AP Environmental Science 2.A Biodiversity

(a)

Based on the data in Figure 1, identify the number of spiders per sample at 25\% nonnative

plants.

[ 1 ]

(b)

Based on the data in Figure 1, describe the trend in the number of insects per sample in

relation to the percentage of nonnative plants.

[ 1 ]

(c)

Insect biodiversity is important to maintain ecosystem health. A group of students was

interested in learning about factors that affect ant biodiversity. They located two study sites

near their school: a frequently mowed urban park and an unmowed grassland. The students

used traps designed to collect ants. They loaded 10 of these traps with the same food and

placed them randomly at different locations within each site. Students collected the traps

after 24 hours and counted the number of different ant species in each trap to determine

species richness.

[ 2 ]

(i)

Identify a likely scientific question for the students' investigation of ant diversity.

[ 1 ]

(ii)

Identify the dependent variable in the students' investigation.

[ 1 ]

Examples of acceptable responses may include the following: - Number of ant species - Ant species richness - Presence/absence of different ant species	Point 07
G

(d)

The data from the student investigation of ant diversity are shown in the following table. An

"X" in the table indicates that the species was present at that site.

Ant Species Present in an Urban Park and Unmowed Grassland

[ 2 ]

(i)

Explain why the ant community of the unmowed grassland would be more likely to

recover from a disturbance, such as a flood or fire, than the ant community in the

mowed urban park would.

[ 1 ]

(ii)

Explain how the results of the investigation could have been altered if students had

measured ant biodiversity at a paved playground rather than in the grassland.

[ 1 ]

ERT-2.A—Explain levels of biodiversity and their importance to ecosystems question 1