environmental science - sample written examination · • all written responses must be in english....
TRANSCRIPT
S A M P L E
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCEWritten examination
Day Date Reading time: *.** to *.** (15 minutes) Writing time: *.** to *.** (2 hours)
QUESTION AND ANSWER BOOK
Structure of bookSection Number of
questionsNumber of questions
to be answeredNumber of
marksA 30 30 30B 9 9 90
Total 120
• Studentsarepermittedtobringintotheexaminationroom:pens,pencils,highlighters,erasers,sharpeners,rulersandonescientificcalculator.
• StudentsareNOTpermittedtobringintotheexaminationroom:blanksheetsofpaperand/orcorrectionfluid/tape.
Materials supplied• Questionandanswerbookof38 pages• Answersheetformultiple-choicequestions
Instructions• Writeyourstudent numberinthespaceprovidedaboveonthispage.• Checkthatyourname andstudent numberasprintedonyouranswersheetformultiple-choice
questionsarecorrect,andsignyournameinthespaceprovidedtoverifythis.• AllwrittenresponsesmustbeinEnglish.
At the end of the examination• Placetheanswersheetformultiple-choicequestionsinsidethefrontcoverofthisbook.
Students are NOT permitted to bring mobile phones and/or any other unauthorised electronic devices into the examination room.
©VICTORIANCURRICULUMANDASSESSMENTAUTHORITY2017
Version2–January2018
SUPERVISOR TO ATTACH PROCESSING LABEL HEREVictorian Certificate of Education Year
STUDENT NUMBER
Letter
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Question 1Whichoneofthefollowingisthebestdefinitionofspeciesdiversity?A. thetotalnumberofgeneticcharacteristicsinthegeneticmake-upofaspeciesB. thevarietyofdifferentgeneticmaterial,speciesandecosystemsinthebiosphereC. thevariationfoundinaregionorthevariationinecosystemsacrossthewholeplanetD. ameasureofthediversitywithinanecologicalcommunity,whichincorporatesbothspeciesrichnessandthe
evennessofspeciesabundance
Question 2KoalapopulationsthroughoutAustraliahavealowgeneticdiversity.Inparticular,VictoriankoalashaveamuchlowergeneticdiversitythanQueenslandkoalas.AsaresultoflowgeneticdiversityA. QueenslandkoalaswouldnotbeabletointerbreedwithVictoriankoalas.B. thekoalaspecieswillbemoreabletosurvivehabitatchangesduetoglobalwarming.C. theQueenslandkoalapopulationislikelytofacemoreproblemsduetoinbreedingthantheVictoriankoala
population.D. theVictoriankoalapopulationwillbelesslikelytobeabletowithstandenvironmentalselectionprocessesthan
theQueenslandkoalapopulation.
Question 3Therosyperiwinkle(Catharantus roseus)isasmallplantthatisendemictorainforestsontheislandofMadagascar. Inthe1950s,scientistsdiscoveredthattheplantcontainedchemicalcompoundscalledalkaloids.Thesecompoundshavebecomeimportantdrugsusedinchemotherapytreatmentforcancer.Thisisanexampleofanecosystemprovidingasourceofrenewableservicesthathasapositiveeffectonhumanwellbeing.ThisexamplewouldbebestclassifiedasaA. regulatingservice.B. populationservice.C. supportingservice.D. provisioningservice.
SECTION A – Multiple-choice questions
Instructions for Section AAnswerallquestionsinpencilontheanswersheetprovidedformultiple-choicequestions.Choosetheresponsethatiscorrectorthatbest answersthequestion.Acorrectanswerscores1;anincorrectanswerscores0.Markswillnotbedeductedforincorrectanswers.Nomarkswillbegivenifmorethanoneansweriscompletedforanyquestion.
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Question 4ScientistscurrentlybelievethatthelargestmassextinctioneventonEarthoccurredaround250millionyearsago,whenupto95%ofallspeciesbecameextinct.EvidenceofthisextinctionhasbeencollectedfromA. studiesofthevarietyandrangeofmanydifferentdinosaurfossils.B. comparisonsbetweencurrent-daybiodiversityandtherangeofspeciesidentifiedinthefossilrecord.C. arangeofscientificsamplingmethods,includingquadratsandtransects,carriedoutcorrectlyandaccurately.D. investigationsintothefossilrecord,datarelatedtoprevioussealevelandatmosphericchangesaswellas
geologicalrecordsofpastasteroidimpacts.
Question 5UndertheEnvironment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999,theAustralianGovernmenthaslistedthedumbgulpersharkas‘conservationdependent’.ThismeansthatthespeciesA. onlyexistsincaptivebreedingpopulationsinlargeaquariums.B. iswellprotectedinthewildbyvariousconservationmeasuresthataremanagedbythegovernment.C. isdependentonspecificspeciesorhabitatprotectionprogramstopreventitfrombecomingthreatenedwith
extinction.D. islikelytobecomeextinctinthenearfutureifconservationmeasurescontinuetobecarriedoutunderthe
frameworkoftheAct.
Question 6AfterthelastspecimenofLeadbeater’spossum(firstidentifiedin1867)hadbeencollectedin1909,thespecieswasbelievedtohavebeenextinctinitsknownhabitatinsouth-westGippsland.ItwasnotrediscoveredinGippsland,butnearMarysvilleintheCentralHighlandsofVictoriain1961.Whatdoesthisrediscoverymean?A. ThepopulationnearMarysvilleshouldbeclassifiedasadifferentspecies.B. ThegeographicrangeoftheLeadbeater’spossum’shabitathadbeenextended.C. TheconservationcategoryofLeadbeater’spossumchangedfromcriticallyendangeredtothreatened.D. ThepopulationnearMarysvillewasunderthreatfrombeinggeneticallyswampedbytheGippslandpopulation.
Question 7Agroupofscientistsusesnetstocatcheel-tailedcatfishinalakeinordertocollectdatausingthemark-recapturemethod.Theycapture,markandrelease15catfishthefirsttimethattheynetthelake.Thesecondtimethattheynetthelake,theycapture25catfish,ofwhichfivehadbeenmarked.Usingthemark-recapturemethod,whatistheestimatedpopulationofcatfishinthelake?A. 30B. 45C. 75D. 125
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Question 8TheislandsofNewCaledoniahavevariedlandforms,arangeofmicroclimatesandsomeunusualsoilconditions.SomeoftheislandsdevelopedfromthesupercontinentGondwanaandseparatedfromAustraliaaround66millionyearsago.Otherislandsformedasaresultofvolcanicactivityandcoralreefdevelopment.TheislandsofNewCaledoniahavebeenrelativelyisolatedintheirpresentpositionforaround50millionyears.Asaresult,NewCaledoniahasA. fewerspeciesduetoitsisolationinthePacificOcean.B. awidebiodiversityofendemicplantandanimalspecies.C. asimilarrangeofspeciestoAustraliabecauseitusedtobejoinedtothecontinent.D. asimilarrangeofspeciestoothertropicalislandgroupsthroughoutthePacificOcean.
Use the following information to answer Questions 9–13.AparticularnativeAustralianbirdspeciesiscriticallyendangered.TheendemicbirdpopulationhasalimitedrangeinWesternAustralia.Atwo-hectareregionjustoutsideofthecurrentrangeisbeingrevegetatedwiththeaimofprovidingmoresuitablehabitatforthebirdspecies.Aquadratstudywillbesetupwithintheregiontoobservethequantityandqualityofthevegetationbeforeandafterrevegetation.Untilrecently,simplespottinghadbeenusedtomonitorthebirdpopulation.However,amark-recapturemethodisnowbeingimplementedtomonitorpopulationnumbersovertime.
Question 9Basedontheinformationprovided,whatisakeythreattothesurvivalofthebirdspecies?A. bioaccumulationB. over-exploitationC. lossofpollinatorsD. habitatmodification
Question 10TherevegetationandmonitoringstrategiesforthebirdspeciesaremostlikelytobedevelopedanddescribedundertheguidelinesoftheA. ConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpecies(CITES).B. InternationalUnionforConservationofNature(IUCN)RedListofThreatenedSpecies.C. Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988(Vic).D. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Question 11Oneadvantageofthemark-recapturemethod,comparedtoasimplespottingtechnique,isthatthemark-recapturemethodA. usesfewerphysicalresourcesthanspotting.B. requiresfewerqualifiedpersonnelthanspotting.C. ismorelikelytoresultinthesamebirdbeingcountedtwice.D. producesresultsthatarelesslikelytobeinfluencedbyexperimentalerrororbias.
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Question 12Whatistheprimarypurposeofrecordingtheamountandtypeofvegetationbeforerevegetation?A. tomonitorpopulationnumbersofthebirdB. toensurethatnoweedsarepresentinthequadratC. toprovideastandardofcomparisontodeterminethesuccessofthestrategyD. todetermineifanyendangeredspeciesarepresentandtheirrelativeabundance
Question 13Nativeplantspecimensthatwereextractedfromaseedbankweresowntoprovidespeciesdiversityintherevegetatedregion.AseedbankisanexampleofA. astudbook.B. agenebank.C. captivebreeding.D. remnantvegetation.
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Question 14Adissolvedoxygenprobethatincludesathermometerwasusedbystudentsconductingwatersamplinginasmallpond.TheresultstheyobtainedareshownasLineAonthegraphbelow.Theconsumptionofdissolvedoxygenisduetoanincreaseintherespirationratebyaquaticorganismsaswaterwarms.LineBshowstheexpectedconsumptionofdissolvedoxygenastemperatureincreases.Itisbasedonthecollecteddatafrommanypreviousscientificmeasurementsofthispondunderthesameconditions.
consumption ofdissolved oxygen
(mg O2/L)
015 20 25
water temperature (°C)
Relationship between dissolved oxygen consumption and water temperature
30 35
2
4
6
8
10
12
14Key
Line A (student data)
Line B (expected data)
Data:LineBdataderivedfromJKepenyesandLVáradi,‘AerationandOxygenationinAquaculture’, inInland Aquaculture Engineering,FAO,Chapter21,1984
TheresultsobtainedbythestudentsaremostlikelyduetoA. arandomerror.B. experimentalbias.C. asystematicerror.D. aninaccuratecalculation.
Question 15FossilfuelsA. arefoundonlyinliquidform.B. werefirstusedbypeopleinthe1900s.C. wereallformedinthepastonemillionyears.D. wereformedfromprehistoricplantsandanimals.
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Question 16Whatdoestheterm‘peakoil’referto?A. thebest-qualityoilfortransportB. thehighestpriceforabarrelofoilC. thetimewhenmaximumoiluseoccursD. thetimewhenthemaximumrateofextractionofpetroleumisreached
Question 17Whichofthefollowingincludesonlyrenewablesourcesofenergy?A. biomass,solar,tidalB. wood,steam,nuclearC. wind,tidal,coalseamgasD. naturalgas,hydro-electric,geothermal
Question 18ThefirstlawofthermodynamicsstatesthatA. masscanbetransformedintoenergy.B. energyisneithercreatednordestroyed.C. energycannotbetransformedfromonetypetoanother.D. whenenergyistransferredortransformed,moreandmoreofitiswasted.
Question 19ThealbedoeffectreferstotheA. fractionofsolarenergyreflectedfromEarthbackintospace.B. amountofultraviolet,visibleandinfra-redradiationemittedbythesun.C. effectofincomingsolarenergyonicesheets,snowlevelsandpolaricecaps.D. absorptionofvisiblelightbyEarth’ssurface,whichisthenre-radiatedasinfra-redradiation.
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Use the following information to answer Questions 20–22.TheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange(IPCC)regularlyreviewsandassessesthemostrecentscientific,technicalandsocio-economicinformationproducedworldwidethatisrelevanttotheunderstandingofclimatechange.TheIPCCpublishesreportsbasedonthisinformation,includingthelatestscientificestimatesoftheglobalwarmingpotentialofgreenhousegases.Greenhousegaseswithahighglobalwarmingpotentialtendtohavealargeinfra-redabsorptionandalongatmosphericlifetime.
Global warming potential of selected greenhouse gases relative to carbon dioxide (based on a 100-year time horizon)
Greenhouse gas Global warming potential
Second Assessment Report (1995) Fourth Assessment Report (2007)
carbondioxide 1 1
methane 21 25
nitrousoxide 310 298
chlorofluorocarbon-11 3800 4750
chlorofluorocarbon-113 4800 6130
hydrofluorocarbon-23 11700 14800
sulfurhexafluoride 23 900 22800
Data:IPCC,Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report, Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,IPCC,Geneva(Switzerland),2007,104pp;
corewritingteam:RKPachauriandAReisinger(eds)
Question 20Whatdoesthedatainthetablesuggest?A. Methanehasasimilarglobalwarmingpotentialtonitrousoxide.B. Sulfurhexafluoridehasalowerglobalwarmingpotentialthancarbondioxide.C. Hydrofluorocarbon-23hasaglobalwarmingpotential14800timesgreaterthancarbondioxide,asestimatedin
2007.D. Chlorofluorocarbon-113hasagreaterglobalwarmingpotentialthancarbondioxide,butnotasgreatasthatof
chlorofluorocarbon-11.
Question 21Thedatainthetablesuggeststhatscientificevidencehasbeenre-evaluatedbetween1995and2007,andthattheIPCCfoundthatA. lesschlorofluorocarbon-113wasproducedoverthis12-yearperiod.B. theglobalwarmingpotentialofchlorofluorocarbon-11wasunderestimatedin1995.C. nitrousoxidehaslittleimpactonglobalwarminganditseffectisactuallydecreasing.D. alargeramountofhydrofluorocarbon-23wasbeingreleasedbutlesssulfurhexafluoridewasemittedoverthis
timeperiod.
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Question 22GlobalwarmingscientistshavefocusedtheireffortsonmanagingtheenhancedgreenhouseeffectbytryingtoreduceatmosphericcarbondioxidelevelsbecauseA. oftheextremelylargeamountsofcarbondioxidebeingemittedasaresultofhumanactivities.B. scientistshavealreadycontrolledtheuseofgasessuchaschlorofluorocarbonsbyhavingtheiruseinaerosol
cansbanned.C. carbondioxidehasalargerinfra-redabsorptionbutashorteratmosphericlifetimethantheothergreenhouse
gaseslistedinthetable.D. atmosphericcarbondioxidelevelscanbemoreeasilycontrolledthroughtheuseofgeosequestration,carbon
sinksandnon-fossilfuels.
Question 23Coralreefsarecomplexecosystemsthatarefacinganumberofthreateningprocessesonaglobalscale.Onesuchthreatisincreasingoceanacidificationduetotheincreaseintheamountofcarbondioxidebeingabsorbedfromtheatmosphere.Anotherthreatiscoralbleachingduetoanincreaseinoceantemperatures.BothoftheseimpactsA. arecausedbythenaturalgreenhouseeffect.B. willeventuallyresultincoralreefecosystemsbecomingextinct.C. areoflittleconcernduetothehighlevelsofbiodiversityincoralreefecosystems.D. arecausedbytheincreasinglevelsofcarbondioxidethathavebeenaddedtotheatmospherebyhuman
activities.
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Use the following information to answer Questions 24 and 25.Avaconductsanexperimenttoinvestigatetheheatabsorptionofcarbondioxidegas.Sheusesalightglobetosupplyinfra-redradiationtoa1Lglasscontainertowhichdifferentconcentrationsofcarbondioxideareadded.After10minutes,shemeasuresthetemperatureinthecontainer.Sherepeatstheexperimenttwotimes.Avathenchangestheconcentrationofcarbondioxideandrepeatstheprocess.Herresultsarepresentedinthetablebelow.
Experiment number Concentration of carbon dioxide (parts per million)
Final temperature (°C)
1.1 200 20.1
1.2 200 20.0
1.3 200 20.1
2.1 300 22.3
2.2 300 22.1
2.3 300 22.4
3.1 400 23.8
3.2 400 23.7
3.3 400 23.7
4.1 500 25.1
4.2 500 24.8
4.3 500 24.9
Question 24AvaanalysedtheresultsoftheexperimentandcorrectlyarrivedattheconclusionthatA. increasingtheconcentrationofcarbondioxideincreasestheamountofheatabsorbed.B. themeasurementsthatsherecordedweretooinconsistenttoreachanaccurateconclusion.C. varyingtheconcentrationofcarbondioxidehadnodirecteffectonthetemperatureinthecontainer.D. thetemperatureincreasedinitiallybutdeclinedwhenacertainconcentrationofcarbondioxidewasreached.
Question 25WhatwasthemainreasonforAvarepeatingeachexperimentthreetimes?A. toeliminateerrorB. toincludeacontrolC. toincreasethenumberofvariablesD. toreduceexperimentaluncertainty
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CONTINUES OVER PAGE
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Use the following information to answer Questions 26–30.Ragwortisanoxiousweed.ItisamajorprobleminVictoria’sStrzelecki,OtwayandDandenongranges.Morethan1000dairyfarmsareaffectedbytheweed.Biologicalcontrolinvolvesintroducingalivingpredator(plantoranimal)tocontrolthespeciesratherthanusingachemicalpesticide.Researchersareexaminingtheuseofbeetlesandmothsasabiologicalcontrolforragwort.Thebeetlesandmothswillfeedontheweed.Thisisanalternativetousingchemicalpesticidestokilltheragwort.
Question 26Forbiologicalcontroltocontributetoecologicallysustainabledevelopment,itisessentialthatA. pesticidecompaniesmaintainprofits.B. foodproductionishighinallregions.C. thereiscommunitysupportforbiologicalcontrol.D. biologicalcontroldoesnotdegradetheenvironmentforfuturegenerations.
Question 27WhichofEarth’ssystemsisthefocusoftheresearch?A. biosphereB. lithosphereC. atmosphereD. hydrosphere
Question 28Ithasbeenarguedthattherearefourkeychallengestosustainability.Whichofthesefourchallengesaretheresearcherstryingtotackle?A. foodB. waterC. energyD. population
Question 29Theresearchersareusinghistoricalandcurrentdatacomparisonsasmeasuresoftheeffectivenessofthebiologicalcontrolofragwort.Whichvariableshouldbemonitored?A. ragwortnumbersB. useofchemicalpesticidesC. thenumberofdairyfarmsD. thenumberofstudysitesintheOtwayandDandenongranges
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END OF SECTION ATURN OVER
Question 30InordertodevelopanunderstandingofthepotentialimpactsofreleasingdifferentspeciesofbeetlesandmothsintotheVictorianenvironment,theresearchersshouldundertakefurtherinvestigation.Whichoneofthefollowingmethodswouldbethemostappropriatetypeofinvestigationtodothis?A. abioaccumulationstudyofthechemicalpesticidescurrentlybeingusedB. ariskmanagementassessmentoftheseinsectspeciesindifferentecosystemsC. consultationwithlocalcommunities,environmentalinterestgroupsandrelevantgovernmentagenciesD. adatacomparisonthatmeasuresandcomparestheeffectivenessoftheseinsectspeciesincontrollingragwort
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SECTION B – Question 1–continued
Question 1 (7marks)AnecologicalsurveyofaheathlandhabitatineasternVictoria(SiteA)wasconductedbyagroupofscientistsstudyingsmall,ground-dwellingmammals.Simpson’sIndexofspeciesdiversity(D)wasusedbythescientiststoquantifythemammaldiversityofthehabitat.Simpson’sIndexcanbecalculatedasfollows.
Simpson’sIndex:D n nN Ni i= −
∑ −−
1 11
[ ( )]( )
Note:∑ referstothe‘sumof’ ni referstothetotalnumberoforganismsofeachindividualspecies N referstothetotalnumberoforganismsofallspecies
Ahigherindexvalueindicatesgreaterspeciesdiversity.
Mammal species (at Site A) ni ni – 1 ni (ni – 1)
long-nosedbandicoot 10 10–1=9 10 ×9=90
southernbrownbandicoot 2 2–1=1 2 ×1=2
bushrat 12 12–1=11 12 ×11=132
duskyantechinus 15 15–1=14 15×14=210
smokymouse 5 5–1=4 5×4=20
∑N =44
a. Calculate∑ni(ni–1)forthemammalspeciesandwriteyouranswerinthetableabove. 1mark
b. GiventhatN(N–1)isequalto44×43=1892,usetheequationbelowtocalculateSimpson’s Index(D)fortheheathlandhabitatatSiteA. 1mark
D n nN Ni i= −
∑ −−
1 11
[ ( )]( )
D = −11892
D=
SECTION B
Instructions for Section BAnswerall questionsinthespacesprovided.Writeusingblueorblackpen.
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c. Anothersimilarheathlandhabitat(SiteB)hasbeeninvestigatedandaSimpson’sIndexof0.39wascalculated.
Explainwhattheindexfiguresindicateaboutspeciesdiversityatthetwosites.Includeanexplanationofspeciesdiversityinyouranswer. 2marks
d. ThesmokymouseisendemictosouthernAustraliaandisclassifiedasanendangeredspeciesinVictoria.However,anumberofpeoplearguethatthisspeciesdeserveslessprotectionthanothersbecauseitisnotasattractiveasthebandicootandthatallmiceshouldbeconsideredapest.
Explainwhetherthisisan‘anthropocentric’oran‘ecocentric’view,makingclearthedifferencebetweenthetwoterms. 3marks
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SECTION B – Question 2–continued
Question 2 (10marks)TheCarpentarianrock-rat(Zyzomys palatalis)isasmallmammalthatlivesinremnantrainforestpatchesinrockysandstonerangesintheNorthernTerritory.Twoisolatedpopulationsoffewerthan700individualseachhavebeenlocatedinthisarea.ThreatstothehabitatoftheCarpentarianrock-ratareclimatechangeresultinginalteredrainfallpatterns,changedfireregimesandexoticweeds.Otherpossiblethreatsareferalcatsandcattlegrazing.ArecoverymanagementplanfortheCarpentarianrock-rathasbeendevelopedbytheParksandWildlifeCommissionoftheNorthernTerritoryandtheNationalHeritageTrust.
a. AtpresenttheCarpentarianrock-ratisclassifiedbytheInternationalUnionforConservationofNature(IUCN)ascriticallyendangered.Anoverallaimoftherecoverymanagementplanisto down-listthespecies.
Stateaconservationcategorythatwouldrepresentanimprovementinthespecies’situation. 1mark
b. ExoticweedsareakeythreattothesurvivaloftheCarpentarianrock-rat.
SuggesthowexoticweedsmightaffectthesurvivaloftheCarpentarianrock-rat. 2marks
c. AnotherreasontheCarpentarianrock-ratisatriskofextinctionisthelowgeneticvariabilityofthesmallpopulationinthewild.
Outlineonereasonwhylowgeneticvariabilitywithinapopulationincreasesthelikelihoodofextinction. 2marks
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d. Therecoverymanagementplanoutlinesastrategytoreleasecaptive-bredanimalsintoanewhabitatnearby,butseparatefromtheexistingpopulations.
Describeonewayinwhichthenumberofindividualsinthereleasedpopulationcouldbemonitoredovertime. 2marks
e. Anenvironmentalscientistarguesthatcaptive-bredanimalsshouldbereleasedintothesamehabitatwiththeexistingpopulationsinsteadofintoanewhabitat.
Comparethetwostrategies,providingtheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofboth. 3marks
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SECTION B – Question 3–continued
Question 3 (13marks)Anewresidentialdevelopmentwiththepotentialtohouseapproximately120000peopleisbeingdevelopedonacoastalstripoflandapproximately8kmfromtheedgeofamajorcity.Toprovidetransporttothisnewdevelopment,engineersareplanningaraillink.Theplannedrouteforthisraillinkisrelativelysimplebutincludescrossingawiderivermouthmidwayalongtheroute.Thisrivermouthisapproximatelyhalfakilometrewide.Upstreamfromtheproposedrivercrossingsisalargewetlandareawithasignificantwaterbirdhabitat.Theengineersconsidertwopossibilitiesforcrossingthisrivermouth:• OptionA–ahalf-kilometrelongcausewayorbuilt-upembankmentwithanumberofopeningstoallowtheriver
toflowthrough• OptionB–a1kmtunneltoallowtheraillinktopassundertheriver
Thetwopotentialcrossingsareshowninthediagrambelow.
river
wetlands
ocean
Option A(causeway)
Option B(tunnel)
landland
Thecostoftheraillinkwithouttherivercrossingsisapproximately$20million.OptionAiscostedatapproximately$4million.OptionBiscostedatapproximately$50million.Argumentspresentedforandagainsttheseoptionsincludethefollowing:• Thecausewaywouldleadtogreatchangeintheflowoftheriver.Thetidewouldnolongerflushthewetlandsand,
hence,itmaybecomestagnant.• Ifthecausewaywerebuilt,attimesoflowflowthewetlandscouldbecomeverysalty,affectingthewildlife.• Thecausewaywouldspoiltheviewoftheoceanfromtheinland-sideoftherailway.• Pollutionfromtheuseofcarsandothervehiclesastheonlyavailablemodeoftransportwouldaffectanimal,bird
andaquaticlifeinthearea.Therefore,theraillinkisessentialtoprovideanenvironmentallysustainablemodeoftransport.
• Thetunnelistooexpensiveand,ifthecausewaywerenotallowed,theraillinkisunlikelytobeconstructed.Thiswouldhaveenvironmentalconsequencesasothermodesoftransport,suchascars,wouldbeused.
• Thewetlandareawouldbechangedbythecausewaybutthewildlife(especiallythemigratorywaterbirds)wouldquicklyadjust.
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SECTION B – Question 3–continuedTURN OVER
a. Istheraillinkprojectanecologicallysustainabledevelopment?Justifyyourresponse. 2marks
b. Keychallengestosustainabilityincludeissuesrelatedtopopulation,food,waterandenergy.
Selectoneofthesekeychallengestosustainabilityandexplainhowtheproposedraillinkprojectaimstomeetthischallenge. 2marks
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SECTION B – Question 3–continued
c. Analysetherolesoftwostakeholdergroupsinvolvedinencouragingresponsibleenvironmentalpracticesthroughouttheraillinkprojectandidentifyavaluesystemthataffectsthedecision-makingofeachstakeholdergroup. 4marks
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SECTION B – continuedTURN OVER
d. YouhavebeenaskedtorecommendeitherOptionAorOptionBandyouaretousethefollowingsustainabilityprinciplesaskeycriteriainyourrecommendation.
Sustainabilityprinciples:intergenerationalequity,intragenerationalequity,conservationofbiodiversity,userpaysprinciple,efficiencyofresourceuse,precautionaryprinciple
Recommendone optionandjustifyyourchoicebyevaluatingtheextenttowhicheachoptionappliesthesustainabilityprinciples. 5marks
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SECTION B – Question 4–continued
Question 4 (8marks)Dammingarivertoconstructareservoirforahydro-electricpowerstationcanhaveanumberofbeneficialaswellasharmfulimpactsontheenvironment.
a. Describeanenvironmentalbenefittotheatmospherethatmayoccurasaresultofconstructingadamandhydro-electricpowerstationsystem. 2marks
b. Describeaharmfulimpactonthehydrospherethatmayoccurasaresultofconstructingadamandhydro-electricpowerstationsystem. 2marks
c. Scientistsaredevelopingamanagementplanforaproposeddamandhydro-electricpowerstationsystem,andhavecollecteddatarelatedtopreviousriverflowandfloodpatterns,pastwatertemperatureswithintheriverandlevelsofsedimentintherivertouseinthisplan.
Explainwhythescientistshavestudiedthishistoricaldata. 2marks
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SECTION B – continuedTURN OVER
d. Dodammingtheriver,developingareservoirandconstructingahydro-electricpowerstationmaintainthesustainabilityprincipleofecologicalintegrity?Justifyyouranswer,makingclearthemeaningofecologicalintegrity. 2marks
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SECTION B – Question 5–continued
Question 5 (6marks)Scenariomodellinghasbeenusedtogeneratethreepredictionsforenergyproducedbyfossilfuelsinthefuture,asshowninthegraphbelow.Variationsintheproductionlevelsbetweenthethreemodelsarebasedondifferentpredictionsforfactorssuchaspopulationgrowth,energy-usepatterns,economicgrowthandtechnologicaldevelopment.
World primary energy production from fossil fuels
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
year
2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2090 2100
annualproduction(millions of
tonnes of oilequivalent)
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000Key
Model A
Model B
Model C
Source:adaptedfromMHöök,‘FuellingFutureEmissions–ExaminingFossilFuelProductionOutlooksUsed inClimateModels’,inJBlancoandHKheradmand(eds),Climate Change – Research and Technology for
Adaptation and Mitigation,InTech,6September2011,Chapter3,pp.50&52
a. Whichoneofthemodelsshowninthegraphhas,aspartofitsmodellingprogrampredictions,ahighpopulationgrowthrate,strongeconomicgrowthandcontinuingrelianceonfossilfuelsintheforeseeablefuture?Justifyyourresponse. 2marks
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SECTION B – continuedTURN OVER
b. Groupsofscientistshavepresentedthesedifferentmodelsandhavearguedabouttheaccuracyoftheirmodels.
Whyisscenariomodellingofthissortusedtomakepredictionsaboutfuturefossilfuelusage? 2marks
c. Apartfrompossiblevariationsindemandforenergyfromfossilfuelsinthefuture,thereisalsouncertaintyabouttheactualquantitiesofremainingfossilfueldeposits.
Explainwhythereisuncertaintywhencalculatingremainingfossilfueldeposits. 2marks
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SECTION B – Question 6–continued
Question 6 (13marks)Untilrecently,asmall,isolated,inlandtownreliedonadiesel-poweredgenerationsystemtoprovideelectricitytoits200residentsanditssmallbusinesses.Thedieselthatwastransportedtothetownbytruckwasnotbiodiesel.Thenearestcoal-firedpowerstationisover1100kmawayandthenearestgas-firedpowerstationisover700kmaway.Thetownhasconstructedageothermalpowerstationthatnowprovidesapproximately30%ofitselectricityneeds.Thegeothermalpowerstationreceiveswaterwithatemperatureof98.3°Cfroma1.3kmdeepbore.Oncethewaterhasbeenthroughthepowerstation,itisfurthercooledinpondsandusedtosupplythetownwithwater.Thisistheonlyuseofgeothermalenergyfromthiswatersource.Theboreforthepowerstationtakeswaterfromalargeaquifer(naturalundergroundwaterstorage)containingwaterthatrangesfromseveralthousandtouptotwomillionyearsold.Currently,waterisbeingextractedfromtheaquiferatamuchfasterratethanitisbeingreplenished,mainlyduetoitsuseinagriculturalactivities,suchascropirrigationanddrinkingwaterforcattle.Asaresult,anumberofendemicspeciesandcommunitiesthataredependentonthenaturaldischargeofgroundwaterfromtheaquiferintheregionarelistedasvulnerable.
a. Intermsofenergytransportandenergyefficiency,explainwhyadiesel-poweredgenerationsystemwasusedbythetownasasourceofelectricityratherthancoalornaturalgas. 2marks
b. Describetheimpactonthecarboncycleofusingdieselasanenergysource. 2marks
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SECTION B – Question 6–continuedTURN OVER
c. Thedieselforthetown’spowerstationwassourcedfromanonshoreoildrillingrig.Therewasanoilspillattherigsite.
Explainamechanical,chemicalorbiologicalprocessthatcouldbeusedtocleanandrehabilitatethesite. 2marks
d. i. Whatisthesourceofthegeothermalenergybeingusedbythetown? 1mark
ii. Describetheenergyconversionprocess(includingenergyforms)thatexplainshowgeothermalenergyisabletogenerateelectricalenergy. 3marks
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SECTION B – continued
e. Istheextractionofgeothermalenergyfromtheaquiferasustainableuseofthisresource?Justifyyourresponseusingthesustainabilityprinciplesofecosystemconservationandintergenerationalequity. 3marks
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SECTION B – continuedTURN OVER
CONTINUES OVER PAGE
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SECTION B – Question 7–continued
Question 7 (12marks)
–80 –60 –40 –20 00
10
20altitude (km)
30
40
stratosphere
troposphere
50
20 40 60 80
temperature (°C)
Source:adaptedfromwww.weather-climate.org.uk/02.php
a. Thegraphaboveshowshowthetemperatureoftheatmospherevarieswithaltitude.
Describehowthetemperaturechangesasthegraphmovesupwardsfromthegroundtothetopofthestratosphere. 2marks
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SECTION B – Question 7–continuedTURN OVER
b. Iftheatmospherecontainedonlynitrogengasandoxygengas,theaveragetemperatureatthesurfaceofEarthwouldbeapproximately–17°C.ThecurrentaveragetemperatureatthesurfaceofEarthisapproximately16°C.
Listtwogasesintheatmospherethatnaturallymaintainwarmersurfaceconditionsandexplainhowtheydoso. 3marks
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SECTION B – Question 7–continued
Thegraphbelowshowsatown’sannualaveragesurfacetemperatureeachyearfrom1910to2015.
1910 1920 1930 1940 1950
year
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 201014
14.5
15
15.5average surface
temperature (°C)
16
16.5
17
Annual average surface temperature (1910–2015)
c. Describetheoveralltrendintemperaturesovertheyearsshowninthegraph. 2marks
d. Explainthechangestotheatmospherethatarelikelytohavecausedtheoveralltrenddescribedinpart c. 2marks
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SECTION B – continuedTURN OVER
e. Astudentarguesthattheaveragetemperaturein1919wasapproximately16°Candin1995theaveragetemperaturewasapproximately15°C,sothetown’stemperaturehasfallenoverthepast100years.
Isthisstudent’sargumentcorrectornot?Explainyourresponse. 3marks
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SECTION B – Question 8–continued
Question 8 (9marks)In2013,scientistsanalyseda3kmlongcoreoficedrilledinGreenland.Theicecoreprovidedinformationaboutchangesthathaveoccurredoverthepast130000years.
a. Describehowscientistscanuseicecorestodeterminethepastcompositionandtemperatureoftheatmosphere. 3marks
b. Brieflydescribeatechnique,otherthanicecoreanalysis,formeasuringandunderstandingpastchangesintheatmosphere. 2marks
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SECTION B – continuedTURN OVER
c. Inthe1920s,themathematicianMilutinMilankovicreportedthatEarthentersaniceageapproximatelyevery100000yearsduetothreemainastronomicalcycles.
Describeoneoftheseastronomicalcycles. 2marks
d. FromtheGreenlandicecorescientistswereabletodiscoverthattheclimate130000yearsagowasapproximately8°Cwarmerthantoday.
Explainwhythehighertemperaturecausedthesealevel130000yearsagotobemanymetreshigherthanitistoday. 2marks
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SECTION B – Question 9–continued
Question 9 (12marks)Agroupofstudentswantstomodeltheeffectofglobalwarmingonseawater.Thestudentstestedthehypothesisthatifwatertemperatureincreasesby10°C,watervolumewillincrease.Theyusedatesttubefilledwith10.0mLoffresh(distilled)waterat20°CandslowlyheatedthistesttubeusingaBunsenburner.Theynotedthechangeinvolumewhenthewaterwasheatedby10°C.Theyrepeatedthisexperimentfivetimes(fivetrials).Theyalsousedacontroltesttubethatwasnotheated.
Results
Trial Initial volume (mL)
Final volume (mL)
Change in water volume (mL)
1 10.0 12.0 2.0
2 10.0 13.0 3.0
3 10.0 12.0 2.0
4 10.0 11.0 1.0
5 10.0 13.0 3.0
Control test tube (not heated)
10.0 10.0 0.0
a. Explainthepurposeofthecontroltesttubeinthisexperiment. 1mark
b. Calculatetheaverage(mean)changeinthevolumeofthewater.Donotincludetheresultsforthecontroltesttubeinyourcalculation. 1mark
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SECTION B – Question 9–continuedTURN OVER
c. Explainhowthisexperimentrelatestoglobalwarmingandglobalsealevels. 2marks
d. Stateoneimprovementthatcouldbemadetothisexperimentandexplainhowthiswouldimprovethevalidityoftheexperiment. 2marks
e. Explain,usingthechangesinwatervolumeobtained,theimportanceofrepeatingtheexperiment fivetimes.Includetheterm‘reliability’inyouranswer. 2marks
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END OF QUESTION AND ANSWER BOOK
f. Anothergroupofstudentswantstotestthehypothesisthat,aswatertemperatureincreases,theabsorptionofcarbondioxideincreases.
Outlineanexperimentthestudentscouldperform.Inyourresponse,include:• theindependentvariable• thedependentvariable• abriefmethodwithatleasttwocontrolledvariables. 4marks
ENVSC (SAMPLE – ANSWERS)
© VCAA 2017 – Version 2 – January 2018
Answers to multiple-choice questions
Question Answer Question Answer
1 D 16 D
2 D 17 A
3 D 18 B
4 D 19 A
5 C 20 C
6 B 21 B
7 C 22 A
8 B 23 D
9 D 24 A
10 D 25 D
11 D 26 D
12 C 27 A
13 B 28 A
14 C 29 A
15 D 30 B