AQA A-level Geography · 3.2.4

Population, environment and food

Exam-style questions with answers for 3.2.4 Population, environment and food in AQA A-level Geography (spec 7037). Practise with flashcards, a topic quiz, a random quiz across the course, 5 crosswords, or read every question and answer below.

All questions and answers

Question 1 · Spec 3.2.4.1 · Population parameters
Define population distribution, density and change. [3 marks]
Answer:
Distribution is how people are spread across an area (1); density is the number of people per unit area, usually per km² (1); change is the increase or decrease in numbers through births, deaths and migration (1).
Question 2 · Spec 3.2.4.1 · Population parameters
A country has 60 million people and an area of 240,000 km². Calculate its population density. [2 marks]
Answer:
60,000,000 ÷ 240,000 (1); 250 people per km² (1).
Question 3 · Spec 3.2.4.1 · Global patterns
Describe the global distribution of population. [4 marks]
Answer:
The world population reached 8 billion in 2022 (1); around 60% live in Asia, with China and India each having more than 1.4 billion people (1); high densities occur in South and East Asia, Europe, the Nile Valley and the north east USA (1); sparse populations are found in deserts, polar regions, high mountains and rainforests such as the Sahara, Siberia and the Amazon (1).
Question 4 · Spec 3.2.4.1 · Global patterns
Explain how physical factors affect population distribution. [4 marks]
Answer:
Mild climates with adequate rainfall support agriculture and larger populations (1); flat, low-lying land is easier to farm and build on than mountains (1); fertile soils such as river alluvium support high densities, as in the Ganges and Nile valleys (1); fresh water supplies, resources and the absence of hazards also attract people (1).
Question 5 · Spec 3.2.4.1 · Global patterns
Explain how human and economic factors affect population distribution. [3 marks]
Answer:
Industries and jobs, especially in cities and ports, attract people (1); good transport links and services encourage settlement (1); political stability, history and government policy influence where people live (1).
Question 6 · Spec 3.2.4.1 · Global patterns
Explain the role of development processes in population density. [2 marks]
Answer:
Agricultural improvements and industrialisation allowed higher densities by providing food and jobs (1); urbanisation concentrates people in cities and in areas with services and infrastructure (1).
Question 7 · Spec 3.2.4.1 · Global patterns
Describe the global pattern of population growth rates. [3 marks]
Answer:
The world's population is growing by about 1% a year (1); the fastest growth, over 2% a year, is in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Middle East and South Asia (1); populations are stable or falling in much of Europe, Japan and East Asia, and in parts of Eastern Europe (1).
Question 8 · Spec 3.2.4.1 · Global patterns
Describe the global pattern of fertility rates. [3 marks]
Answer:
Fertility is highest in sub-Saharan Africa, where countries such as Niger have more than six children per woman (1); it has fallen below the replacement level of about 2.1 in much of Europe, East Asia and the Americas (1); South Korea has fallen below one child per woman, one of the lowest in the world (1).
Question 9 · Spec 3.2.4.1 · Global patterns
A country has a birth rate of 30 per 1,000 and a death rate of 10 per 1,000. Calculate the natural increase as a percentage. [2 marks]
Answer:
30 − 10 = 20 per 1,000 (1); 2.0% (1).
Question 10 · Spec 3.2.4.1 · Global patterns
Using the rule of 70, calculate the doubling time of a population growing at 2.5% a year. [2 marks]
Answer:
70 ÷ 2.5 (1); 28 years (1).
Question 11 · Spec 3.2.4.1 · Global patterns
Explain why some countries have rapid population growth while others are declining. [4 marks]
Answer:
Countries with high birth rates and falling death rates, such as in sub-Saharan Africa, grow rapidly (1); a young age structure means many women are of child-bearing age (1); in countries with low fertility, such as Japan, an ageing population and fewer births cause a decline (1); migration can add to or reduce populations, as with emigration from Eastern Europe (1).
Question 12 · Spec 3.2.4.1 · Global patterns
Explain how water supply influences population distribution. [3 marks]
Answer:
Reliable fresh water is needed for drinking, farming and industry (1); large populations are found on rivers and floodplains such as the Nile, Indus and Ganges (1); dry regions, such as deserts, have low densities unless water is imported or pumped, as in Egypt's Nile valley or the Gulf states (1).
Question 13 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Food production and consumption
Describe the global pattern of food production. [3 marks]
Answer:
China, India, the USA and Brazil are among the largest producers of grain, meat and other food (1); major farming regions include the North American Great Plains, the Pampas, Ukraine and Russia, the North China Plain and the Ganges plain (1); exports are concentrated in a few countries, such as wheat from Russia, the USA and Canada, and soy from Brazil (1).
Question 14 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Food production and consumption
Describe the global pattern of food consumption. [3 marks]
Answer:
Average daily calorie supply is above 3,400 kcal per person in the USA and much of Europe (1); in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia it is much lower, and around one in eleven people are undernourished (1); wealthy countries consume more meat and processed food, and obesity is rising worldwide (1).
Question 15 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Food production and consumption
Explain why food production and consumption do not match around the world. [3 marks]
Answer:
Some regions have favourable climates and soils and more capital, while others do not (1); food is traded globally, so countries can import what they cannot produce if they can afford it (1); food is wasted, and demand is affected by diets, incomes and population growth (1).
Question 16 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Agricultural systems
Distinguish between intensive and extensive, and between subsistence and commercial farming. [4 marks]
Answer:
Intensive farming gets high yields from small areas using large inputs of labour or capital (1); extensive farming uses large areas with low inputs per hectare (1); subsistence farming produces food mainly for the farmer's household (1); commercial farming produces crops and livestock to sell for profit (1).
Question 17 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Agricultural systems
Describe the inputs, processes and outputs of an agricultural system. [3 marks]
Answer:
Inputs include seed, labour, fertiliser, water, machinery, sunlight and rainfall (1); processes include ploughing, planting, irrigating, weeding, harvesting and rearing animals (1); outputs include crops, meat and milk, as well as waste and environmental effects such as erosion (1).
Question 18 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Agricultural systems
Explain the factors that affect agricultural productivity. [4 marks]
Answer:
Physical factors include climate, soils, relief and water supply (1); capital and technology, such as machinery, irrigation and fertiliser, raise yields (1); knowledge, education and the use of improved seeds and breeds are important (1); markets, transport, land tenure and government policy affect investment (1).
Question 19 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Agricultural systems
A farm produces 12,000 tonnes of wheat from 3,000 hectares. Calculate the yield in tonnes per hectare. [2 marks]
Answer:
12,000 ÷ 3,000 (1); 4 tonnes per hectare (1).
Question 20 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Agricultural systems
Explain how climate affects farming. [3 marks]
Answer:
Temperature and the length of the growing season determine which crops can grow (1); rainfall amount and reliability affect water for crops, and drought and floods destroy them (1); frost, sunshine hours and storms influence yield and quality (1).
Question 21 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Agricultural systems
Describe the Green Revolution and its effects. [4 marks]
Answer:
From the 1960s, high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice, fertiliser, irrigation and pesticides were introduced in Asia (1); yields of cereals rose sharply, for example in the Punjab, and India became self-sufficient in grain (1); fertiliser and pesticide costs left poorer farmers in debt (1); there were environmental problems, such as falling water tables, soil degradation and pollution (1).
Question 22 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Agricultural systems
Explain the benefits and drawbacks of genetically modified crops. [4 marks]
Answer:
They can be designed to resist pests, diseases and drought, raising yields (1); crops with added nutrients, such as Golden Rice, can reduce deficiencies (1); seeds are expensive and farmers may depend on companies (1); concerns include risks to biodiversity and public opposition in some countries (1).
Question 23 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Agricultural systems
Explain how irrigation affects agricultural productivity. [3 marks]
Answer:
Irrigation provides water in dry seasons and areas, allowing crops to be grown all year (1); it increases yields and allows more than one crop a year (1); it can lower water tables, cause salinisation and reduce river flows (1).
Question 24 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Climate and human activity
Describe the characteristics and distribution of the tropical monsoon climate. [3 marks]
Answer:
It is hot all year, with average temperatures above 25°C (1); rainfall is high, often over 1,500 mm, concentrated in a wet season from June to September (1); it is found in South and South East Asia, parts of West Africa and northern Australia (1).
Question 25 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Climate and human activity
Explain how the monsoon climate affects human activities and population numbers. [4 marks]
Answer:
Heavy seasonal rain and warmth allow rice cultivation, supporting very high rural densities, as in the Ganges delta (1); farmers depend on the arrival of the monsoon, and late or weak rains cause drought and food shortages (1); heavy rain causes flooding and landslides, which affect settlements (1); the dry season is a time for planting a second crop with irrigation, and people migrate for work (1).
Question 26 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Climate and human activity
Describe the characteristics and distribution of the Mediterranean climate. [3 marks]
Answer:
Summers are hot and dry and winters are mild and wet (1); rainfall is mostly 400–800 mm a year (1); it is found around the Mediterranean Sea, in California, central Chile, the Cape in South Africa and south west Australia (1).
Question 27 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Climate and human activity
Explain how the Mediterranean climate affects human activities and population numbers. [4 marks]
Answer:
The climate suits crops such as olives, vines and citrus fruit, with irrigation in summer (1); sunny, warm weather attracts tourists, which brings jobs and concentrates people on the coast (1); summer water shortages and drought restrict farming and settlement (1); wildfires and heatwaves are increasing risks (1).
Question 28 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Climate and human activity
Compare the effects of monsoon and Mediterranean climates on population. [3 marks]
Answer:
The monsoon supports far higher rural densities because rainfall is high and rice yields are good (1); the Mediterranean has lower densities away from the coast and relies on irrigation and tourism (1); both have seasonal water issues, with floods in monsoon areas and drought in Mediterranean regions (1).
Question 29 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Climate change and agriculture
Explain how climate change is affecting agriculture in different regions. [4 marks]
Answer:
Warming allows crops to be grown further north, such as in Canada, northern Europe and Russia (1); yields of staple crops such as wheat and maize may decrease in tropical regions because of heat and drought (1); extreme events, such as heatwaves, floods and storms, destroy crops (1); pests and diseases change their ranges, and sea-level rise causes salinisation in deltas (1).
Question 30 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Climate change and agriculture
Explain how extreme weather events affect food production. [3 marks]
Answer:
Droughts reduce yields and kill livestock, as in the Horn of Africa (1); the heatwave in March 2022 reduced wheat yields in India and led to an export ban (1); floods destroy crops and stores, and raise food prices (1).
Question 31 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Climate change and agriculture
Explain how climate change affects food security in sub-Saharan Africa. [3 marks]
Answer:
Many farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture, so changes in rainfall hit them hard (1); higher temperatures and droughts reduce yields of maize, sorghum and millet (1); poverty and limited access to irrigation and technology reduce the ability to adapt (1).
Question 32 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Zonal soils
Define zonal soil and describe a typical soil profile. [3 marks]
Answer:
A soil whose characteristics are determined mainly by climate and vegetation over a large area (1); horizons are a surface organic layer (O), a topsoil (A), a subsoil (B) and weathered parent material (C) (1); materials may be moved by leaching, eluviation or accumulation between horizons (1).
Question 33 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Zonal soils
Describe the characteristics and distribution of chernozem soil. [4 marks]
Answer:
Found under temperate grassland (steppe), such as in Ukraine, southern Russia, the Canadian prairies and US Great Plains (1); a deep, dark A horizon rich in humus (1); rich in calcium and nutrients, with a good crumb structure (1); cool, dry winters and a seasonal climate produce moderate leaching (1).
Question 34 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Zonal soils
Describe the characteristics and distribution of latosol soils in the tropical rainforest. [4 marks]
Answer:
Found in the equatorial regions such as the Amazon and Congo basins (1); deeply weathered, red from iron and aluminium oxides, with a thin humus layer (1); intense leaching by heavy rainfall removes nutrients and silica (1); fertility is low because nutrients are held in the vegetation and recycled quickly (1).
Question 35 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Zonal soils
Explain how soil type influences agriculture and population. [3 marks]
Answer:
Chernozems are among the most fertile soils, producing high wheat yields and supporting large-scale commercial farming (1); latosols lose their fertility within a few years of forest clearance, so farmers have to move (1); where soils are poor, population densities are low unless fertilisers are used (1).
Question 36 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Soil problems
Explain the causes and consequences of soil erosion. [4 marks]
Answer:
Wind and water remove topsoil, especially when vegetation is cleared, bare soil is exposed and slopes are ploughed up and down (1); overgrazing, deforestation and poor farming practice increase erosion (1); the Dust Bowl in the US Great Plains in the 1930s led to huge losses of topsoil and migration (1); consequences include lower fertility, reduced yields, silted rivers and desertification (1).
Question 37 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Soil problems
Explain how soil erosion can be managed. [3 marks]
Answer:
Contour ploughing, terracing and strip cropping slow the flow of water (1); shelterbelts of trees and cover crops reduce wind speed and protect the soil (1); reduced tillage and planting crops all year round, and controlling grazing, keep the soil bound by roots (1).
Question 38 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Soil problems
Explain the causes of waterlogging and how it can be managed. [3 marks]
Answer:
Waterlogging occurs when the soil is saturated because of high rainfall, poor drainage or over-irrigation (1); it reduces oxygen for roots, so crops die and yields fall (1); management includes installing drainage channels or pipes and improving soil structure (1).
Question 39 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Soil problems
Explain the causes of salinisation and ways of managing it. [4 marks]
Answer:
In hot dry areas, high evaporation draws salty water to the surface, where salts build up (1); irrigation with poor drainage raises the water table and makes this worse, as in the Indus basin (1); salt makes it hard for plants to take up water and reduces yields (1); management includes better drainage, drip irrigation, flushing with fresh water and salt-tolerant crops (1).
Question 40 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Soil problems
Explain what is meant by structural deterioration of soil. [3 marks]
Answer:
The breakdown of the soil's crumb structure so it becomes compact or powdery (1); heavy machinery, overgrazing and loss of organic matter reduce pore space (1); this reduces infiltration and aeration, so runoff and erosion increase (1).
Question 41 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Food security
Define food security. [3 marks]
Answer:
When all people at all times have access to enough safe and nutritious food (1); it has four dimensions: availability, access, utilisation and stability (1); food insecurity is when people lack this, and may be chronic or temporary (1).
Question 42 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Food security
Explain the factors that affect food security. [4 marks]
Answer:
Climate, soils, water and natural hazards affect production (1); poverty and food prices affect whether people can buy food (1); conflict, poor governance and weak infrastructure disrupt supply (1); population growth, diets and food waste affect demand (1).
Question 43 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Food security
Explain how food prices affect food security. [3 marks]
Answer:
Poor households spend a large share of income on food, so price rises hit them hard (1); prices rose sharply in 2008 and again in 2022 after the war in Ukraine, with riots in several countries (1); import-dependent countries are most vulnerable to world price changes (1).
Question 44 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Food security
Describe strategies to ensure food security. [4 marks]
Answer:
Any four from: increasing yields with improved seeds, fertiliser and irrigation (1); reducing food waste in storage, transport and homes (1); sustainable intensification and agroecology (1); expanding fisheries and aquaculture (1); trade, storage and early warning systems for famine (1); food aid and social safety nets for poor households (1); new methods such as vertical farming and lab-grown protein (1).
Question 45 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Food security
Evaluate sustainable intensification as a strategy for food security. [4 marks]
Answer:
It aims to raise yields from existing land without damaging the environment (1); it can reduce the pressure to clear forests and use more efficient methods (1); it requires knowledge, technology and investment that smallholders may lack (1); results depend on local conditions and it may not tackle inequalities in access to food (1).
Question 46 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Food security
Describe the Productive Safety Net Programme in Ethiopia. [3 marks]
Answer:
Started in 2005, it provides food or cash to chronically food-insecure households (1); people work on public projects such as terracing, water conservation and roads (1); it has reduced the need for emergency aid, although droughts and conflict still put pressure on it (1).
Question 47 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Food security
Explain why famine is not caused only by drought. [3 marks]
Answer:
Drought reduces food production, but famines also require failures of access, such as poverty and lack of income (1); conflict and poor governance disrupt supply, as in Somalia and Yemen (1); lack of early warning, roads and food stores worsens the effect (1).
Question 48 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Evaluation
Assess the extent to which the physical environment limits population and food production. [6 marks]
Answer:
Climate, soils and water set natural limits, with polar and desert regions supporting few people (1); fertile soils and reliable rain support high densities in monsoon Asia and the temperate grasslands (1); technology such as irrigation, fertilisers and improved seeds has increased yields in poor environments (1); trade allows countries with limited land to import food (1); however, soil erosion, salinisation and climate change threaten future production (1); the limits depend on human decisions, wealth and technology as well as physical conditions (1).
Question 49 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Food security
Describe the roles of the FAO and the World Food Programme in food security. [3 marks]
Answer:
The Food and Agriculture Organization, set up in 1945, supports farming, fisheries and forestry and monitors world food supply (1); the World Food Programme delivers emergency food aid and school meals, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 (1); both depend on voluntary funding from governments, which limits what they can do (1).
Question 50 · Spec 3.2.4.2 · Soil problems
Explain how irrigation caused the shrinking of the Aral Sea. [3 marks]
Answer:
From the 1960s water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers was diverted to irrigate cotton and other crops (1); little water reached the sea, which shrank by over 90% (1); fishing collapsed, and salty dust from the dry seabed damaged health, farmland and the local climate (1).

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