Section B Answer one question from this section. (a) Study Fig. 6, which is a climate graph for Belem, a settlement in the tropical rainforest. [Figure 6.0]

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2011). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] (a) (i) January/February/March/April
2. [1] (ii) high temperatures/26–27°C/above 25°C /below 30°C;
3. [1] low temperature range/no (seasonal) variation/all year round;
4. [1] (iii) Ideas such as: warm/hot/wet climate (encourages growth);
5. [1] evergreen due to lack of a cold season/limited seasonal change/continual growing season;
6. [1] lots of sunshine/overhead sun/sunny;
7. [1] humid; etc.
8. [1] (iv) Ideas such as: lots of different species/huge variety;
9. [1] e.g. teak/mahogany etc. (max 1 examples);
10. [1] tall/high;
11. [1] thin;
12. [1] little undergrowth;
13. [1] lianas;
14. [1] parasites/epiphytes/fungi;
15. [1] layers;
16. [1] canopy/under canopy;
17. [1] emergents;
18. [1] buttress roots;
19. [1] dense/thick;
20. [1] drip tips;
21. [1] leaves at top/branchless trees;
22. [1] shrubs/shrub layer/short bushes; etc.
23. [1] (b) (i) Ideas such as: road building;
24. [1] ranching/raising animals;
25. [1] mining;
26. [1] use wood from trees/timber extraction/wood for examples;
27. [1] commercial cultivation;
28. [1] industrial development/factories;
29. [1] build settlements/housing/cities;
30. [1] relocate from cities;
31. [1] charcoal; etc.
32. [1] (ii) Ideas such as: food chains will be 'broken'/destroyed; as plant life/species will be removed;(DEV)
33. [1] therefore lack of food for herbivores;
34. [1] carnivores will have nothing to prey on;
35. [1] soils will be less well drained;
36. [1] flooding is likely;
37. [1] compaction of topsoil occurs;
38. [1] as a result of lack of interception/protection by vegetation;
39. [1] soil erosion may occur/blown away/washed away/dries up;
40. [1] soil settles on river bed/displaces water;
41. [1] animals scared/run away/killed; extinction; (DEV) etc.
42. [1-3] (c) Level 1 (1–3 marks) Statements including limited detail describing and/or explaining the main features of desert climates. (e.g. hot, dry, no clouds, sun overhead, high pressure, no rainfall etc.)
43. [4-6] Level 2 (4–6 marks) Uses named example. More developed statements describing and/or explaining the main features of desert climates. (e.g. large diurnal range of temperature, high daytime and low night time temperatures, dry climate due to long distance of deserts from oceans, absence of moderating influence of water body raises temperatures in summer months, winds blow over large areas of land hence no source of moisture, high pressure results in descending air therefore no convection/condensation etc.) (NB MAX 5 if no named example)
44. [7] Level 3 (7 marks) Uses named example (e.g. Sahara desert). Comprehensive and accurate statements describing and explaining the main features of desert climates. (e.g. large diurnal range of temperature, dry climate due to long distance of deserts from Atlantic Ocean, absence of moderating influence of water body raises temperatures in summer months, NE trade winds blow over large areas of Asia before reaching the desert hence no source of moisture, high pressure results in descending air therefore no convection/condensation/explanation of Hadley Cell etc.)