Study Fig. 2, a description of the effect of rain in a desert area. It's amazing the difference a drop of rain can make. Millions of seeds have been lying dormant waiting for water. Overnight dew has kept the Desert Thorn alive but now it has sprouted new growth. Land that had been parched and barren now supports a wide variety of vegetation. Depressions in the landscape have retained moisture and now have a thick carpet of bright yellow Pulicaria flowers. Ground-hugging plants are spreading rapidly. Even wheel ruts criss-crossing the landscape now contain long lines of pale, silvery-green tasselled grasses. Bushes are blooming. Arabian Tamarisk, with spikes of pale pink, is interspersed with the yellows, greens and purples of the Zygophyllum plants, while the Caper plant, with its large white blossoms, is looking spectacular. [Figure 2]

1. (a)(i)Identify two types of plants described in the passage. Use two ticks on Table 1. Table 1 Example: Ground-hugging ✓ Bushes Coniferous trees Deciduous trees Grasses[2]
2. (a)(ii)How have existing plants responded to the moisture?[2]
3. (a)(iii)Why do depressions contain the most vegetation?[1]
4. (b)(i)Complete Fig. 3 to show a temperature of 25°C and 15mm of rain in March. [Figure 3][2]
5. (b)(ii)From the list below, circle two months when the plants described in Fig. 2 could be seen. February July October December[1]

This question uses a diagram from the original paper, which isn't shown here. Open the full paper from the past papers archive to see it.