Threats to plant diversity Flashcards
(13 cards)
1
Q
how many plants known to science?
A
390,000
2
Q
what percentage more tree species are there than originally thought?
A
14%
3
Q
what percentage of native species are lost
A
5%
4
Q
what percentage of plant species are currently threatened with extinction?
A
21%
5
Q
what percentage of the terrestrial biosphere has been turned into anthropogenic biomes?
A
75%
6
Q
deforestation e.g.
A
- easter island = used to be heavily forested, wiped out humanity when deforested
- Yorkshire dales = used to be forested, now used as moorland for sheep
7
Q
loss of diversity effects on ecosystem
A
- habitat loss
- decrease in microbial diversity
- change in atmospheric chemistry
8
Q
loss of diversity effects on humanity
A
loss in
- materials
- food
- shelter
- medicines
- fuel
9
Q
what can we do?
A
- politics
- science
10
Q
using politics to make a difference
A
- stability
- enforcement
- public pressure
- legislation
- monitoring
11
Q
using science to make a difference
A
- monitoring
- preservation
- recreation
12
Q
methods of preserving diversity
A
- botanical gardens
- storing seeds (8% aren’t compatible)
13
Q
methods if using recreation
A
- synthetic biology and gene editing can be used to create synthetic organisms
