by biotic and abiotic.
biotic .........................................................................................................................
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abiotic .......................................................................................................................
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(ii)

Suggest how the action of biotic and abiotic processes could have brought about
the changes shown in Fig. 1.1.

For
Examiners
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(iii)

Provided there is no human intervention, suggest how the area of grass and
swampy ground develops into a woodland climax.
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(b) Fig. 1.2 contains information on deforestation associated with mining, timber production
and agriculture in the tropical rainforest in the state of Rondonia in Brazil.

Deforestation in Rondonia (Brazil)

forest
deforestation
savanna
river
road
international
boundaries
mines

100

200 km

Fig. 1.2
(i)

With reference to Fig. 1.2 describe three effects that large scale deforestation might
have on the ecology of this region of the Amazon Rainforest.
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(ii)

Explain why it might take longer for an area of tropical rainforest to recover from
mining than from felling and fires.
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[Total: 20]

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2

(a) Fig. 2.1 is an illustration of the hydrological cycle.

For
Examiners
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Sun
solar energy
clouds&&
clouds
water vapour
vapor
water storage
in ice & snow

transport
precipitation
evapotranspiration

surface
runoff
infi
ltra
tion

condensation

evaporation

lake

so
moi il
stur
e

ocean

strea

mflo
w

water table

river discharge

groundwater flow

bedrock
Fig. 2.1
(i)

Describe the role of precipitation, infiltration, groundwater and clouds in the

hydrological cycle.
precipitation ..............................................................................................................
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infiltration ..................................................................................................................
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groundwater .............................................................................................................
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clouds .......................................................................................................................
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(ii)

Global warming can mean a decrease in precipitation for some areas and an
increase in other areas.

For
Examiners
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Describe how either a decrease or an increase in precipitation could affect the

hydrological system shown in Fig. 2.1.
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(b) Fig. 2.2 shows the relative contribution of sources of river pollution in the USA.
industry
9%

other
9%

urban areas
17%

non-point
source pollution
65%
Fig. 2.2

Using examples, describe why non-point sources make the largest contribution to river
pollution in the USA.
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(c) The Gulf of Mexico dead zone, shown in Fig. 2.3, is an area of water with a very low
dissolved oxygen content (less than 2ppm dissolved oxygen) at the mouth of the River
Mississippi.

For
Examiners
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MISSISSIPPI
TEXAS

Baton
Rouge

LOUISIANA
Mis

siss

Houston

Gulf of Mexico

ippi

New Orleans
rive

area of very low oxygen,

about 6000 square miles
Fig. 2.3

Suggest reasons for the development of this area of very low dissolved oxygen.
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[Total: 20]

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Section B
Answer one question from this section.

(a) Briefly explain the differences in the rate of growth in world population within the periods
labelled A, B and C in Fig. 3.1.
[10]
World population growth rates 1800 to 2011

annual growth rate / %

2.5

2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0
1800

1850

1900

1950

2000

2050

year
Fig. 3.1
(b) With reference to examples of More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs) and Less
Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs), assess the extent to which a future sustainable
global environment is dependent on reducing human population growth.
[30]
[Total: 40]

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4

(a) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognised as the most comprehensive
global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species. The list
classifies the threat to a species into one of three levels: critical (most threatened), endangered
and vulnerable (least threatened).
Fig. 4.1 is a summary of the threatened species list for 2007.
IUCN stands for the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The percentage of species in several groups which are listed as:

critical

endangered

or vulnerable

on the 2007 IUCN Red List

mammals
birds
reptiles
amphibians
fishes
insects
molluscs
plants
0

10
15
20
25
percentage of species in the group

30

Fig. 4.1
Briefly outline how the summary of the Red List shown in Fig. 4.1 might indicate priorities and
preferred methods of conservation and preservation of species.
[10]
(b) With reference to examples you have studied, assess the role of two different types of
designated areas, such as National Parks or Wildlife Parks, in the conservation of species.
[30]
[Total: 40]

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(a) Fig. 5.1 shows the percentage of water consumed for different purposes in four countries.
Briefly describe and give reasons for the different patterns of use.
[10]

water consumption / %

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Key
domestic
industry
agriculture

Malaya

UK

Australia

USA

Fig. 5.1
(b) With reference to an area with which you are familiar, assess the effects of either industrial or
agricultural activity upon the natural supplies of water. For the area you have chosen, evaluate
one method that is being used to achieve a sustainable supply of water.
[30]
[Total: 40]

Copyright Acknowledgements:
Question 1(b) Fig. 1.2 Photograph

Destruction; Photograph number 2745899; iStockphoto.

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.
University of Cambridge International Examinations is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of University of
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is itself a department of the University of Cambridge.

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