Humans and Biodiversity Flashcards
What is biodiversity?
a variety of all the different species of organisms on Earth, or within an ecosystem
What is the advantage of high biodiversity?
ensures stability of ecosystems by reducing the dependence of one species on another
Give 5 ways humans are trying to maintain biodiversity
- breeding programmes
- protection of rare habitats
- reintroduction of hedgerows
- reduction of deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions
- recycling resources
Why are more resources being used, and more waste produced, by humans?
rapid growth in the human population leading to an increase in the standard of living
Where does pollution occur?
water, air and land
How are humans reducing the land available for other organisms? (4)
- building
- quarrying
- farming
- dumping waste
What are the negative impacts of the destruction of peat bogs?
- reduces amount of available land, causing decrease in biodiversity
- burning or decay of peat releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
Give 2 reasons humans have carried out large-scale deforestation in tropical areas
- provide land for cattle and rice fields
- grow crops for biofuels
What is food security?
having enough food to feed a population
What are the biological factors threatening human food security? (6)
- rapid population growth and increasing birth rate
- new pests and pathogens
- changing diets in developed countries
- environmental changes
- conflicts
- costs of agricultural inputs
How can the efficiency of food production in farming be increased? (5)
- limit movement of animals
- control temperature of surroundings
- feed animals high-protein foods
- give animals antibiotics
- regularly use fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides
What gases are increasing in atmospheric levels and contributing to global warming?
carbon dioxide and methane
Give 4 things that global warming has resulted in
- large-scale habitat change and reduction, causing decreases in biodiversity
- extreme weather and sea level changes
- migration of species to different parts if the world, affecting ecosystems
- threats to security and availability of food
Which 2 gases form acid rain?
nitrogen oxides –> nitric acid and sulfur dioxide —> sulfuric acid
