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A Level Biology: Classification, biodiversity and conservation MCQs — Biology

31 multiple-choice questions on A Level Biology: Classification, biodiversity and conservation from Biology, each with the correct answer and, where available, a teacher's explanation. Read through them to revise the chapter, then practise the same questions one by one to test yourself.

1. Simpson's index value close to 1 indicates

  1. no species
  2. one dominant species
  3. high diversity
  4. low diversity

Answer: C) high diversity

Explanation: D near 1 = diverse. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.2 Biodiversity

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2. Random sampling is important because it

  1. increases the population
  2. ensures the same results every time
  3. avoids bias so the sample is representative
  4. counts every organism

Answer: C) avoids bias so the sample is representative

Explanation: Representative data. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.2 Biodiversity

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3. A frozen zoo stores

  1. living animals in cold climates
  2. frozen plants
  3. dead specimens for display
  4. sperm, eggs and embryos at very low temperatures

Answer: D) sperm, eggs and embryos at very low temperatures

Explanation: Genetic material in liquid nitrogen. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.3 Conservation

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4. The IUCN

  1. runs seed banks only
  2. is a national park
  3. assesses the conservation status of species and publishes the Red List
  4. bans all hunting worldwide

Answer: C) assesses the conservation status of species and publishes the Red List

Explanation: IUCN Red List. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.3 Conservation

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5. Invasive alien species are controlled because they

  1. increase biodiversity
  2. are always endangered
  3. cannot reproduce
  4. outcompete native species and reduce biodiversity

Answer: D) outcompete native species and reduce biodiversity

Explanation: Invasives threaten natives. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.3 Conservation

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6. Surrogacy in conservation involves

  1. cloning the endangered animal
  2. releasing animals into the wild
  3. keeping animals in zoos only
  4. an embryo of an endangered species carried by a female of a related, more common species

Answer: D) an embryo of an endangered species carried by a female of a related, more common species

Explanation: Surrogate mothers increase births. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.3 Conservation

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7. An economic reason for maintaining biodiversity is

  1. species may provide new medicines
  2. it reduces tourism
  3. it increases extinction
  4. it reduces food supply

Answer: A) species may provide new medicines

Explanation: Many drugs come from wild species. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.3 Conservation

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8. The morphological species concept classifies organisms by

  1. ecological niche
  2. DNA only
  3. ability to interbreed
  4. observable structural features

Answer: D) observable structural features

Explanation: Morphology = form. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.1 Classification

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9. In IVF for endangered species,

  1. seeds are germinated
  2. eggs are fertilised by sperm outside the body
  3. embryos are cloned
  4. eggs are fertilised inside the female

Answer: B) eggs are fertilised by sperm outside the body

Explanation: In vitro fertilisation. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.3 Conservation

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10. Genetic diversity refers to

  1. the number of individuals
  2. the number of species
  3. the number of ecosystems
  4. the variety of alleles within a species

Answer: D) the variety of alleles within a species

Explanation: Third level of biodiversity. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.2 Biodiversity

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11. A limitation of the biological species concept is that it cannot be applied to

  1. mammals
  2. organisms that reproduce asexually
  3. plants that cross-pollinate
  4. animals

Answer: B) organisms that reproduce asexually

Explanation: Asexual organisms do not interbreed. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.1 Classification

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12. Seed banks help conservation by

  1. selling seeds
  2. storing seeds of plant species for future replanting
  3. cloning animals
  4. controlling trade

Answer: B) storing seeds of plant species for future replanting

Explanation: Ex situ plant conservation. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.3 Conservation

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13. Viruses are classified according to

  1. their size only
  2. their kingdom
  3. their cell wall
  4. the type of nucleic acid and whether it is single or double stranded

Answer: D) the type of nucleic acid and whether it is single or double stranded

Explanation: RNA/DNA, ss/ds. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.1 Classification

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14. Which is the correct taxonomic hierarchy in order?

  1. phylum, kingdom, order, class, genus, family, species
  2. species, genus, order, family, class, phylum, kingdom
  3. kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
  4. kingdom, class, phylum, family, order, genus, species

Answer: C) kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

Explanation: King Philip Came Over For Good Soup. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.1 Classification

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15. A niche is

  1. the number of species present
  2. the role of a species in its ecosystem
  3. all the organisms in an area
  4. the place where an organism lives

Answer: B) the role of a species in its ecosystem

Explanation: Niche = role. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.2 Biodiversity

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16. Which is a cause of extinction?

  1. National parks
  2. Seed banks
  3. Captive breeding
  4. Habitat loss

Answer: D) Habitat loss

Explanation: Habitat destruction threatens species. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.3 Conservation

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17. Which method is best to estimate the population of a mobile insect such as a beetle?

  1. Line transect
  2. Frame quadrats
  3. Percentage cover
  4. Mark–release–recapture

Answer: D) Mark–release–recapture

Explanation: Mobile animals are marked and recaptured. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.2 Biodiversity

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18. The three domains are

  1. Protoctista, Fungi and Bacteria
  2. Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya
  3. Plantae, Animalia and Fungi
  4. Prokaryotes, Eukaryotes and Viruses

Answer: B) Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya

Explanation: Woese's three domains. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.1 Classification

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19. Spearman's rank correlation is used when data

  1. compare two means
  2. are normally distributed with a linear relationship only
  3. are not normally distributed or are ranked
  4. compare observed and expected numbers

Answer: C) are not normally distributed or are ranked

Explanation: Non-parametric test. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.2 Biodiversity

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20. Species frequency is

  1. the area covered by a plant
  2. the total number of species
  3. the number of individuals per m²
  4. the percentage of quadrats in which a species is found

Answer: D) the percentage of quadrats in which a species is found

Explanation: Frequency = occurrence. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.2 Biodiversity

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21. Archaea differ from Bacteria in having

  1. chloroplasts
  2. a nucleus
  3. no peptidoglycan in their cell walls
  4. 80S ribosomes

Answer: C) no peptidoglycan in their cell walls

Explanation: Archaea lack peptidoglycan. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.1 Classification

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22. An assumption of mark–release–recapture is that

  1. marking increases predation
  2. marks are lost quickly
  3. marked individuals mix randomly with the population
  4. many births occur between samples

Answer: C) marked individuals mix randomly with the population

Explanation: Assumptions for the Lincoln index. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.2 Biodiversity

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23. 40 snails were marked and released. Later 30 were caught, of which 6 were marked. The estimated population is

  1. 1200
  2. 120
  3. 200
  4. 76

Answer: C) 200

Explanation: 40 × 30 ÷ 6 = 200. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.2 Biodiversity

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24. Which feature is shared by all members of the kingdom Plantae?

  1. Saprotrophic nutrition
  2. Autotrophic nutrition by photosynthesis
  3. Chitin cell walls
  4. No cell walls

Answer: B) Autotrophic nutrition by photosynthesis

Explanation: Plants photosynthesise. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.1 Classification

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25. Fungal cell walls are made of

  1. cellulose
  2. pectin only
  3. peptidoglycan
  4. chitin

Answer: D) chitin

Explanation: Fungi have chitin walls. AS & A Level Biology · Topic 18 Classification, Biodiversity and Conservation · 18.1 Classification

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