4.2.1 - Biodiversity ( Part 2 )

Question 1

What are the factors affecting biodiversity ?

Answer 1

• Growth of human population
• Deforestation
• Agriculture/ monoculture
• Climate change/ Global warming

Question 2

What are the effects of human population on biodiversity ?

Answer 2

• Due to rapid increase in human population, space has to be created for farming, industry and housing
• This is achieved through deforestation, agriculture and climate change
• Destroys habitats
• More waste is produced
• More pollution is produced

Question 3

What is deforestation ?

Answer 3

The permanent removal of large areas of forest to provide wood for building, fuel and space for infrastructure

Question 4

What are the effects of deforestation on biodiversity ?

Answer 4

• Directly reduces the number of trees in an area
• When only a specific type of tree is felled, species diversity is reduced
• It reduces the number of animal species present in an area through destruction of habitat and food source ( this also has a butterfly effect on other species that may rely on these species )
• Animals are forced to migrate to other areas to ensure their survival

Question 5

What is monoculture ?

Answer 5

Farming where land is cleared and a single type of crop is planted

Question 6

What are the effects of agriculture/ monoculture on biodiversity ?

Answer 6

• Deforestation to increase area of land for growing crops/ rearing animals
• Removal of hedgerows reduces number of plant species in an area and destroying habitats of animals
• Use of chemicals such as pesticides reduces species diversity directly as it destroys pest species and so food sources of other species
• Herbicides are used to kill weeds reducing plant diversity and animal diversity ( by removing food source )
• Less of older/ wild type of strains
• Reduces genetic biodiversity therefore causing species inability to adapt to changing conditions in their environment and making them susceptible to disease
• Monoculture, reduces biodiversity since only one type/ species of plant is present
• Use of fertilisers
• Eutrophication

Question 7

What are the effects of eutrophication on biodiversity ?

Answer 7

• Eutrophication is when fertilisers entering waterways, leading to excessive nutrient enrichment in aquatic ecosystems
• This results increased plant and algae growth, depletion of oxygen levels in water killing aquatic species
• This reduces the diversity of aquatic plant and animal species

Question 8

What are the effects of climate change/ global warming on biodiversity ?

Answer 8

• Melting of polar ice caps may cause extinction of animal/ plant species and migration further north due to make favourable conditions
• Rising sea levels reduce land area
• More frequent flooding affects terrestrial ecosystems
• Higher temperatures cause warmer and drier climate
• Higher temperatures/ less rainfall would cause some plant species to not survive and lead to drought-resistant species becoming more dominant

Question 9

What are the reasons for maintaining biodiversity ?

Answer 9

• Aesthetic reasons
• Economic reasons
• Ecological reasons

Question 10

What are the aesthetic reasons for maintaining biodiversity ?

Answer 10

• Presence of different plant/ animal species enriches our lives
• Natural world provides inspiration for musicians/ writes who provide music and books
• Patients recover faster from stress/ injury when supported by plant/ natural environment

Question 11

What are the economic reasons for maintaining biodiversity ?

Answer 11

• Deforestation
• Non-suitable removal of resources
• Large-scale habitat and biodiversity loss
• Continuous monoculture
• Areas are susceptible to abiotic stresses
• Areas rich in biodiversity provide a pleasing, attractive environment that people can enjoy
• Greater potential for the manufacture of different products which may be beneficial to humans
• Plant varieties required for cross-breeding

Question 12

What are the ecological reasons for maintaining biodiversity ?

Answer 12

• All organisms are interdependent on one another for survival so removal of one species may have a significant effect on others
• Some species ply a key role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community ( keystone species ). They affect many other species and determine species richness/evenness, their removal drastically changes the habitat.

Question 13

Explain how maintaining biodiversity can be important for the discovery of new antibiotics/ medicines ?

Answer 13

• Many drugs are found in plants and microbes
• Maintaining biodiversity increases chance of finding and developing new drugs
• One a species is extinct it is gone forever

Question 14

Explain how tourism can increase biodiversity in an area ?

Answer 14

• Ecotourism
• Money from tourists is used to support conservation
• Conservation projects, eg. Planting trees, wildlife reserves, rating nature reserves, reintroduction programmes

Question 15

Define the term ‘Conservation’ ?

Answer 15

Conservation - The preservation and careful management of the environment and natural resources

Question 16

What are the two ways in which scientists try and conserve biodiversity ?

Answer 16

• In situ conservation
• Ex situ conservation

Question 17

What does In situ Conservation mean ?

Answer 17

Within the natural habitat

Question 18

What does Ex situ Conservation mean ?

Answer 18

Out of the natural habitat

Question 19

What are the ways in which In Situ Conservation is carried out ?

Answer 19

• Wild life reserves
• Marine conservation reserve

Question 20

Explain the effect of wildlife reserves on the conservation/preservation of biodiversity ?

Answer 20

• Controlled grazing ( only allowing livestock to graze a particular area of land for a certain period of time to allow species time to recover )
• Restricting human access
• Controlled poaching
• Feeding animals ( helps to ensure more organisms to survive to reproductive age )
• Reintroduction of species ( adding species to areas that have become locally extinct/ population have decreased significantly )
• Culling or removal of invasive species ( that is not native to an area and has negative effects on the economy, environment or health )
• Halting succession

Question 21

Explain the effect of Marine conservation reserves on the conservation/preservation of biodiversity ?

Answer 21

• Preserving species-rich areas such as coral reefs, negatively affected by non-suitable fishing methods
• Creates areas of refuge within which population can build up and repopulate adjacent areas

Question 22

How is biodiversity maintained in aquatic ecosystems/ excessive fishing controlled ?

Answer 22

• Fishing quotas ( limit the amount of fish that can be caught and killed from specific species allowing fish stocks to recover )
• Mesh size ( Holes in mesh nets must be a certain size to allow small fish to escape, grow and reproduce allowing fish stock to recover )
• Penalties and sanctions for excessive fishing

Question 23

What are the ways in which Ex Situ Conservation is carried out ?

Answer 23

• Botanic gardens
• Seed banks
• Captive breeding programme

Question 24

Explain the effect of botanic gardens on the conservation/preservation of biodiversity ?

Answer 24

Plant species can be grown successfully in botanic gardens, where they are actively managed to provide them with the best resources to grow ( eg. Soil, nutrients, etc )

Question 25

Explain the effect of seed banks on the conservation/preservation of biodiversity ?

Answer 25

- A seed bank is a gene bank that stores genetic material - Seeds are carefully stored so the new plants may be grown in the future, however seed banks don't work for all plants and die when dried/ frozen

Question 26

Explain the effect of Captive breeding programme on the conservation/preservation of biodiversity ?

Answer 26

- Captive breeding programmes produce offspring of species in a human-controlled environment. These are often run and managed by zoos and aquatic centres - They aim to create a stable, healthy population of a species, and then gradually reintroduce the species back to its natural habitat

Question 27

Why may some organisms born in captivity not be suitable for release into the wild ?

Answer 27

- Diseases ( less resistance to local diseases/ new diseases never encountered ) - Behaviour ( There are innate and learned behaviours through experience, may not know how to look for food ) - Genetic races ( Genetic make-up of captive animals can become so different from the original population that they may not be able to be inbred ) - Habitat ( many cases, the natural habitat must first be restored before the captive population can be reintroduced )

Question 28

What is the significance of conservation agreements ?

Answer 28

Local and international cooperation is required to ensure habitats and individual species are preserved as animals do not respect a country's boundaries

Question 29

What is the IUCN and why is it significant ?

Answer 29

- It is the International Union for Conservation of Nature - It assist in securing agreements between nations - Involved in the establishment of ( CITES ) - CITES regulates the International trade of wild plant and animal specimens and their products

Question 30

What is CITES and why is it significant ?

Answer 30

- It is the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species - It protects/ conserves species endangered by trading activities - It regulates international wildlife trade

Question 31

What is CBD and why is it significant ?

Answer 31

- The Convention on Biological Diversity - Ensures countries develop national strategies for sustainable development, this ensuring the maintenance of biodiversity

Question 32

What is UNFCCC and why is it significant ?

Answer 32

- The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - An agreement between nations to take steps to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations within the atmosphere

Question 33

What is UNFCCD and why is it significant ?

Answer 33

- The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification - Aims to prevent the transformation of fertile land into desert and reduce the effects of drought through programmes of international cooperation

Question 34

What is the CSS and why is it significant ?

Answer 34

- It is the Countryside Stewardship Scheme - Aim to make conservation part of normal farming and land management practise, included : - Sustaining the beauty and diversity of the landscape - Improving, extending and creating wildlife habitats - Restoring neglected land and conserving archaeological and historic features - Improving opportunities for countryside enjoyment.