Biodiversity's affect and control Flashcards
(25 cards)
What are some impacts of the growing population on biodiversity?
- resource overuse causes certain species decline or extinction reducing genetic and species diversity
- urban sprawl isolates wildlife populations limiting breeding and decreasing genetic diversity
- pollution kills species directly harming habitats long term
- deforestation for development destroys habitats reducing ecosystem diversity
How do agricultural practices reduce biodiversity?
Practices decrease habitat, plant, and animal diversity so populations decline as species lose food, shelter, and breeding sites
How do monocultures reduce biodiversity?
Involves growing single crops over large areas typically without crop rotation directly decreasing diversity of plants and species depending on them for food or habitat
also depletes nutrients from the soil
How does converting woodlands to hedgerows reduce biodiversity?
Decreases numbers of trees and other species destroying habitats relied on by many species
How do farming methods reduce biodiversity?
Weeds removal with herbicides = harm other species or those depending on target species
Pesticides to kill crop pests = harm other species or those depending on target species
Inorganic fertilisers = runoff into water causing issues for aquatic species
What are some methods to balance conservation and agriculture?
- maintain hedgerows
- reduce pesticide and herbicide use
- use organic fertilisers
- use crop rotation
What are the affects of climate change on biodiversity?
- different regions experience changes in temp and rainfall and most species are adapted to specific climates
- changed conditions make certain areas more or less habitable in general
- suitable habitats for some species will expand or contract
- changing climate conditions influence species distribution and migration
- slow-moving species become extinct if change too rapid or severe
- if conditions become warmer tropical diseases more likely to spread
- rising sea levels lead to more frequent flooding of habitats in low-lying land
What are ecological reasons for conserving biodiversity?
- food web rely on multiple species so species decline can disrupt food chains
- losing keystone species that have disproportionately large effects on their environments destabilises these ecosystems
- nutrient cycles depend on decomposers recycling matter like C, N, S, and P through ecosystems
- provides resilience to changing climate other abiotic stresses and disease
What are some products diverse ecosystems provide to the economy?
- renewable energy and fuel source production
- industry and raw material compounds e.g timber fabric latex and biofuels
- many medicines originate from living organisms
- wildlife and natural scenery source of income (ecotourism)
- microorganisms are source of many useful products e.g antibiotics
How does protecting genetic diversity support the future?
- gene sources for future medicines and products not yet discovered
- resilience against changing climate, other abiotic stresses and disease to economically useful organisms
What can monocultures cause?
- lower crop yields
- expensive fertiliser reliance
- overall reduced farm productivity
What are agricultural reasons for maintaining biodiversity?
- wild relatives of cultivated crops provide genetic resources to widen genetic diversity of cultivated crops allowing new varieties of crops with desired traits to be bred
- genetic diversity provides safeguard against diseases or pests
- many crop plants rely on insect pollinators to reproduce
What are aesthetic benefits of conserving biodiversity?
- enrich our environment providing inspiration for musicians, artists, poets and writers
- help people recover from stress and injury
What is conservation?
Preservation and careful management of environment and natural resources
What is in-situ conservation?
Protects species in their natural habitats
What are some methods of in-situ conservation?
- national parks and wildlife reserves
- control invasive or threatening species
- protect food sources and nesting sites
- make hunting of certain species illegal
- marine conservation zones
What are advantages of in-situ conservation?
- larger populations can be sustained
- more chance of recovery than ex situ conservation
What is ex-situ conservation?
Relocates species facing imminent threat
What are some methods of ex-situ conservation?
- relocate species to safer regions
- relocate species for captive breeding, research, and to education centres like zoos or botanic gardens
- store seeds in seed banks
- reintroducing species once populations are stable
Why might animals struggle to survive when reintroduced to the wild?
Potential loss of resistance to local diseases, behavioural issues, genetic differences, and limited suitable habitat
What is the Rio convention of biological diversity?
- develops conservation strategies and sustainable use of resources
- made biodiversity conservation international legal responsibility
- stabilises greenhouse gas concentration preventing transformation of fertile land into desert
- provides governments guidance on protecting habitats
What is CITES conservation agreement?
- makes trading endangered species internationally illegal
- regulates trade of wild plant and animals and their products (e.g furs and ivory) through licensing requirements
- raises awareness through education on threats
What is IUCN conservation agreement?
- aids securing international conservation agreements
- publishes IUCN red list of threatened species detailing conservation status of threatened species
What is the UK’s country stewardship scheme?
- subsidises farmers to manage land sustainably
- enhances and conserves the landscape
- makes conservation part of normal farming and land management practice
