How Humans Threaten Wildlife

Question 1

How do humans deliberately exploit wildlife? (unsustainably)

Answer 1

Deforestation
Eutrophication
Mining/ resource extraction
Overfishing/ bottom trawling/blast fishing
Agriculture/ food production

Question 2

Examples of unsustainable exploitation for food:

Answer 2

Steller’s sea cow - hunted to extinction

Dodo - relied on by sailors - eaten by invasive species brought on boats

Mammoths
Bison

Question 3

Examples of unsustainable exploitation for fashion:

Answer 3

snake skin
ivory
leather
tortoise shell
coral jewellery
bear skin
leopard skin

Question 4

How and why have humans exploited snow leopards?

Answer 4

poached for illegal trade

bones are used in traditional medicine

killed by farmers because they prey upon livestock

captured as pets for entertainment

deforestation has lead to habitat loss

Question 5

How many skins are needed to make a snow leopard coat? How much are they worth?

Answer 5

seven

£7,000

Question 6

Examples of unsustainable exploitation for pets and entertainment:

Answer 6

circuses

sea world

bullfighting

safari parks

horse racing

Question 7

Yellow headed parrot case study: where?

Answer 7

Mexico and Central America

Question 8

Yellow headed parrot case study: why?

Answer 8

Imitates human speech

Question 9

Yellow headed parrot case study: what?

Answer 9

population decreased by 90%

half of all birds captured are thought to die in the process

threatened by habitat loss

Question 10

Yellow headed parrot case study: how are they protected?

Answer 10

nest monitoring and protection

illegal to trade them

Question 11

What does CITES stand for?

Answer 11

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

Question 12

CITES: appendix 1

Answer 12

all of the species that cannot be traded internationally

Question 13

CITES: appendix 2

Answer 13

trade of these species is closely monitored and restricted - varies depending on the population in the area

Question 14

Examples of unsustainable exploitation for furniture and ornaments:

Answer 14

Taxidermy
Leather - seating
Mahogany - wooden furniture
Animal skin - rugs

Question 15

Examples of unsustainable exploitation for traditional medicines:

Answer 15

Pangolins - keratin - scales and bones

Tigers - whiskers/eyes/teeth - treats malaria and insomnia

Sharks - fins - prevent heart disease/lower cholesterol

Question 16

Reasons for the eradication of predators and pests

Answer 16

herbivores = damage crops

diseases vectors (badgers - TB, mosquitoes - malaria)

protected livestock

protecting plants from damage via pesticides

to protect human life/self-defense - e.g. from wolves/sharks/crocodiles

Question 17

Unintentional harm to nature caused by other activities:

Answer 17

trampling
roadkill
by-catch
ghost fishing
combustion of fossil fuels - climate change
eutrophication

Question 18

How have invasive species been introduced to non-native areas?

Answer 18

boats - intentional/unintentional (ballast water)

ornamental plants

accidental transport with food

escaped/abandoned pets

species that have been used for food production (fish farms)

Question 19

Invasive species examples: American Mink

Answer 19

used in UK for furr farms
escaped in 1960s

affected water voles and seabirds

destroyed nests/eaten eggs
increased competition

Question 20

Invasive species examples: Cane Toad

Answer 20

introduced in Australia in 1935 as a biological control of beetles
moved over 200km from introduced site

affected northern quolls and large goannas

produce a poison
lay up to 50,000 eggs at a time - 15x the amount of the native toad

Question 21

Invasive species examples: Grey Squirrel

Answer 21

1870s - introduced to a park in Cheshire

predated upon red squirrels

brought squirrel pox
damage trees
increased competition for resources

impacts were reduced by monitoring red squirrel populations and by re-introducing pine martin (eat grey squirrels)

Question 22

Invasive species examples: Signal Crayfish

Answer 22

1970s - brought from North America
farmed for food
escaped from farms into fresh water

carried crayfish plague
grow faster than indigenous crayfish - grow larger
tolerant of changing conditions

Question 23

Invasive species examples: Rhododendron

Answer 23

1890s - added to gardens

affected oak trees/beech trees

out compete plants for nutrients and light
poisonous leaves - damage herbivores
fast growing

Question 24

Invasive species examples: New Zealand Flatworm

Answer 24

1960s - brought over in plants accidentally

affect earthworms, birds, badges, voles

disrupt food chain - slow decomposition - lower soil quality - lower crop yield - increase food risk

Question 25

Categories of Invasive Species: Competitors

Answer 25

rhododendron - compete for light

Question 26

Categories of Invasive Species: Predators

Answer 26

New Zealand Flatworm - ate native UK earthworm

Question 27

Categories of Invasive Species: Pathogens

Answer 27

Grey squirrels - carried squirrel pox Crayfish - carried crayfish plague Chalara Ash Dieback - spread amongst trees

Question 28

Categories of Invasive Species: Species that hybridise

Answer 28

Sika deer (introduced) hybridise with red deer (native)

Question 29

Categories of Invasive Species: Species that change abiotic features

Answer 29

rhododendron - change light availability beavers - change nutrient availability

Question 30

What does biotic mean?

Answer 30

living features of an ecosystem

Question 31

What does abiotic mean?

Answer 31

non-living features of an ecosystem

Question 32

How humans change abiotic factors: Water Availability

Answer 32

increased population agriculture - irrigation urbanisation - surface runoff climate change - melt ice caps reservoir

Question 33

How humans change abiotic factors: Dissolved oxygen

Answer 33

lowers = eutrophication, power stations (release warm water) increases = temperature decrease

Question 34

How humans change abiotic factors: Temperature

Answer 34

climate change industry - releasing hot fluids building reservoirs - moderates temperature

Question 35

How humans change abiotic factors: pH

Answer 35

combustion of fossil fuels - ocean acidification (CO2 + H20 makes carbonic acid) burning of coal - acid rain mining - acid mine drainage

Question 36

How humans change abiotic factors: Water Turbidity

Answer 36

increase = litter, sewage, dredging lower = build dams

Question 37

How do we cause acid rain?

Answer 37

combustion of coal releases sulphur sulphur + oxygen = sulphur oxides SO2 + H2O = sulphuric acid acid falls in the rain

Question 38

How does acid rain affect living organisms?

Answer 38

kills plants and trees leaches nutrients from the soil dissolves organisms with calcium carbonate structures (coral reefs)

Question 39

How humans change biotic features: Pollinators

Answer 39

neonicotinoids - kill bees climate change - migration habitat loss - loss of wildflowers

Question 40

How humans change biotic features: Seed Dispersers

Answer 40

Habitat loss Hunting - rhinos, elephants, hippos

Question 41

How humans change biotic features: Food Chain Impacts

Answer 41

overfishing sand eels led to a decrease in puffin collecting turtle eggs led to an increase in jellyfish population

Question 42

How do humans destroy habitats?

Answer 42

destructive fishing methods urbanisation wildfires resource extraction/ mining eutrophication/ oil spills combustion of fossil fuels - climate change agriculture HEP / offshore wind farms