# A farmer converts a species-rich wildflower meadow into a field of a single crop variety. Explain how this change affects biodiversity and what consequences this could have for the stability of the ecosystem.

> Pearson Edexcel A-Level Biology A (9BI0) — 2.5 Biodiversity · Explain · 5 marks

> Species-rich wildflower meadows can contain over 150 species of flowering plant, along with hundreds of species of insects, birds and small mammals. Modern intensive farming often replaces these meadows with monoculture crops — single-species plantations managed with pesticides and herbicides.

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Converting the meadow to a monoculture reduces biodiversity / the number of different species decreases
2. Use of pesticides / herbicides kills non-crop species, further reducing biodiversity
3. Lower biodiversity means fewer feeding relationships / food web becomes simpler / less complex food web
4. If one species is removed / declines, other species are more severely affected / less stable ecosystem
5. High biodiversity increases ecosystem stability because organisms can use alternative food sources / species can fill the role of a lost species

## Key terms

- [biodiversity](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/biodiversity)

## Related

- [Revision notes for Pearson Edexcel A-Level Biology A (9BI0)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Explain" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-farmer-converts-a-species-rich-wildflower-a6c6a29b) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.