11.1-11.8 biodiversity Flashcards
(29 cards)
what are the 3 conservation agreements
-International union for the conservation of nature (IUCN) that established CITES
-Rio convention
-countryside stewardship scheme
describe the rio convention
172 nations met at the earth summit which lead to:
-CBD- national statergies for sustainable development
-UNFCCC- the agreement to try stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere
-UNCCD- prevent fertile land becoming deserts and decreasing the effects of drought
what is CITES?
a treaty made by the IUCN agreeing to regulate trade of specimens and their products
what was the IUCN?
international union for the conservation of nature
what did the IUCN do?
assist in securing agreements between nations and had an annual red list of threatened animals that need conservation
state some ecological reasons for maintaining biodiversity
-soil is needed to grow crops and resources on
-sustainment of organisms that provide raw materials such as wood
-undiscovered organisms may have economic potential for medicines or chemicals
-promotes tourism
-plant diversity needed to cross breed for desirable characteristics
state some aesthetic reasons for maintaining biodiversity
-provides inspiration for creative people such as artists and musicians
-provides different settings for people to relax in and explore
what is a keystone species?
a species that have a key role in the structures of an ecological community, that effect lots of other species within that community
state some ecological reasons for maintaining biodiversity
-organisms are interdependent on one another so removing one organisms may impact a whole system of organisms such as keystone species
what is a conservation?
a preservation of an environment and its natural resources through careful management
what are the types of conservations?
-in situ ( in the organisms natural habitat )
-ex situ ( out of the organisms natural habitat )
examples of in situ conservations
-wild life reserves
-marine conservation zones
what is an invasive species?
a species that is not native to an area but have a negative impact on everything
what is the benefit of in situ conservations?
they maintain genetic diversity and evolutionary adaptions by allowing the endangered species to interact with others and therefore preserving interdependent relationships
examples of ex situ conservations
-botanic gardens ( provide plants with the best resources to grow )
-seed banks ( stores the genetic material of a plant s it can grow in the future )
- captive breeding
what are the negatives of captive breeding?
when the species are reintroduced to the wild they are;
-more vulnerable to disease
-unsure of how to live ( hunt, mate claim territory etc )
- may have different genetic makeup to the original species so cannot interbreed
what are the factors affecting biodiversity?
agriculture, deforestation and climate change
define species richness
the number of different species within an area
define species evens
the comparison of the numbers of a species within an area
how does deforestation occur?
-through naturally occurring weather such as lightning heat and ry weather leading to forest fires
-directly by humans
-indirectly by humans due to pollution causing acid rain
what are the affects of deforestation on biodiversity?
-decreases the number of trees
-destroys habitats leading to a decrease in species and their food source
-animals may migrate to neighbouring areas
how do farmers decrease biodiversity through agriculture?
- removal of hedgerows = decrease species habitats and food sources
-use of herbicides
-use of pestisides
-monoculture- production of one species as that it is what is economically desirable
how climate change effects biodiversity?
- melting of polar ice caps = decrease habitat so animals may die or migrate
- rise in sea levels = flooding of low land and saltwater flowing further upstream where the freshwater species live
-change in insect life cycle as they adapt to climate change which will effect the pollination of plants
what is global warming?
an increase in the earth’s mean surface temperature.
