Lesson 3.1.6.1

3.1.6.1 Ecosystems and sustainability Quiz: AQA Geography, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.1.6.1, Ecosystems and sustainability: 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. Biodiversity is best defined as:

    • The variety of living organisms at genetic, species and ecosystem levels
    • The rate at which soils lose nutrients through leaching and erosion after heavy seasonal rainfall
    • The total mass of plants and animals living in a given area, measured as biomass per hectare
    • The number of protected areas in a country that have been designated by national governments

  2. Which factor is most often identified as a major cause of declining biodiversity?

    • Greater soil fertility from natural deposition of nutrients by rivers and volcanic ash over long periods
    • Stable temperatures across all ecosystems, which have prevented species from adapting to new conditions
    • Increased rainfall in tropical forests, which has been shown to reduce the number of species in many areas
    • Habitat loss from land-use change such as agricultural expansion and urbanisation

  3. Which of these is a potential impact of declining biodiversity on human populations?

    • Faster plate movement at mid-ocean ridges, which would result from changes in biological activity
    • Lower ocean salinity across the globe, which would change the chemistry of seawater in all regions
    • Increased volcanic activity in continental interiors, caused by the loss of species from the crust
    • Reduced resilience of food systems and loss of ecosystem services such as pollination

  4. Sustainable development is most accurately described as development that:

    • Meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
    • Maximises economic growth regardless of environmental cost, so that wealth can be used later to repair damage
    • Relies entirely on imported goods from other countries, so that local resources are never used at all
    • Prevents all use of natural resources, so that ecosystems are left entirely untouched by human activity

  5. Which statement best describes how population growth affects ecosystems?

    • Population growth always increases biodiversity, since more people create more habitats for other species
    • Population growth has no effect on ecosystems, because human demand is always met by technology alone
    • Growing populations increase demand for food, water, land and energy, placing pressure on ecosystems
    • Population growth affects only urban ecosystems, leaving rural and natural habitats completely unaffected

  6. Economic development can affect ecosystems by:

    • Preventing any change in land cover, because development keeps existing vegetation in place
    • Increasing resource use, pollution and land conversion unless managed sustainably
    • Creating new species in every ecosystem as human activity introduces new forms of life to the region
    • Reducing all pressure on natural environments, since wealthier societies always protect their surrounding land

  7. The rate of biodiversity decline is best evaluated as:

    • Biodiversity changes are caused only by natural events such as volcanic eruptions and long-term climate cycles
    • Biodiversity is declining at the same rate everywhere, with no variation between regions or groups of species
    • Biodiversity has increased globally over the last century, as human activity has created new habitats
    • Rates vary between places and taxa, and current rates of loss are generally considered high compared with background extinction rates

  8. Which concept describes the balance between human use of ecosystems and their ability to continue to provide services?

    • Succession, which describes the gradual change in species composition in an area over many decades
    • Trophic level, which describes the feeding position of an organism within a food chain or food web
    • Sustainability
    • Biomass, which is the mass of living organic matter present in an area at a given point in time

  9. Which of these is a local-scale trend in biodiversity?

    • Rise in sea level across all coastlines, which has changed the distribution of coastal habitats worldwide
    • Loss of native species from a local woodland after it is fragmented by new roads and housing
    • Increase in total plate movement across the globe, which affects the position of continents over time
    • Global increase in ocean temperature over the last century, which has affected marine species worldwide

  10. Which action best supports sustainable use of an ecosystem?

    • Draining all wetlands to create building sites, which increases the amount of land available for housing
    • Introducing new species without any assessment, since diversity will increase regardless of the outcome
    • Removing all vegetation to maximise farmland area, since the land can later be restored by replanting
    • Managing harvest rates so that the resource can regenerate

  11. Which of these is a potential cause of declining biodiversity in a marine setting?

    • Increased desalination of seawater into potable supplies only, which has no effect on marine organisms
    • Formation of new ocean ridges, which creates new habitats that always support more species than before
    • Natural increase in sunlight reaching the ocean surface, which lowers the temperature of shallow waters
    • Overfishing and pollution from land-based sources that reach the sea through rivers and drains

  12. A region loses 15 per cent of its forest cover over 20 years. Which statement is the best interpretation of this change?

    • The region's biodiversity has automatically increased, since the cleared land supports new species
    • The region's habitat for forest species has declined, which may reduce biodiversity
    • The region's soil fertility has no link to forest cover, which is unaffected by the removal of trees
    • The region has experienced no ecological change, since forest cover is a poor indicator of ecosystem condition

  13. Which statement best evaluates the claim that economic growth always harms ecosystems?

    • Economic growth never affects ecosystems, because markets naturally balance environmental costs against benefits
    • Ecosystems are unaffected by all human activity, since natural processes always restore any damage quickly
    • Economic growth always improves biodiversity, since richer societies can afford to create more protected areas
    • Growth can harm ecosystems, but its effects depend on technology, policy and how resources are managed

  14. Which of these best describes an ecosystem service?

    • A government department responsible for managing ecosystems within a national territory and its waters
    • A service provided by humans to remove all wild species from an area so that farming can take place
    • A benefit that people obtain from ecosystems, such as clean water, pollination or food
    • A measure of the total biomass of a single species within a defined area of woodland or grassland

  15. Which measure is most likely to conserve biodiversity in a rapidly developing region?

    • Converting all remaining wild land into farmland to meet the growing demand for food from the population
    • Establishing protected areas and corridors that connect habitats
    • Ignoring the impact of new roads on wildlife, since transport links are essential for economic growth
    • Removing all barriers to urban expansion so that the city can grow freely into the surrounding countryside

  16. Which statement about the relationship between biodiversity and sustainability is most accurate?

    • Biodiversity only matters in urban environments, where it provides parks and green spaces for residents
    • Sustainability requires the loss of species to create space for development and economic activity
    • Biodiversity supports ecosystem resilience, which underpins long-term sustainability of resource use
    • Biodiversity has no relevance to sustainability, since resources can be managed effectively regardless of species

  17. Which combination best explains why people depend on biodiversity?

    • People depend only on sunlight for all their needs, since plants and animals contribute little to human welfare
    • People depend only on minerals extracted from the ground, such as metals and fuels used in manufacturing
    • Food, medicine, water purification and climate regulation all rely on living systems
    • People depend only on imported manufactured goods that are produced far from the places where they live

  18. Which trend best describes the global pattern of biodiversity loss?

    • Loss is uniform in all oceans and continents, since the same pressures apply equally in every region
    • Loss is greatest in polar regions because of cold conditions that limit the ability of species to recover
    • Biodiversity has increased in every region since 1900, as new species have spread through trade and travel
    • Loss is greatest in tropical regions where habitat is being cleared rapidly

  19. Which feature of sustainable development is most essential for protecting ecosystems over the long term?

    • Removing environmental regulations to speed up growth, since regulation slows the economy and reduces jobs
    • Setting limits on resource use that allow natural regeneration
    • Allowing ecosystems to change without any management, since natural processes will always find a new balance
    • Maximising the extraction rate of all natural resources to raise incomes as quickly as possible for the population

  20. A species population falls from 1,000 to 400 in ten years. What is the percentage decline?

    • 600 per cent, which would be the decline if the population had increased sixfold instead
    • 60 per cent
    • 50 per cent, which would be the decline if the population had fallen to 500 individuals instead
    • 40 per cent, which is the proportion of the population that remains after the ten-year decline

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