Practise 31 exam-style questions on Biotic factors for AQA GCSE Biology. Write your answer as you would in the exam and get it marked in seconds against the mark scheme, point by point, with an AI tutor on hand if you get stuck.
31 questions
1–4 marks each
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20 questions, marked as you go
Sample questions with model answers
Here are 4 of the questions in this topic, each with a model answer, an explanation of why it earns the marks and the mark scheme an examiner would use.
Question 1
2 marks
One species outcompetes another. Describe two biotic outcomes that could result in the less successful species.
Model answer
Population decline leading to local extinction; reduced breeding success because not enough resources for partners or nests.
Explanation
When outcompeted, a species may have lower survival and reproduction and can be pushed to local extinction.
Mark scheme
1 mark
population size decreases / local extinction
1 mark
reduced breeding / fewer offspring due to lack of resources
Question 2
2 marks
Describe how courtship behaviour can be an adaptation to reduce wasteful interspecific mating attempts.
Model answer
Species-specific signals (visual, chemical, or acoustic) enable recognition of conspecific mates, preventing hybrid matings that produce low-fitness offspring.
Explanation
Distinctive courtship cues act as reproductive isolation mechanisms, ensuring efficient mating within species and conserving reproductive effort.
ensures mating with conspecifics / reduces hybrid / wasted mating
Question 3
3 marks
Explain how selective breeding could be used to produce a crop variety that is more competitive against weeds.
Model answer
Select individuals with traits that outcompete weeds (e.g., rapid early growth, high leaf area); cross them and select offspring with desired traits over generations to fix traits in the population.
Explanation
Selective breeding increases the frequency of alleles for competitive traits by repeatedly selecting and crossing best-performing plants.
Mark scheme
1 mark
select parents with desired traits (fast early growth / tall / big leaves)
1 mark
cross them and choose offspring that express the traits
1 mark
repeat over many generations to fix traits (increase frequency of alleles)
Question 4
4 marks
Design a simple field study to test whether planting native shrubs increases local insect diversity. Include one measurement and one control variable.
Model answer
Set up pairs of plots with and without native shrubs; sample insects with sweep net or pitfall traps over set time; measure number of species (species richness); control soil type or plot size or sampling effort.
Explanation
A controlled comparison with standardized sampling and measurement of species richness allows testing whether shrubs increase insect diversity.
Mark scheme
1 mark
paired plots with and without shrubs (treatment and control)
1 mark
sampling method described (e.g., pitfall traps / sweep net / timed search)
1 mark
measurement: species richness / number of species (or abundance) recorded
1 mark
control variable: same plot size / same sampling time / same habitat conditions
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