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Date May 2017 Marks available 2 Reference code 17M.3.HL.TZ1.15
Level Higher level Paper Paper 3 Time zone Time zone 1
Command term State Question number 15 Adapted from N/A

Question

Zoos devote much effort to preserving and breeding elephants in captivity. Data for births resulting from artificial insemination in zoos in the United States from 1960 to 2012 are shown below.

54% of successful artificial inseminations have resulted in miscarriages, stillborn births or premature deaths.

Evaluate the success rate of breeding elephants by artificial insemination using these data.

[1]
a.

Discuss two advantages of ex situ conservation measures. 

[2]
b.

State the two components needed to calculate the biodiversity of an area.

[2]
c.

Markscheme

a. «not very successful as» less than half of the artificial inseminations have resulted in live births 

b. there are no data for artificial insemination that did not result in pregnancy / no data for normal breeding success «in zoos»

Accept answers in the converse: «not very successful as» more than half do not result in live births

a.

a. raise awareness / gain widespread public/political support for conservation actions 

b. breed endangered species in captivity «for reintroduction» 

c. education/research opportunities 

d. lower maintenance/cost than in situ conservation 

e. protect endangered species

b.

a. number of organisms of each species «present» 

b. «total» number of species
OR
«total» number of organisms of all species found

c.

Examiners report

[N/A]
a.
[N/A]
b.
[N/A]
c.

Syllabus sections

Option C: Ecology and conservation » Option C: Ecology and conservation (Core topics) » C.4 Conservation of biodiversity
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Option C: Ecology and conservation » Option C: Ecology and conservation (Core topics)
Option C: Ecology and conservation

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