Challenges to biodiversity

Question 1

What is an invasive species?

Answer 1

Species introduced into areas outside their native range that can use harm in the new area
Invasive species may outcompete native species for resources or habitat, altering community structure and potentially leading to extinctions

Question 2

Where were Kudzu introduced to and where are they from?

Answer 2

Introduced to USA from Asia in late 1800s as ornamental plant

Question 3

What is the problem with Kudzu as an invasive species?

Answer 3

Plant grows very rapidly and enshrouds ground, shrubs, trees and even houses and old cars in suffocating girdle of vines

Question 4

Where were prickly pears imported to and why?

Answer 4

Imported to Australia in 19th century to use as natural agricultural fence and establish cochineal dye industry

Question 5

Why was prickly pear an issue?

Answer 5

Widespread invasive species that rendered 40,000 km^2 of farmland unproductive

Question 6

What was the successful biological control used to deal with prickly pear?

Answer 6

Moth from South America
The larvae eat prickly pear
They almost wiped out the population

Question 7

How can introduced species impact a habitat?

Answer 7

Grazing, browsing and rooting by introduced mammals
Introduced plants overgrowing and shading out native plants
Plants modifying natural fire regime
Using vast amounts of water
Nitrogen fixing, fertilising the soil

Question 8

Give some examples of competition of invasive species and native species.

Answer 8

American grey squirrel caused drastic decline in population of native red squirrel in UK
House gecko caused line of native lizard populations on Pacific islands by outcompeting for insect prey

Question 9

What is the negative affect of hybridisation from invasive species?

Answer 9

Embryos often end up aborted but females are removed for a year from the breeding population Dangerous for already fragile populations

Question 10

Name the characteristics of invasive species.

Answer 10

Fast growth 
Rapid reproduction
High dispersal ability
Phenotypic plasticity 
Tolerance of a wide range of environmental conditions 
Ability to live off wide range of food types 
Associations with humans
Prior successful invasion history

Question 11

Why is invasive Rhododendron having a negative impact?

Answer 11

Blocks light

Carries diseases fatal to native trees

Question 12

Why were mink introduced to the UK and what negative impact have they had?

Answer 12

Introduced for fur farming

Native water vole experienced most rapid and serious decline of any Britisj wild mammal in the 20th century due to mink

Question 13

What is the negative affect of single crayfish being introduced to the UK?

Answer 13

Driven native white-clawed crayfish towards extinction due to competition and transmission of crayfish plague
Burrows into riverbanks leading to erosion and increased flood risk

Question 14

What is the negative impact of Muntjac deer being introduced to the UK?

Answer 14

Serious impacts on woodlands by clearing shrubs and preventing tree regeneration

Question 15

What is the negative impact of introduced of Himalayan balsam?

Answer 15

Crowds out native plants including tansy

Question 16

What is the problem with Japanese Knotweed in the UK?

Answer 16

Forms dense stands that are really hard to control
All across Great Britain
Can reduce capacity of channels in flood defences
Damages concrete foundations, buildings, flood defences, roads, paving, etc

Question 17

What was the turning point for urbanisation where more than 50% of the world population lived in cities?

Answer 17

2007

Question 18

What is urbanisation?

Answer 18

Population shift from rural to urban areas

Process by which towns and cities are formed

Question 19

What are urban heat islands?

Answer 19

Formed when industrial and urban areas produce and retain heat
In cities, with less vegetation and exposed soil, sun’s energy is absorbed by buildings and asphalt, leading to higher surface temperatures

Question 20

How much hotter is a city normally compared to the surrounding landscapes?

Answer 20

1 to 3 degrees celsius

Question 21

Why does urbanisation cause ecological degradation?

Answer 21

Creates highly fragmented, heterogenous and altered environments
It is often associated with declines in animal and plant richness, abundance and diversity

Question 22

What is built habitat?

Answer 22

Buildings and sealed surfaces, such as roads

Question 23

What is managed vegetation?

Answer 23

Residential, commercial, and other regularly maintained green spaces

Question 24

What is ruderal vegetation?

Answer 24

Empty lots, abandoned farmland, and other green space that is cleared but not managed

Question 25

What is natural ruderal vegetation?

Answer 25

Remaining islands of original vegetation (usually subject to substantial non-native plant invasion)

Question 26

What is eutrophication?

Answer 26

When rain occurs in large cities, it filters pollutants such as carbon dioxide onto the ground below Chemicals washed directly into rivers, streams and oceans, causing a decline in water quality and damaging marine ecosystems

Question 27

What does it mean if a species is an urban avoider?

Answer 27

Very sensitive to human habitat disturbances | large mammals, old forest birds, late successional plants

Question 28

What does it mean if a species is an urban adapter?

Answer 28

Frequently found in suburban matrix areas | Cultivated plants, weedy species, edge species animals, omnivore birds

Question 29

What does it mean if a species is an urban exploiter?

Answer 29

Excel in urban areas, even dependent on human resources Grasses Birds and mammals that inhabit and exploit human dwellings

Question 30

What is light pollution?

Answer 30

Presence of anthropogenic light in the night environment

Question 31

Why is light pollution bad?

Answer 31

Compromises health, disrupts ecosystem and spoils aesthetic environments Circadian rhythm affected Light favours predators Interferes with spatial orientation

Question 32

How can light pollution be minimised?

Answer 32

Unnecessary lights extinguished Spectrum chosen to minimise imputes (not UV or blue) Only as bright as needed and only used when/ where needed

Question 33

Is urban health on average better or worse?

Answer 33

On average health levels are better

Question 34

What are some health issues associated with urban areas?

Answer 34

Urban areas like slums disproportionately suffer from disease, injury and premature death Children at more risk of being overweight BMI and cholesterol levels are higher Chronic diseases

Question 35

What is tillage?

Answer 35

Agricultural preparation of soil by mechanical agitation

Question 36

What does primary tillage do?

Answer 36

Loosens the soil and mixes in fertiliser and/ or plant material, resulting in soil with rough texture

Question 37

What is an example of a primary tillage method?

Answer 37

Ploughing

Question 38

What does secondary tillage do?

Answer 38

Produces finer soil and sometimes shapes the rows, preparing the seed bed

Question 39

What are the positives of tillage?

Answer 39

Loosens and aerates Mixes harvest residue, organic matter and nutrients Mechanically destroys weeds Dries the soil before seeding Helps exposed soil crumble over winter through frosting and defrosting

Question 40

What are the negatives of tillage?

Answer 40

``` Soil loses nutrients and water storage ability Lessens cohesiveness of the soil inducing erosion Reduces organic matter in the soil Reduces microbes, worms, etc Compaction of soil Eutrophication Attracts slugs Crop diseases in surface residues ```

Question 41

What is agricultural drainage?

Answer 41

System by which water drained on or in the soil

Question 42

What is intercropping?

Answer 42

Growing two or more crops in proximity

Question 43

What are the benefits of intercropping?

Answer 43

Encourages biodiversity Resource partitioning Mutualism Pest management

Question 44

What is resource partitioning?

Answer 44

Planting a deep-rooted crop with a shallow-rooted crop, or planting a tall crop with a shorter crop that requires partial shade

Question 45

What is mutualism?

Answer 45

Plants interact in a way increases one or both of the plant's fitness

Question 46

What is mixed intercropping?

Answer 46

Crops are totally mixed in the available space

Question 47

What is row intercropping?

Answer 47

Crops arranged in alternate rows

Question 48

What is temporal intercropping?

Answer 48

Practice of sowing a fast-growing crop with a slow-growing crop

Question 49

What is relay intercropping?

Answer 49

Second crop sown during the growth, near the onset of reproductive development, of first crop

Question 50

What is trap cropping?

Answer 50

Plating crop nearby that is more attractive to pests than the production crop

Question 51

What is repellant intercrop?

Answer 51

Repellant crop masking the smell of the production crop

Question 52

What is push-pull cropping?

Answer 52

Mixture of trap cropping and repellant intercropping

Question 53

What is agricultural rotation?

Answer 53

Practice of growing a series of dissimilar or different types of crops in the same area in sequenced seasons Prevents soil of farms not being used for only one set of nutrients Reduces soil erosion and increases soil fertility

Question 54

What is grazing?

Answer 54

Method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms like algae Conversion by domestic livestock of grass and other forage into meat, milk and other products

Question 55

What are the two types of defences plants have against grazers?

Answer 55

Constitutive defences | Induced defences

Question 56

What are constitutive defences?

Answer 56

Always present in the plant

Question 57

What are induced defences?

Answer 57

Produced or mobilised to the site where a plant is injured | Benefit is only produced when needed, so potentially less costly

Question 58

Examples of plant defences against grazers.

Answer 58

Chemical defences Anti-herbivory compounds Mechanical defences Mimicry and camouflage

Question 59

What is the negative impact of fertiliser use?

Answer 59

Reduces species asynchrony, leading to less production over time Eutrophication Soil acidification and toxicity Methane emissions- climate change

Question 60

How many people rely on fish for animal protein?

Answer 60

4.3 billion

Question 61

Why does aquaculture need to diversify and step up the domestication of aquatic species?

Answer 61

To meet global food security demands in a sustainable way Less food, less space and less water Plus dealing with warmer temperatures

Question 62

How much do fisheries in Wales contribute to rural and coastal economies?

Answer 62

More than £30 million per year

Question 63

What are the main challenges faced by intensive aquaculture?

Answer 63

To reduce its ecological footprint To reduce the risk of disease To prevent the introduction of invasive species

Question 64

Why are fish parasites so common?

Answer 64

Fish are abundant and diverse Co-evolution Human interference: breaking down barriers and translocation Aquaculture: high host density and stress

Question 65

How can we prevent fish parasites spreading?

Answer 65

Maintain optimal environment for host, not parasite Sterilise water, nets and equipment Control of intermediate/ reservoir hosts Ensure optimal nutrition Minimise stress Know fish behaviour

Question 66

What are some threats to fish biodiversity and aquaculture?

Answer 66

``` Overfishing Habitat destruction Introduced species/ farm escapees Pollution Global climate change Parasites ```