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A Level Biology OCR > Factors Affecting Biodiversity, Reasons To Conserve It And Conservation Methods > Flashcards

Factors Affecting Biodiversity, Reasons To Conserve It And Conservation Methods Flashcards

(58 cards)

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1
Q

What is biodiversity at threat due to

A

Human activity

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2
Q

What are the 3 reasons why biodiversity is threatened

A

Feeding a huge population requires intensive farming techniques.
Human activity also requires a great deal of space, which leads to deforestation
Carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels is leading to climate change

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3
Q

What does an increasing human population require and where does it come from

A

Lots of food, with the majority of food coming from farms

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4
Q

What are farms designed to do

A

Support a very large population of a very small number of species
Farms therefore have very low levels of biodiversity

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5
Q

What is a monoculture

A

When a field contains only one type of crop

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6
Q

What are used in farms (chemicals)

A

Herbicides are used to kill and unwanted plant species regarded as weeds
Pesticides are used to kill any insects that eat the crops

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7
Q

What is a feature of monocultures

A

They have a very low level of biodiversity

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8
Q

How are monocultures made and what is the effect

A

They are often grown on large fields and to create these fields, the hedgerows are dug up

These hedgerows contain a rich biodiversity of plants and animals and when they are destroyed these are lost.

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9
Q

What occurs in many countries (Forrest’s)

A

Forrests are cleared to provide land for farming, including tropical rainforests which contain more than half of all animal and plant species on earth.

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10
Q

What is the impact of modern farming processes

A

They have a negative impact on biodiversity

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11
Q

What is deforestation

A

It is when Forests are cleared for land and to also provide wood for construction or for fuel.

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12
Q

What is the impact of deforestation

A

It has a negative impact on biodiversity

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13
Q

What occurs during deforestation (burn)

A

Forests are burned producing CO2

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14
Q

What other processes produce CO2

A

When fossil fuels are burnt for energy

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15
Q

What has the level of CO2 in the atmosphere done

A

it has increased significantly over the last 200 years leading to climate change

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16
Q

What does climate change result in

A

Changes to rainfall patterns, wind patterns and global temperatures

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17
Q

What is global warming

A

The mean temperature of the surface of the earth is increasing - called global warming

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18
Q

What is the impact of global warming on the environment

A

It has a negative impact on biodiversity

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19
Q

What can rising temperatures cause

A

The polar ice caps to melt, and the loss of polar habitats may lead to the extinction of animals and plants that currently live there.

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20
Q

What occurs as temperatures increase (water)

A

Water expands, so along with the melting of the ice caps there is an increase in global sea levels.

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21
Q

What do increasing global sea levels cause

A

They cause flooding and the destruction of low lying habitats.
It can also cause the death of marine organisms e.g corals and can alter the distribution of fish

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22
Q

What happens as global temperatures increase

A

Droughts become more common and many plants can’t survive under drought conditions. Affecting the distribution of plants in many habitats.

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23
Q

What is affected as a result of the distribution of plants

A

The distribution of animals that rely on those plants for food, and also the distribution of pollinators such as insects.

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24
Q

What is an aesthetic reason for conserving biodiversity

Study These Flashcards
A

Many people believe that a rich biodiversity of plants and animals contributes to the beauty of the earth
With millions of people enjoying visiting the countryside to experience nature in the woodlands or seashore.

25
What does aesthetic value of biodiversity provide
A reason to preserve biodiversity
26
What do tropical rainforests contain and what could they be sources of
A wide variety of plants, fungi and microorganisms With many of these being potential sources of future medicines, so its essential that we preserve them
27
How can the rich variety of plants in tropical rainforests be useful
As crops which we use for food may struggle to grow due to climate change. So by crossbreeding existing crops with rainforest plants we may be able to introduce genes and alleles that helps the crops to thrive.
28
What can also occur due to deforestation
Soil erosion and desertification
29
What is a reason for deforestation and what is a feature of it
The production of wood, however this is not sustainable.
30
If forests are preserved what can they do and how can this be achieved
provide wood now and also in the future, for example by selective logging and replanting
31
What do many people want to visit
Tropical rainforests to experience the rich biodiversity and if done sustainably, it can provide a valuable source of income for these regions.
32
What can high biodiversity prevent against
Abiotic stresses
33
What does farming a small number of species present and how can this risk be reduced
economic risks as the plant species may struggle due to climate change And this risk can be reduced by increasing the diversity of the plants grown on farms.
34
What can farming one variety of crop do
It can deplete the soil of certain nutrients and minerals, requiring farmers to use more and more fertilisers.
35
What are all the species in a habitat in relation to each other
They depend on each other in any habitat. For example many organisms will be a food source for other species.
36
What are key stone species
Certain species play a key role within a habitat and if they are lost they would result in a change in its ecosystem itself.
37
What has human activity lead to and what may these species become in the future
many species becoming endangered, and endangered species are likely to become extinct in the near future
38
What is the first way to protect endangered species
In situ conservation
39
What occurs in, in situ conservation
Special measures are put in place to protect the organism, for example human access may be restricted, and hunting or poaching prohibited.
40
Where does in situ conservation occur
In situ conservation takes place in the organisms natural habitat for example by creating a wildlife reserve
41
What occurs if the number of species falls very low in an area
It might be introduced from populations living elsewhere, and they made be provided with food.
42
What occurs if invasive species are present in the reserve
They will be removed to prevent competition with the protected species.
43
What is succession
Succession is a natural process, where over time early colonising species are replaced until a stable mature population is achieved.
44
How is succession controlled
Controlled grazing, which each tree saplings and prevent succession.
45
how can endangered marine species be protected by
Marine conservation areas
46
What occurs in marine conservation areas
Tourism, fishing and the extraction of oil and gas are controlled, movement of ships through these areas can also be restricted.
47
What is Ex Situ conservation
Conservation that takes place outside of an organism’s natural habitat
48
What is an example of ex situ conservation
Captive breeding programs that take place in zoos.
49
What is a problem with ex situ conservation
As there are a relatively small number of organisms in a zoo, inbreeding can be a problem.
50
How is inbreeding reduced in zoos
Animals can be moved between the zoos to breed. And zoos keep detailed family trees, ensuring that closely related animals are not mated.
51
What are done to the animals produced by captive breeding
They are reintroduced back into the wild, however sometimes this is not possible if their habitat has been reduced or destroyed. Or a new disease is present in their habitat preventing reintroduction.
52
How are ex situ conservation methods applied to plants
Rare plant species can be cultivated in botanical gardens Seeds of rare plants can also be stored in seed banks
53
What occurs in a seed bank
Dried seeds are kept at cold temperatures to preserve them
54
How are conservation efforts backed
By international and local agreements
55
What is the countryside stewardship scheme
A scheme where the government offered payments to farmers and other land managers to enhance and conserve the English landscape.
56
What were the aims of the countryside stewardship scheme
Sustaining the beauty and diversity of the landscape. Improving extending and creating wildlife habitats Restoring neglected land and conserving archaelogical and historic features.
57
What occured at the Rio convention
The CBD requires countries to develop national strategies for sustainable development The UNFCCC is an agreement between nations to take steps to stabilise greenhouse gases concentrations within the atmosphere. UNCCD prevents the transformation of fertile land into desert reducing the effects of droughts.
58
What occured at the international union for the conservation of nature
one per year a red list is published detailing the current conservation status of threatened animals It is also involved in the CITES which regulates the international trade of wild plant and animal specimens and there product.s

A Level Biology OCR (41 decks)

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