First exams in 2025

IB Style Test – SL Topic C4.1 Populations and communities

Theme C: Interaction and independence Level of Organisation: Ecosystems

Name ___________________ Time allowed: 40 mins SL Marks: / 35(SL)

Mark scheme
Multiple choice questions (4 marks)

1. Which of the following would be considered two separate populations of a species?

A. Two populations of the same species that do not interbreed.

B. Two populations of distinct species that do not interbreed.
C. Two populations of the same species that do interbreed but live in different areas.
D. One population of the same species that interbreed.

2. What is a mutualistic relationship?

A. A relationship between two members of the same species that benefits both
individuals.
B. A relationship between two members of different species that benefits one of the
individuals.
C. A relationship between populations of different species that benefits one of the
populations .
D. A relationship between populations of different species that benefits both
populations.

3. How can interspecific competition between two species be demonstrated?

A. One species does not exist in the same habitat as the other.
B. Both species exist in the same habitat.
C. Each species is more successful in a particular habitat in the absence of the other
species.
D. One of the species predates the other.

4. When is an invasive species likely to dominate in a habitat with endemic species?

A. The endemic species is less strong than the invasive competitor.

B. When the two species do not compete for resources.
C. The endemic species is less successful at competing for resources than the invasive
species.
D. The endemic species is more successful at competing for resources than the invasive
species.

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 First exams in 2025
IB Style Test – SL Topic C4.1 Populations and communities
Theme C: Interaction and independence Level of Organisation: Ecosystems

Structured answer questions (23 marks)

5. Formica rufa (red wood ant) lives in colonies within woodland in temperate climates. A
colony may contain 100,000 to 400,000 worker ants who build nests and forage for food.
There are also several queens who remain in the nest and lay eggs. Colonies may be linked
together by underground tunnels.

Dr D Klimetzek, an entomologist, counted 248 nests of F. rufa in an area of forest approximately 4km
by 4 km in size.

a. Explain why the nests can be counted by direct count but the ant population of a colony
must be estimated. (2 marks)
The nests are large and easily counted.
The nests that have been counted can be marked.
The ant population is too large to be counted directly.
Ants are moving most of the time, making it difficult to identify animals already counted.
To estimate the population of foraging ants in one nest, the capture -mark-release-recapture
method was used.
b. Explain how this method could be used to estimate the population of the forager ants in a
colony. (4 marks)
A sample of ants is captured.
The sample that is captured is marked.
The method of marking must not damage the ants/ or alter the survival of the ants.
The marked ants are released and given time to mix with the population.
A sample of ants is recaptured.
The number of marked and unmarked ants are counted.
The proportion of marked to unmarked ants is used to estimate the total population (using
the Lincoln index).
c. Outline two inaccuracies that would have an impact on the population estimate. (2 marks)
Making may impact the survival of the ants.
It is difficult to know whether the ants have completely mixed within the population.
Only a small number of ants (in a large colony) can be sampled.
The colonies are linked by tunnels allowing immigration or emigration of ants.

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 First exams in 2025
IB Style Test – SL Topic C4.1 Populations and communities
Theme C: Interaction and independence Level of Organisation: Ecosystems
d. In the first attempt at estimating the population, 526 ants were marked. When they were
recaptured, 705 ants were recaptured of which 3 were marked. Estimate the population
size. (2 marks)
Estimate = Marked ants released x Number in the second sample/Recaptured ants =
With numbers = 526 x 705/3 = 123,610

e. Evaluate whether this estimate of the population could be regarded as an accurate estimate.
(2 marks)
It is not an accurate estimation.
The number marked/recaptured is too small.
The sample size of the population is small (in comparison to the true population size).

f. Suggest why there is a sampling error between the estimated size of the population and the
true size of the population. (2 marks)
The sampling error is the difference between the true size of the population and the
estimate from a sample.
Sampling has methodological inaccuracies (in comparison to a direct count).
Sampling errors could include immigration, emigration, errors due to the sampling
method/other source of error.
Sampling errors could include the behaviour of the ants.

6. The Cretan goat, (Capa hircus cetica), known as the Kri-Kri was introduced to several small
unpopulated islands in the Mediterranean sea. It is an herbivore with no natural predators
on the islands to which it was introduced. Females take two years to mature and mate.

Careful records were kept of the population over 14 years on one of the islands which is designated
a protected area. The island is approximately 15km long and 12km wide at its widest point. The
population count is shown below:

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 First exams in 2025
IB Style Test – SL Topic C4.1 Populations and communities
Theme C: Interaction and independence Level of Organisation: Ecosystems

Kri-kri population
250

200

Population ±10 150

100

50

0
2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022
Year

a. Identify the time period for which the population showed exponential growth. (1 mark)
2010 to 2014

b. Suggest why the growth of the population declined after 2016. (2 marks)
Intraspecific competition.
Competition for resources.
Overpopulation as the population exceeded the capacity of the environment to sustain the
population.
Edaphic (soil quality) factors deceasing food availability.

c. Estimate the carrying capacity of the island for Kri-Kri. (1 mark)

180, accept 170 to 190.
d. The population was estimated by using drones to photograph the population. Suggest why
the population estimate is given to an uncertainty of ± 10. (1 mark)
Photography is an accurate method of measurement/photography can be carried out over
the whole island/ photography would not give a great difference between the estimated and
the true population.
Not all the goats may have been photographed.
The population may change each day/goats may be born or die.
e. List one density-dependent and one density-independent factor that may limit the size of
the Kri-Kri population. (2 marks)
Density-dependent. Food, intraspecific competition.
Density-independent. Local temperatures, rainfall.
f. Population sizes are estimated by various methods. In this case, drone photography was
used. Suggest two reasons for the use of drone photography as a method of counting the
population of Kri-Kri on the island. (2 marks)
The Kri-Kri are large (making photography a good option).
The island is small, isolated.
It is efficient in this case.

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 First exams in 2025
IB Style Test – SL Topic C4.1 Populations and communities
Theme C: Interaction and independence Level of Organisation: Ecosystems

Extended response (8 marks)

7. Explain how allelopathy reduces interspecific competition. (3 marks)
Allelopathy is the release of a chemical substance into the environment.
The chemical substance reduces or prevents growth of other species (does not inhibit the
species releasing the chemical).
Inhibition of growth of a competitor limits competition for resources. (2 marks maximum)
Example (1 mark maximum)
Fungal production of antibiotics prevents growth of soil bacteria (or another example).

8. Describe how quadrat sampling could be used to compare dandelion population density in
two fields, one of which is grazed by sheep, the other is not grazed by sheep. (5 marks)
Sampling must be random.
Measuring tape (or string) is laid out on two sides of the field.
Random numbers are generated on a calculator to determine quadrat positions.
Quadrats are placed on the grid locations.
The number of dandelion plants in the quadrat are counted.
Sufficient quadrat samples, repeats, must be taken to ensure a valid sample.
The data is compared using a suitable statistical test (chi-squared test or t-test).

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