Lesson 3.1.1.6

3.1.1.6 Water and carbon cycles: case studies Quiz: AQA Geography, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.1.1.6, Water and carbon cycles: case studies: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Geography (7037), Unit 1: Physical geography, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In a tropical rainforest, where is most of the ecosystem's carbon typically stored?

    • Mainly in deep ocean sediments beneath the forest, which lie far below the soil surface
    • Mainly in atmospheric carbon dioxide above the canopy, which is replenished by the trees each day
    • Mainly as dissolved carbonate in the groundwater, which flows through the rock beneath the soils
    • In living vegetation biomass, with a large share held in trees

  2. Which feature of tropical rainforests typically supports rapid nutrient cycling?

    • Permafrost that locks nutrients beneath the surface, preventing them from reaching the roots
    • Cold temperatures that slow decomposition in the soil and keep nutrients locked in the litter
    • Low rainfall that concentrates nutrients in the topsoil, where they accumulate over long periods
    • High temperatures and rainfall that speed decomposition and rapid uptake by roots

  3. Why does clearing tropical rainforest affect the local water cycle?

    • It has no effect because rainfall is set only by ocean currents far from the forest itself
    • It increases evapotranspiration, which always raises local rainfall by adding moisture to the air
    • It reduces evapotranspiration, which can weaken rainfall recycling within the region
    • It increases interception, which reduces surface runoff and so removes all flood risk entirely

  4. For a river catchment case study at a local scale, which measurement best shows how precipitation affects drainage basin stores and transfers?

    • A map of soil colour across the whole continent, drawn at a very small scale for the region
    • A hydrograph built from paired rainfall and discharge records
    • A census count of the catchment population, taken from national statistics for the district
    • A record of air pressure at a distant airport, which is far outside the catchment boundary

  5. Which outcome is most likely if a river catchment loses its woodland cover and soils are compacted?

    • Greater overland flow and higher flood peaks
    • Greater infiltration and lower flood peaks, because the compacted soil absorbs more of the rain
    • Lower runoff and a longer lag time, because the loss of cover slows the water down
    • Higher interception and reduced stemflow, because the bare ground holds more water on its surface

  6. Which consideration is central to sustainable water supply in a river catchment?

    • Maximising abstraction regardless of seasonal rainfall, so that supplies are used while they last
    • Balancing abstraction against recharge and the natural flow needed to maintain river ecosystems
    • Ignoring groundwater because it is not part of the surface system that the catchment study covers
    • Removing all vegetation to increase the water yield of the catchment for the longer term

  7. A catchment case study finds that urban expansion has increased flood peaks. Which explanation is best supported by hydrological principles?

    • Urban surfaces increase infiltration so that rivers carry less water during storms
    • Urban growth causes evapotranspiration to exceed precipitation across the whole catchment
    • Urban areas remove the need for channel storage, which is why flood peaks are reduced
    • Impermeable surfaces increase overland flow and drains speed water into channels

  8. Which term describes the reduction of rainforest carbon storage through clearing, where the cut vegetation is burnt?

    • Carbon sequestration in soils, which holds carbon in organic matter for long periods
    • Deforestation with burning
    • Afforestation with planting, which increases the carbon stored in new woody biomass over time
    • Photosynthetic uptake, which removes carbon dioxide from the air and stores it in plant tissue

  9. A rainforest case study shows that deforestation is linked to reduced regional rainfall. Which relationship best explains this?

    • Vegetation recycles moisture to the atmosphere, so less vegetation means less water returned to the air for rainfall
    • Rainfall depends only on distance from the ocean, so the forest cover has no effect on it
    • Deforestation increases rainfall by reducing evaporation from the canopy and the forest floor
    • Vegetation takes water from the air, so less vegetation means more water is available for rainfall

  10. Which combination best describes a sustainable response to a flood-prone river catchment?

    • Draining all wetlands and extending impermeable surfaces so that water is carried away quickly
    • Increasing abstraction upstream so that less water reaches the flood zone during storms
    • Woodland planting, restored floodplains and sustainable land management that slow runoff
    • Removing riparian vegetation to increase channel width, which has been shown to reduce flood risk

  11. When evaluating a catchment case study, which approach is most rigorous?

    • Ignoring measurements that do not fit the chosen explanation so the argument stays clear
    • Accepting one measurement as proof of a general pattern across all of the catchment's land
    • Using only secondary sources without checking their dates, origin or method of collection
    • Comparing field measurements with an explicit account of the limitations of the data

  12. Which change in a catchment would most likely reduce the lag time of a flood hydrograph?

    • Restoration of wetlands on the valley floor, which holds water in storage before it reaches the river
    • Extensive clearance of vegetation on steep slopes
    • Greater infiltration on permeable heathland, which absorbs water and delays its arrival at the channel
    • Increased woodland cover across the upper catchment, which intercepts rain and slows the water

  13. Which description of a tropical rainforest carbon cycle is most accurate?

    • Carbon remains stored in rocks beneath the forest and is unaffected by the vegetation above
    • Carbon is released mainly through groundwater flow into the ocean, which removes it from the basin
    • Carbon is locked permanently in the soil and never returns to the atmosphere once it has been stored
    • Carbon is taken up rapidly by photosynthesis and stored in biomass, with much released again by decomposition and respiration

  14. Which factor best explains why tropical rainforest soils can have low nutrient stores despite high biological activity?

    • Nutrients are removed by melting permafrost at the surface, which carries them out of the soil
    • Cold temperatures prevent microbes from breaking down litter, so nutrients remain locked away
    • Low rainfall prevents nutrients from being dissolved in water, so they stay in the rock
    • Nutrients are rapidly taken up and recycled within the vegetation rather than accumulating in the soil

  15. Which statement about water balance is correct for a catchment with high evapotranspiration?

    • Less of the precipitation becomes runoff, so the runoff ratio is lower
    • Runoff always equals precipitation regardless of how much water is lost through evapotranspiration
    • More of the precipitation becomes runoff, so the runoff ratio rises as evapotranspiration increases
    • Evapotranspiration has no effect on the water balance because it does not reach the channel

  16. A river catchment study records a sharp rise in discharge within two hours of heavy rain. Which hydrological characteristic is most likely dominant?

    • Stemflow from a dense forest canopy, which is the main route for water into the river
    • Rapid overland flow and channel flow from impermeable or saturated ground
    • Dominant infiltration into a deep aquifer, which delays the arrival of water at the channel
    • Slow base flow from deep groundwater alone, which takes many months to respond to rainfall

  17. In a case study, a researcher argues that managing water in the catchment will have long-term benefits. Which evidence would most strongly support this claim?

    • A map of the catchment with no hydrological data that would test the claim against the river
    • A single exceptionally wet season with no follow-up data to show whether the benefit persisted
    • A personal opinion of local residents who believe the river looks cleaner than it did before
    • Long-term records showing that stored water and flood peaks are maintained within sustainable limits

  18. Which statement describes a key contrast between the carbon cycle of a tropical rainforest and that of an ocean?

    • Both store carbon for the same period regardless of location or the type of store involved
    • Ocean carbon is held in living biomass, while rainforest carbon is dissolved in the water
    • Rainforest carbon cycles mostly through biomass and soils over years, whereas ocean carbon is stored much longer in water and sediments
    • Rainforest carbon is stored only in sediments, while ocean carbon cycles within a few days

  19. A catchment study concludes that deforestation increased storm runoff. Which additional evidence would best strengthen this conclusion?

    • A chemical analysis of rainwater at the catchment outlet, taken on a single day in the study
    • A list of local farmers' opinions on how the river appearance has changed over the decades
    • A satellite image of the catchment taken in winter only, when the cover looks much the same
    • Paired measurements of runoff before and after the clearance, with rainfall controlled for

  20. Which method is most useful for showing the spatial extent of land-use change in a river catchment over time?

    • Comparing dated maps or satellite images of the catchment
    • A table of total annual rainfall for the whole country, which does not cover the catchment
    • A description of the catchment written from memory, with no dates or locations recorded
    • A single photograph of the river taken at one point in time from a bridge over the channel

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