second term. Flashcards
(36 cards)
what is the full name of the IUCN?
the International Union of Conservation of Nature.
what factors impacts a species’ inclusion on the IUCN Red List?
distribution,
quality of habitat,
probability of extinction,
reproductive potential and behaviour,
population size,
degree of specialisation,
trophic level,
geographical range & fragmentation.
what are the reasons for conservation?
direct: to preserve a food source, for economical gain.
indirect: for scientific/educational/ethical/aesthetic or ecological purposes.
what is in-situ conservation?
it is the preservation of the habitat by setting up reserves and maintaining it.
what is ex-situ conservation?
it is a captive breeding program that includes zoos, botanic gardens and seed banks.
what are the main benefits of in-situ conservation?
it helps prevent vulnerable habitats that are more easily lost, provides a refuge for endangered wildlife to allow them to live in a familiar environment, maintains the species’ natural habits and sets up public education.
what are the main benefits of ex-situ conservation?
it keeps genetic stock, allows genetic variation, brings up life expectancy, promotes public educatiion, protects the species from predation and prevents inbreeding.
what are the pros and cons of using a seedbank?
pros: they are cheap, take up less space and can basically be stored anywhere.
cons: regular testing can be expensive and time-consuming.
what are the 4 main ways of commercial fishing?
dredging, gillnet, trawling and blast fishing.
what are the harms of dredging?
it is damaging to the ecosystem because it catches everything in the way.
what are the harms of gillnet fishing?
it traps the fishes by their heads but not their bodies.
what are the harms of blast fishing?
it damages everything with explosives.
what is trawling?
it entails dragging a net through the water behind a boat.
how can we stop the harms of aquaculture?
set total allowable catches and quota,
set minimum landing sizes,
set species-specific mesh sizes,
restrict certain types of gear,
and restrict areas and/or times for fishing.
what are the benefits of fish farming?
maintenance of water quality by carefully monitoring oxygen level, water clarity and wastage.
the control of intra and interspecific predation by sorting fish by size, age and species.
the control of diseases by feeding food mixed with antibiotics.
the control of quality and frequency of feeding by feeding food with high levels of protein in small amounts, reducing waste.
selective breeding increases likelihood of offspring inheriting desirable genes.
what are the disadvantages of fish farming?
water quality management may cause eutrophication.
feeding food with antibiotics may cause biomagnification.
what are the causes of water pollution?
organic waste, inorganic waste, hot water, radioactive pollution that decrease pH, invasive species or pathogens, and noise.
what is biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)?
the measurement of the amount of oxygen needed by organisms in water samples. the higher the BOD, the lower the DO (dissolved oxygen).
explain the process of eutrophication.
fertilisers are leached into the water,
inciting the growth of algae with the increased nutrients,
the algae grows across the surface of the water,
blocking sunlight from reaching deeper water, preventing photosynthesis,
the plants below die out and decompose, increasing BOD,
fishes that rely on DO suffocate and die.
why do greenhouse gases (GHGs) worsen the greenhouse effect?
because they absorb infra-red radiation, which is crucial for keeping the Earth’s temperature at night.
explain the role of CO2 as a GHG.
created by the combustion of fuels and deforestation, it is present naturally in the atmosphere.
explain the role of CH4 as a GHG.
created by farting, landfills and agriculture. absorbs 20-30x more heat than CO2.
explain the role of N2O as a GHG.
they can last up to 100 years in the atmosphere.
what is role of ozone in the atmosphere?
they block ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun.
