Honey bees pollinate the flowers of apple trees. The bees collect nectar from the flowers.
A farmer put different numbers of beehives into five areas of an orchard. Each area was 1 hectare. The farmer measured the mass of apples produced in each area.
The Table shows the results.
Table
| Number of beehives per hectare | Mass of apples per hectare in tonnes |
|---|---|
| 0 | 12 |
| 2 | 20 |
| 4 | 28 |
| 6 | 32 |
| 8 | 33 |
Describe the effect of the number of beehives on the mass of apples.
Calculate the percentage increase in the mass of apples when the number of beehives increased from 0 to 6 per hectare.
Explain why the relationship between the bees and the apple trees is an example of mutualism.
The farmer sprayed an insecticide on the orchard while the apple trees were in flower.
Explain how this could affect the mass of apples produced.
Suggest why increasing the number of beehives from 6 to 8 per hectare had little effect on the mass of apples.
39 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Biology 9.1 Ecosystems and interdependence, covering 9.1.1 Levels of organisation in ecosystems, 9.1.2 Abiotic and biotic factors, 9.1.3 Importance of interdependence, 9.1.4 Parasitism and mutualism, and 9.1.5 Determining number of organisms in an area. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.