TOPIC 2 CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY Flashcards
(99 cards)
1
Q
3 reasons why we conserve biodiversity?
A
resources
future
services
2
Q
What is wood used for?
A
construction
3
Q
What are plant fibres and animal fibres used for?
A
plant fibres such as cotton used in global textiles
animal fibres also used for building insulation eg. wool insulation
4
Q
What are biofuels?
A
fuels produced through plant materials. For
decades
5
Q
What are biomimetics?
A
the study of living organisms so the knowledge gained can be applied to engineering or technological advancements
6
Q
Example of biomimetics regarding Velcro?
A
Swiss engineer George De Mestral one day noticed the hooks of plant burrs stuck in the fur of his dog so in 1948 he unvented vekcro
7
Q
Some birds have light bones due to thin wall. They have internal cross-trusses to prevent them from snapping. How is this used in biomimetics?
A
Similar trusses are used inside tubular bridges so they can be strong but light
8
Q
Why is conservation so important for future medicines?
A
Because medicines can be extracted from species
Only a very small amount of plants have been studied for medicines
9
Q
What is it estimated that the value to society undiscovered drugs from the amazon is worth?
A
150 billion usd
10
Q
What have we used squids to deepen our understanding of and why?
A
To deepen our understanding of Alzheimer’s
squid have wide diameter nerve cells which are easier to study than mammal nerves
11
Q
Why should gene pools be conserved?
A
Because genes differentiate depending on the geographical region
12
Q
What can wildlife species be used for, particularly in agriculture?
A
pest control agents
13
Q
What are Vavilov Centres?
A
regions where a high diversity of crop wild relatives can be found, representing the natural relatives of domesticated crop plants
14
Q
What are photoautotrophs?
A
Organisms that photosynthesise
15
Q
What can photoautotrophs do?
A
Remove CO2 and release O2
16
Q
Oxygen in the stratosphere produces O3. How does this benefit us?
A
absorbs ultraviolet light
17
Q
What can organisms regulate?
A
O2, CO2 and water vapour
18
Q
What is transpiration?
A
water in plants is transferred to water vapour in the atmosphere through leaf pores
19
Q
What is interception?
A
when precipitation is stopped and held by vegetation. This delays the water reaching the ground and sometimes the water never reaches the surface, instead it is evaporated back to the atmosphere
20
Q
What two hydrological processes may be slowed if plants are present?
A
infiltration
surface flow
21
Q
What is decomposition?
A
break down of organic matter, releasing nutrients which can then be absorbed by plant roots
22
Q
What plants or animals die. What breaks them down?
A
decomposers
23
Q
What is soil a mix of?
A
Rock and DOM
24
Q
What is DOM broken down by?
A
invertebrates, fungi and bacteria
25
What does the break down of DOM add to the soil?
minerals
26
What type of habitats is pollination even more important in?
Forests where wind velocity is low so wind pollination would not be effective
27
What pollination is most reliable?
insect pollination
28
Why do plants with insect pollinated flowers save energy?
because they don't need to produce as much pollen as wind pollinated plants
29
Why have many plants evolved flowers that attract particular insects and insects have evolved to be able to feed from flowers of a particular species?
to give pollinating insects an exclusive source of food and reduce risk of pollen being carried to other species
30
Why is seed dispersal by animals better than wind?
- can travel longer distances
- not haphazard - meaning there is direction and planning regarding the destination
31
How do plants often attract animals?
using fruit that is brightly coloured and tastes good
32
Where can seeds pass through in relation to animals?
pass through intestine to germinate the seed. Comes out as faecal material which acts as fertiliser
33
Why may we deliberately eradicate species?
If they threaten humans or conflict with human activities
34
Example of how humans change abiotic factors, which leads to environmental change?
water availability (drainage or flooding)
light levels (forest clearing or eutrophication)
pH (acid mine drainage)
35
List all 6 abiotic factors that humans can change which may negatively impact a habitat?
water availability
oxygen availability
light levels
nutrient levels
pH
temperature
36
Explain deoxygenation?
- if organic nutrients are released untreated, micro-organisms will feed on them
- their aerobic digestion deoxygenates water and may kill aerobic organisms such as fish
- bacteria can cover water, which prevents light reaching normal water plants
- photosynthesis is reduced, plants die + food web disrupted
37
Explain processes of eutrophication?
nitrogen + phosphate fertiliser spread on fields
rain causes runoff to water bodies
runoff increases nitrogen + phosphate levels
causing an overgrowth of algae (algae boom)
large amounts of algae die and are decomposed by bacteria - that use up much of the oxygen in the process
causing plants + fish to die and destroy the ecosystem
38
What does eutrophication affect?
nutrient levels
39
What does acid mine drainage affect?
pH levels
40
Explain the processes of acid mine drainage?
metal sulphides oxidise now they're exposed to air
this produces sulphur dioxide
dissolved in drainage water to produce sulphurous acid
41
Spoil heaps contain metal sulphides. What can this further oxidise to?
Sulphuric acid
42
If the temperature increases, what happens to the amount ooxygen dissolved in water?
decreases therefore less for organisms to respire
43
What affect does increased temperature have on photosynthesis?
increases rate of photosynthesis
increasing plant growth and blocking light
44
Changing the population size of one species often has an impact on the population size of other species. What are two reasons this may be due to?
Loss of inter species relationships
Introduced species
45
What are the affects a new species could have on an ecosystem?
become predators of native species
out-compete native species
bring new disease
46
Examples of habitat destruction?
deforestation
urbanisation
mineral extraction (mining)
flooding by reservoirs
expansion of farmland
47
Example of an inter species relationship?
goby fish and pistol shrimp.
shrimp digs burrow in sand, in which they both live
shrimp is blind so goby fish touches the shrimp to warn it of danger
48
What are IUCN's main roles?
coordinating diversity data
increasing understanding of importance of biodiversity
offering solutions to challenges
49
What are some of the criteria's for the red list?
reduced population size
reduced geographic range
small number of mature individuals
high probability extinction rates
50
Other than organisms. What else can be on the red list?
Ecosystems
51
What does an edge species stand for?
evolutionary
distinct
globally
endangered
52
What does evolutionary distinct mean in regards to edge species?
they have few close relatives
53
What are endemic species?
plant or animal that only exists in one geographical region
54
What is a keystone species?
plant or animal that plays a unique role in how an ecosystem functions
55
Example of how a shark is a keystone species?
Without sharks rays would overpopulate due to no predators
bivalve and arthropod populations (crabs and stuff) would decrease rapidly
in the long term this decreases ray population
56
What is a flagship species?
charismatic, popular species which is the symbol for an issue
57
What affects does population fragmentation have?
lack of gene pool and may suffer from inbreeding
58
Example of a legal procedure to protect wildlife?
Wildlife and countryside act 1981
59
What does the wildlife and countryside act cover?
designated protected areas
protection of wild birds
protection of mammal species
uprooting plants
60
What does SSSI stand for and what is it?
Site of special scientific interest
areas of particular interest because of their plants, animals or geological features
SSSI must have a management plan and can be given a grant to achieve their goals
Natural England can compulsory purchase if they think land will be damaged
61
What does CITES stand for?
convention of international trade in endangered species
62
What is CITES, what does it do?
international agreement between governments
the agreement bans/controls trade between countries in endangered animals, plants or their products
63
What is appendix 1 cites?
Species threatened by extinction
Complete ban on trade (unless for conservation purposes)
64
Example of appendix 1 cites?
rhinos
65
What is appendix 2 cites?
species that may be threatened by extinction if trade is not controlled
trade is allowed in some countries (where species is well protected)
66
Example of appendix 2 species?
Great White Shark
67
Examples of regulation of sustainable exploitation?
international whaling commission (IWC)
international tropical timer organisation
European union common fisheries policy
68
3 types of whaling that takes place?
commercial
scientific
aboriginal subsistence (Inuit)
69
List a few aims of the IWC?
total protection of certain whales
setting limits on number and size
research
70
How many governments are apart of the IWC?
89
71
List a few rules of common fisheries policy of the European union?
catch quotas (limit)
size limits
net size regulations
72
What does the ITTO do?
develops guidelines to encourage sustainable forest management and trade
helps countries implement these policies
collects and analyses data on tropical timber
73
What is in situ conservation?
when species are protected in their natural habitat
74
what is ex situ conservation?
when species are protected away from where they usually live
often involves breeding in captivity so the young can be released into the wild
75
List a few difficulties in keeping a captive population?
habitat size
financial
inter relationships
food requirements
76
List a few reasons why captive breeding may not work?
- conditions for breeding
- populations interactions and breeding success
- breeding habitat
- gene pool size
- hybridisation
77
What is hybridisation?
individuals interbreeding with closely related species
78
Explain how captive breeding may not work due to the breeding habitat?
some species can only breed if they have a suitable habitat such as one that includes a suitable site for courtship display, social grouping, an area for hunting or a nest site
79
Example of a species that requires a specific breeding habitat?
flamingos only breed in large groups
mirrors around a captive population give them an illusion of a larger population
80
Why do some species breed most successfully if breeding adults are separate from non-breeding adults?
mixing may cause conflict and reduce the survival of eggs
81
List a few methods of captive breeding success?
cryopreservation
artificial insemination
embryo transfer
cloning
micro propagation of plants
natural mating
82
What is cryopreservation?
storing eggs, semen and embryos for future breeding programmes
83
What is artificial insemination?
collecting semen from a male and inserting it into a female
84
Why may artificial insemination may be preferable to natural mating?
semen can be stored for years - even after the male has died
animals do not need to be transported which can be expensive and dangerous
85
What is embryo transfer?
closely related species is used as a surrogate mother
it is good for species with few females who have a long gestation period
86
Cloning has been used with limited success with livestock breeding, but not yet with wild animal species. What is the process of cloning?
cloning produces embryos by transferring the nucleus from the stem cell of an endangered species into an empty egg of a closely related species
87
What is micro-propagation of plants?
form of tissue culture where clusters of cell can be produced from a single plant/tissue sample.
Each cell cluster can be cultivated to produce an individual plant. This means many plants can be produced from a single parent plant.
All plants produced are genetically identical
88
What is hard release?
releasing individuals with no support. works when species behaviour is controlled by instinct so that the individuals do not need to learn skills
eg. fish
89
What is soft release?
involves post release support such as gradual release into larger areas and the provision of food as they learn to find food themselves.
Often necessary for many mammals and birds
90
benefits of kews millenium seed bank?
Preserves genetic diversity.
Acts as a backup in case species go extinct in the wild.
Seeds can be used for research, habitat restoration, and reintroduction.
Helps combat threats from climate change, habitat loss, and invasive species.
91
What is kews millennium seed bank an example of?
ex situ conservation - where seeds are collected and preserved away from their natural habitat
92
What do agri-environmental systems provide?
financial support to farmers to reward and encourage environmentally beneficial development
93
Example of agri-environmental systems?
Environmentally sensitive areas (ESA)
Countryside stewardship scheme (CSS)
Environmental stewardship scheme (ESS)
94
What is rewilding?
large scale restoration of ecosystems in their natural conditions
95
What is the aim of rewilding?
aims to reinstate natural processes and missing species
it is important to re introduce keystone species
96
If humans alter natural habitats. How can they be restored?
Rewilding - creating natural conditions
97
Example of rewilding in Yellowstone national park?
wolves reintroduced in 1995
deer populations declined so fewer trees killed
having more trees has allowed beaver populations to increase
dams that beavers have created have increased the area of wetland areas
wetland species have increased
98
List a few structural features of habitats that may affect the success of conservation programmes?
habitat area
habitat shape
age structure
biological corridors
ease of colonization/need for introduction
99
What is meant by age structure in relation to structural features of habitats?
eg. different aged trees
