Geography

1. 1.

   Fictional annual carbon accounting for a restored peatland: carbon uptake 12 tonnes C; respiration 7 tonnes C; exported organic carbon 2 tonnes C; fire loss 0. Use storage change = uptake minus listed losses. Methane emissions are not measured. A nearby drained peatland is drier. All quantities are invented; tonnes C are not tonnes CO2-equivalent. Distinguish a carbon store from a carbon flux using this case.

   [2 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. A store is an amount, whereas a flux is a transfer per unit time. The annual figures cannot alone tell us the peatland's total existing carbon stock.
   2. Award each point once. Accept other well-supported interpretations addressing the task.

   Marking points

   • Peat carbon accumulated at a time is a store.
   • Annual uptake or respiration is a flux into or out of a store.

   Examiner tip: Include a time basis when describing a flux.

2. 2.

   Fictional annual carbon accounting for a restored peatland: carbon uptake 12 tonnes C; respiration 7 tonnes C; exported organic carbon 2 tonnes C; fire loss 0. Use storage change = uptake minus listed losses. Methane emissions are not measured. A nearby drained peatland is drier. All quantities are invented; tonnes C are not tonnes CO2-equivalent. Calculate the annual change in carbon storage from the listed flows and state one limitation of interpreting it as a climate benefit.

   [2 marks]

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Treat uptake as input and the other listed transfers as outputs. The residual is stored carbon under the stated accounting assumptions; unmeasured methane prevents a complete climate balance.
   2. Award each point once. Accept other well-supported interpretations addressing the task.

   Marking points

   • Storage change = 12 - 7 - 2 - 0 = +3 tonnes C/year.
   • The listed carbon balance is a net gain, not a full greenhouse-gas assessment.

   Examiner tip: Do not relabel tonnes C as tonnes CO2-equivalent.

3. 3.

   Fictional annual carbon accounting for a restored peatland: carbon uptake 12 tonnes C; respiration 7 tonnes C; exported organic carbon 2 tonnes C; fire loss 0. Use storage change = uptake minus listed losses. Methane emissions are not measured. A nearby drained peatland is drier. All quantities are invented; tonnes C are not tonnes CO2-equivalent. Explain why drainage can accelerate peat carbon loss.

   [3 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Waterlogging restricts oxygen availability. Drainage removes that constraint and may also change fire susceptibility, linking the water system to carbon storage.
   2. Award each point once. Accept other well-supported interpretations addressing the task.

   Marking points

   • Lower water tables expose more peat to air.
   • Aerobic decomposition can increase carbon release through respiration.
   • Drier peat can become more susceptible to combustion.

   Examiner tip: Explain oxygen availability rather than saying water 'contains carbon'.

4. 4.

   Fictional annual carbon accounting for a restored peatland: carbon uptake 12 tonnes C; respiration 7 tonnes C; exported organic carbon 2 tonnes C; fire loss 0. Use storage change = uptake minus listed losses. Methane emissions are not measured. A nearby drained peatland is drier. All quantities are invented; tonnes C are not tonnes CO2-equivalent. Describe a positive feedback involving warming, peat drying and carbon release.

   [3 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. A feedback must return to its starting variable. Positive means amplification, not environmental benefit; the chain is conditional because rainfall and water management also matter.
   2. Award each point once. Accept other well-supported interpretations addressing the task.

   Marking points

   • Warming can increase drying under suitable water-balance conditions.
   • Drying can increase decomposition or fire emissions.
   • Added greenhouse gases can reinforce warming, closing the feedback loop.

   Examiner tip: A one-way list of impacts is not a complete feedback loop.

5. 5.

   Fictional annual carbon accounting for a restored peatland: carbon uptake 12 tonnes C; respiration 7 tonnes C; exported organic carbon 2 tonnes C; fire loss 0. Use storage change = uptake minus listed losses. Methane emissions are not measured. A nearby drained peatland is drier. All quantities are invented; tonnes C are not tonnes CO2-equivalent. Evaluate the claim that the +3 tonnes C balance proves restoration cools the climate.

   [4 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Carbon storage is one component of mitigation evidence. Compare all relevant gases over an explicit time horizon and against what would have happened without restoration before making a net climate claim.
   2. Award each point once. Accept other well-supported interpretations addressing the task.

   Marking points

   • A gain in stored carbon supports a sink within the listed accounting boundary.
   • Unmeasured methane may affect net warming impact.
   • A counterfactual drained-site balance and restoration emissions are needed.
   • Makes a qualified judgement separating carbon mass from climate forcing.

   Examiner tip: A carbon sink and a net cooling effect are related but not interchangeable claims.

6. 6.

   Fictional annual carbon accounting for a restored peatland: carbon uptake 12 tonnes C; respiration 7 tonnes C; exported organic carbon 2 tonnes C; fire loss 0. Use storage change = uptake minus listed losses. Methane emissions are not measured. A nearby drained peatland is drier. All quantities are invented; tonnes C are not tonnes CO2-equivalent. Assess a restoration plan that raises water levels but restricts nearby farming drainage.

   [4 marks] · no calculator

   Answer explanation

   Draft walkthroughs are based on marking guidance, not independently verified derivations.

   1. Restoration benefits can extend beyond the site while costs fall on particular neighbours. A credible plan combines hydrological monitoring with agreement on water levels and distribution of costs.
   2. Award each point once. Accept other well-supported interpretations addressing the task.

   Marking points

   • Higher water levels can protect peat from oxidation and fire.
   • Farming access or productivity may be affected by wetter ground.
   • Shared hydrological boundaries require coordination with neighbouring land users.
   • Proposes a justified negotiated approach with monitoring and compensation or adapted land use.

   Examiner tip: Name a stakeholder and a concrete trade-off before judging sustainability.

Original, unofficial practice questions from SubjectScout — not official past-paper questions.