Practice 3.2 Origins of biodiversity with authentic IB Environmental systems and societies (ESS - Old) exam questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank mirrors Paper 1, 2 structure, covering key topics like ecosystems, human impact, and sustainability. Get instant solutions, detailed explanations, and build exam confidence with questions in the style of IB examiners.
Paper
Level
Question 1
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[3]
Describe the role of isolation in the process of speciation.
Question 2
HLPaper 2
Explain how the following mechanisms contribute to maintaining genetic variation in populations:
1.[2]
Heterozygote advantage
2.[2]
Frequency-dependent selection
Question 3
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[3]
Explain how genetic drift can lead to changes in allele frequencies in small populations.
Question 4
SLPaper 2
1.[4]
Explain the process(es) where a species evolves over time to gain a higher tolerance to hotter climates or higher temperatures.
2.[9]
When addressing environmental issues, mitigation strategies can be seen as ecocentric and adaptation strategies as technocentric.
With reference to named strategies addressing global warming, to what extent is this view valid?
Question 5
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[3]
Explain the concept of convergent evolution and provide an example.
Question 6
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[4]
Describe two pieces of evidence that support the theory of evolution.
Question 7
SL & HLPaper 2
Explain how the following factors can lead to reproductive isolation:
1.[2]
Geographic barriers
2.[2]
Behavioral differences
Question 8
SL & HLPaper 2
Analyze the following diagram of adaptive radiation:
1.[2]
Describe what the diagram illustrates about the process of speciation.
2.[2]
Explain one factor that could drive this type of diversification.
Question 9
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[3]
Define the term "biodiversity loss" and explain its three main levels.
Question 10
SLPaper 2
Figure 1: Distribution of continents and diversity of species over time
Source: https://phys.org/news/2022-07-environmental-stability-earth-marine-biodiversity.html
1.[1]
With reference to Figure 1, identify when the diversity of species was lowest in the past 400 million years.
2.[2]
Describe what may have caused the deviation from the general trend at the point 66 milllion years ago in Figure 1.
3.[1]
Identify the relationship between the number of continents and the diversity of species during the past 250 million years.
4.[2]
Describe two reasons why there is a relationship between the number of continents and the diversity of species.
5.[2]
Outline the role of natural selection in increasing the diversity of species.