AQA GCSE Biology (8461), Higher tier · Ecology › Biodiversity and human interaction
Practise Land use. 11 exam-style questions plus unlimited generated ones on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
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Peat is dug from peat bogs. What is most of this peat used to produce?
Garden compost
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy5 marks
Humans reduce the amount of land available for other animals and plants.
(a) Which two human activities reduce the land available for other animals and plants? Tick (✓) two boxes.[2]
Building
Planting hedgerows
Quarrying
Creating nature reserves
(b) Give one other human activity that reduces the land available for other organisms.[1]
(c) Peat is dug from peat bogs. What is most of this peat used to produce?[1]
(d) Burning or decay of peat releases a gas that contributes to global warming. Name this gas.[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: Building; Quarrying
(b)
farming
dumping waste / landfill
(c)Answer: Garden compost
(garden) compost
(d)Answer: Carbon dioxide
carbon dioxide
Question 2Medium7 marks
Peat bogs are areas of waterlogged, acidic land. Dead plants in peat bogs decay very slowly, so they build up over thousands of years to form peat. Peat is dug up and sold to gardeners as compost.
(a) Explain why dead plants decay very slowly in peat bogs.[2]
(b) Explain how digging up peat bogs affects biodiversity.[2]
(c) When peat is used in gardens, it decays. Explain how this contributes to global warming.[3]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
waterlogged, so there is very little oxygen
(and acidic, so) decomposers / microorganisms cannot survive or respire / work well
(b)
it reduces the area of peat bog habitat
so it reduces the variety of plant, animal and microorganism species that live there
(c)
the peat is exposed to oxygen, so microorganisms can decay it
the microorganisms release carbon dioxide in respiration / carbon stored for thousands of years is released as carbon dioxide
carbon dioxide increases the greenhouse effect / global warming
Question 3Hard8 marks
An area of peat bog of 3.0 km2 was drained. The peat was dug out to a depth of 2.0 m and sold as compost. Each cubic metre of peat contains about 50 kg of carbon. 1 km2 = 1 000 000 m2 and 1 tonne = 1000 kg.
(a) Calculate the volume of peat removed.[2]
(b) Calculate the mass of carbon in the peat removed. Give your answer in tonnes.[2]
(c) When peat decays, the carbon is released as carbon dioxide. 12 tonnes of carbon form 44 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Calculate the mass of carbon dioxide released if all of this peat decays.[2]
(d) Explain why the peat was stored in the bog for thousands of years but decays quickly when used in a garden.[2]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: 6.0 × 106 m3
3.0 × 1 000 000 = 3.0 × 106 m2
3.0 × 106 × 2.0 = 6.0 × 106 (m3)
(b)Answer: 3.0 × 105 tonnes
6.0 × 106 × 50 = 3.0 × 108 kg
3.0 × 105 (tonnes)
(c)Answer: 1.1 × 106 tonnes
3.0 × 105 × 44 ÷ 12
1.1 × 106 (tonnes)
(d)
in the bog the conditions are waterlogged / acidic / lack oxygen, so decomposers cannot work
in a garden there is oxygen (and it is less acidic / warmer), so microorganisms can decay the peat