# A wildlife charity is monitoring two woodland habitats: Habitat A, which has been managed to support a wide variety of plant, insect, bird and mammal species, and Habitat B, a monoculture plantation containing only one species of conifer tree. Explain why Habitat A is likely to be more stable than Habitat B, and outline two ways in which human activities could reduce the biodiversity of Habitat A in the future.

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

> Habitat A is a managed broadleaf woodland containing hundreds of different species. Habitat B is a commercial conifer plantation containing a single tree species. Both habitats cover the same area of land.

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Habitat A has greater biodiversity than Habitat B, meaning it contains a greater variety of species / a greater number of different species
2. In Habitat A, if one species is lost / decreases in number, other species can fulfil similar roles / food chains are not broken, so the ecosystem remains stable
3. In Habitat B, loss of the single tree species / a disease or pest affecting the one species would destroy the entire habitat / all dependent species would be lost
4. One valid human activity that could reduce biodiversity of Habitat A, e.g. deforestation / land clearance for agriculture or housing / pollution of soil or waterways / introduction of invasive species / use of pesticides / herbicides killing non-target species
5. A second distinct valid human activity that could reduce biodiversity of Habitat A (different from point 4)

## Key terms

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

## 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-wildlife-charity-is-monitoring-two-004a7275) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.