The living world
Edexcel GCSE Geography revision on The living world. Aligned to the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography B 1GB0 specification. This bank has 10 practice questions on this topic.
Sample questions (3 of 10)
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Question 1
In a tropical rainforest, most nutrients are stored in...
- A) The soil
- B) The biomass (plants)
- C) Underground rock
- D) Rivers
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Answer: The biomass (plants)
Rapid decomposition + heavy rainfall leaches nutrients from the soil. The result: most nutrients are locked in living plants. Cutting down rainforest releases nutrients briefly, then rain washes them away — that's why rainforest land is poor farmland after a few years.
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Question 2
In a hot desert, plants like cacti have shallow but wide root systems mainly to...
- A) Reach groundwater deep below
- B) Absorb rainwater quickly before it evaporates
- C) Support their tall stems
- D) Reduce competition with other species
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Answer: Absorb rainwater quickly before it evaporates
Desert rain comes in short, heavy bursts. Wide shallow roots grab the surface water before evaporation removes it. Other cactus adaptations: thick waxy stems to store water, spines (reduced leaves) to minimise transpiration, CAM photosynthesis (stomata open at night).
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Question 3
Why are tropical rainforests considered hotspots of biodiversity?
- A) They have low temperatures
- B) Stable warm + wet climate supports many species
- C) There are few predators
- D) They are mostly underwater
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Answer: Stable warm + wet climate supports many species
Rainforests have stable temperatures (25°C year-round), heavy + consistent rainfall, and have existed for millions of years undisturbed by ice ages. This stability allows many species to evolve specialised niches. Rainforests cover ~6% of Earth's land but hold ~50% of species.
Want to test yourself on the remaining cards for this topic?
7 more questions on The living world — plus mistakes tracking and spaced repetition across the whole Geography spec.