A-LevelBiologyBiodiversity and conservation9700/42 · Feb/Mar 2017 · Q811 Marks

Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that comes from the fruit of oil palm trees. • Palm oil is cheap. • It is the world's most widely used vegetable oil. • The yield of oil per hectare from oil palm trees is thirty times more than that of oil from maize. • Around 85% of the world's palm oil is now produced in Indonesia. Table 8.1 shows the change in forest cover on the three main Indonesian islands between 2000 and 2010. [Table 8.1]

(a)Complete Table 8.1 to show the loss of forest cover and the percentage loss of forest cover for Borneo between 2000 and 2010.[2]
(b)The Sumatran forest is the natural habitat for the Sumatran orangutan, Pongo abelii. Fig. 8.1 shows a Sumatran orangutan. [Figure 8.1]
(b)(i)Suggest the genetic consequences of the separation of family groups.[3]
(b)(ii)Suggest ways in which the Sumatran orangutan can be protected in its natural environment.[3]
(b)(iii)Describe the role of zoos in the protection of endangered species such as the Sumatran orangutan.[3]

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Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Feb/Mar 2017). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[1] (a) 6;
[1] (a) 18;
[1] (b)(i) three from: 1 inbreeding depression/lack of hybrid vigour ;
[1] (b)(i) 2 more chance that harmful recessive alleles may be expressed;
[1] (b)(i) 3 decrease in heterozygosity/increase in homozygosity ;
[1] (b)(i) 4 less genetic variation;
[1] (b)(ii) three from: 1 use sustainable palm oil plantations ;
[1] (b)(ii) 2 create/leave, corridors between family groups in different parts of the forest ;
[1] (b)(ii) 3 ban hunting;
[1] (b)(ii) 4 create national parks;
[1] (b)(ii) 5 educate local people;
[1] (b)(ii) 6 re-locate orangutans ;
[1] (b)(ii) 7 reforestation ;
[1] (b)(iii) three from: 1 captive breeding;
[1] (b)(iii) 2 detail e.g. IVF/ICSI/sperm banks;
[1] (b)(iii) 3 education;
[1] (b)(iii) 4 release back into the wild ;
[1] (b)(iii) 5 research;
[1] (b)(iii) 6 health monitoring;

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