Question 1. The White-winged Chough (pronounced “chuff”)
The white-winged chough, Corcorax melanorhamphos, maintains a territory during the breeding season.
(a) Define what a territory is.
(b) Describe two behaviours that birds like the white-winged chough will perform and explain the purpose of one of these behaviours.
In the breeding season the white-winged chough makes a large bowl nest out of mud which is built on a horizontal branch about 15m of the ground. It may take several months to build if there is insufficient rain to moisten the mud. If there is a lack of mud, birds may use cattle or Emu dung.
(c) Discuss how having a small territory effects the nest building and the reproductive success of the chough.
The white-winged choughs live in social groups of about seven to ten individuals. They perform collective group activities in their home range.
(d) Define a home range.
(e) Explain one reason why social groups will increase the survival chance of the Chough bird species.
Question 2. Plants are clever.
Some plants can “recruit” or attract predatory wasps to kill caterpillars that feed on them.
(a) Name the orientation response of the wasp and give a reason for your answer.
(b) Discuss the relationship between the wasp and the caterpillar. In your discussion, explain
o the type of exploitation
o the survival advantage to the wasp
o the changes to the population numbers in this type of exploitation.
Cataglyphis ants live in the desert and go out to look for food during the hottest part of the day (It gets up to 50oC). They search (Route A) for food and when they find it they will track their way directly back to the nest (Route B).
(c) Name the orientation response illustrated by the ants on route B and give a reason for your answer.
(d) Contrast the method used by Cataglyphis for finding its food to that of returning to it’s nest. Give the benefits of both behaviours.
Question 3
The plants in the horizontal pot are growing towards the light source as shown in the diagram.
(a) Name the plant response seen in the picture.
(b) Discuss the mechanism that causes this plant response to light. In your discussion you will need to:
o name the hormone(s) involved
o consider how the hormone(s) affect the plant
o consider the survival advantage of this response.
(c) Draw the direction the roots will be growing in the horizontal pot.
(d) Explain the mechanism that causes the root growth in your drawing above.
Question 4.
Pea plants are able to coil their tendrils (upward growing parts) around other plants without harming them.
(a) Name the relationship between the pea plant above and the host plant.
(b) Explain at least two benefits of this coiling mechanism to the vine.
Some plants will produce flowers in the winter and others in the summer.
(c) Discuss the mechanisms that control flowering in plants in relation to change in the photoperiod. Include in your discussion the benefits of flowering at the same time each year
Extra paper for continuation of answers if required.
Clearly number the questions
10