Week 26 Flashcards
(61 cards)
1
Q
What is ecotourism?
A
A form of tourism involving visiting fragile, pristine, and relatively undisturbed natural areas, intended as a low-impact and often small-scale alternative to standard commercial tourism.
2
Q
What is the definition of ecotourism by The International Ecotourism Society?
A
Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.
3
Q
What additional benefits can ecotourism provide?
A
- Education for travelers.
- Funds for ecological conservation.
- Economic development and political empowerment for local communities.
- Respect for different cultures and human rights.
4
Q
What benefits can ecotourism provide for local people?
A
- Income.
- Jobs.
- Pride in their culture and traditions.
5
Q
What is the historical perspective of ecotourism?
A
In the past, ecotourism wasn’t considered. Traditional tourism often caused damage to the environment and local cultures.
6
Q
What are the problems with ecotourism?
A
- Tourists can still damage the environment.
- Large numbers can cause erosion, pollution, and disturbances to wildlife.
- Local communities may not benefit equally.
- Alters local customs and traditions
- Relocation of local people
7
Q
What other issues exist with ecotourism?
A
- Sometimes profits go to large foreign companies rather than local communities.
- Greenwashing: Some tours claim to be eco-friendly but are not.
8
Q
What are the advantages of ecotourism?
A
- Promotes conservation.
- Benefits local people economically.
- Encourages sustainable development.
- Raises environmental awareness.
9
Q
What is the impact of introducing non-native species to islands through tourism?
A
- Non-native species can outcompete native species.
- Disrupt local ecosystems.
- Lead to extinctions.
10
Q
What is Marine ecotourism?
A
- Focuses on coastal and oceanic environments.
- Includes activities like snorkeling, whale watching, and coral reef tours.
11
Q
What is special about the Farne Islands?
A
- Important seabird colonies.
- Puffins, seals, and other wildlife.
- Ecotourism supports conservation and local economy.
12
Q
What is Knepp known for?
A
- A rewilding project in the UK.
- Promotes biodiversity.
- Visitors can experience a unique natural landscape.
13
Q
What is Operation Wallacea?
A
- A biodiversity and conservation research organization.
- Offers students and volunteers opportunities to work in conservation science.
14
Q
Why are the Galapagos Islands significant for ecotourism?
A
- Home to unique species found nowhere else.
- Strict tourism controls.
- Important model for sustainable tourism.
15
Q
Why is Madagascar important in ecotourism?
A
- High levels of endemic species.
- Threatened by deforestation.
- Ecotourism supports conservation.
16
Q
What are zoonotic diseases?
A
- Communicable and infectious diseases
- Passed on by an infectious agent – virus/parasite/bacteria
- Can ‘jump’ (be transmitted) from a non-human vertebrate to a human
- Can spread between humans through standard transmission mechanisms
- Cause infections within both animal and human species
17
Q
Are zoonotic diseases still a major health concern?
A
Yes, zoonotic diseases are still a big killer.
18
Q
What are the different modes of zoonotic transmission?
A
- Through animal attack: Rabies
- Through animal sickness: Cow/Monkeypox, Avian Influenza, Coronavirus
- Through consumption of animal products: Echinococcosis, CJD, Hepatitis
- Through contamination of water: Echinococcosis, Ebola
19
Q
What is the evolution process of zoonotic disease?
A
- A viral infection causes a disease state within an animal species (e.g., Avian Influenza)
- Multiple/repeated infection cycles within avian species form a ‘disease reservoir’
- Mutations allow inter-species infection, causing its spread from animals into humans
- Zoonotic infection results in a new disease state
20
Q
How do viruses break the species barrier?
A
- Due to antigenic drift/mutations
- Viral infections can infect different species by:
- Altering the receptor the virus binds to in the respiratory tract
- Reducing sensitivity to the myxovirus resistance protein (Mx1)
- Increasing ability to infiltrate human genetic machinery
21
Q
What increases the chance of a disease crossing the species barrier?
A
- Increased interactions between infected animal species
- Higher probability of mutations
22
Q
What does a genetic mutation enabling cross-species transmission look like?
A
Example sequence change:
- ATC G GTCA A TTCG A GAG T A →
- ATC C GTCA C TTCG G GAG A A
23
Q
How do animal population dynamics affect disease transmission?
A
- Increased infected animal populations = more opportunities for mutations
- Increased interactions with infected animal populations = more opportunities for spread into human populations
24
Q
How did domestication contribute to zoonotic disease risk?
A
- Domestication was key to agriculture and civilisation development
- Domesticated animals used as:
- Livestock: Pigs/Sheep/Goats/Cattle/Chickens (~11000–6000 BC)
- Beasts of burden: Donkey/Zebu/Horses (~6000–3000 BC)
- Protection: Dogs/Cats (~13000–10000 BC)
25
Why does domestication increase zoonotic disease risk?
- Increases animal-human interactions → More zoonotic events
- Increases animal-animal interactions → Formation of disease reservoirs
26
Why does urbanisation increase the risk of zoonotic disease?
(Prompt slide – no direct answer given on this slide)
27
How did urbanisation contribute to the spread of zoonotic diseases?
- Urban centres became sites for trading live animals/products
- Risks increased due to:
- Mass accumulation of animal waste
- Interactions between previously dispersed animal populations
- Higher probability of negative animal-human interactions
28
How does hunting contribute to zoonotic disease risk?
- Increased risk via:
- Direct contact with diseased tissues
- Bites/scratches
- Consuming parasites in infected tissue
- Airborne/waterborne droplets
- Examples:
- HIV from infected monkey meat
- SARS from contact with horseshoe bat fluids
29
Why does globalisation increase zoonotic disease risk?
(Prompt slide – no direct answer given on this slide)
30
How does globalisation affect zoonotic disease spread?
- Increased global and international trade of animals/products
- Introduces infected animals to new animal populations
- Introduces diseases to previously uninfected human populations
31
What happened during the American colonisation in terms of disease?
- 15th–17th century: European colonisation of the Americas
- “Columbian microorganism exchange”: Old World infections spread rapidly
- Smallpox (Mexico, 1519), influenza, measles, tuberculosis, herpes, yellow fever spread
32
Why did European diseases devastate Native Americans?
- Native Americans were isolated for ~12,000 years
- Had no exposure to Afro-Eurasian zoonotic diseases
- Europeans had developed immunity via the Silk Road and domesticated animals
- Europeans carried these diseases asymptomatically
- Result: rapid disease spread in Native populations
33
What were the effects of disease introduction on Native Americans?
- Pre-Columbian population: 50–100 million
- Conservative estimate: ~90% population reduction within a century
- Smallpox and other diseases killed millions in waves
- Lack of natural immunity intensified impact
34
Why didn’t major diseases spread from Native Americans to Europeans?
- Lack of domestication
- Low inter-community interactions
- Lack of intense urbanisation
- Reduced zoonotic vector chances
- Reduced spread of disease between communities
35
What is malaria and how is it transmitted?
- Serious, sometimes fatal protozoan disease
- Carried by female Anopheles mosquito
- Four human-infecting species: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae
- P. knowlesi (zoonotic malaria) infects macaques in Southeast Asia and can infect humans
36
How is malaria transmitted?
(Slide titled 'Malarial Transmission Cycle' – image likely shown, but no text content to extract)
37
How can zoonotic diseases be prevented?
- Increased vaccination of domesticated animals
- Prevents spread
- Closes disease reservoirs
- Improved water hygiene
- Removal of wet markets
- Reduction in wild hunting for consumption
- Increased education on cooking/processing animal products
38
What is habitat loss?
Habitat loss occurs when a habitat is altered so drastically it no longer supports the species originally present.
39
What are biodiversity hotspots?
Biodiversity hotspots are areas with high species richness that are under threat from habitat loss.
40
What are the key drivers of habitat destruction?
- Demographic Drivers
- Economic Drivers
- Sociopolitical Drivers
41
How do demographic drivers contribute to habitat destruction?
- Increase in population size
- Higher population density
- High birth rates and migration patterns
- Urban sprawl and infrastructure expansion
42
How do economic drivers contribute to habitat destruction?
- Resource extraction (e.g. logging, mining)
- Agricultural expansion
- Industrial development
- Economic incentives that prioritize profit over sustainability
43
What is an example of local habitat destruction from economic drivers?
Rutland Cement Quarry:
- Limestone quarrying for cement
- Loss of natural limestone grassland
- Fragmentation of habitat
- Impact on local biodiversity
44
How do sociopolitical drivers contribute to habitat destruction?
- Weak environmental regulations
- Poor land-use planning
- Political instability
- Corruption and lack of enforcement
45
What are natural causes of habitat destruction?
- Volcanic eruptions
- Earthquakes
- Wildfires
- Hurricanes and storms
- Climate fluctuations
- Disease outbreaks in keystone species
46
What is the scale of rainforest and wetland destruction?
- Rainforests: Over 50% destroyed globally
- Wetlands: Over 87% lost since 1700
47
What is the scale of forest, dryland, and coral reef destruction?
- Forests: Over 32 million acres lost annually
- Drylands: 10–20% degraded
- Coral reefs: 50% have disappeared in the last 30 years
48
What happens when carrying capacity is reduced?
It leads to unsustainable population sizes, increased competition, and population decline.
49
What is carrying capacity?
The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can support sustainably.
50
What is the Verhulst model?
A logistic growth model that includes the effect of carrying capacity on population growth.
51
How does habitat destruction increase species flow?
It removes natural barriers, allowing invasive species to spread and outcompete natives.
52
How does habitat destruction lead to generalisation of species?
Specialist species decline while generalists thrive, reducing biodiversity.
53
How does habitat destruction affect genetic diversity?
It leads to population fragmentation, inbreeding, and loss of adaptive traits.
54
How does habitat destruction impact ecosystem functions?
It disrupts pollination, seed dispersal, water purification, and climate regulation.
55
What is the impact of breeding ground destruction?
Loss of key habitats disrupts reproduction cycles and leads to population collapse.
56
How does habitat destruction relate to mass extinction?
It is a leading cause of species extinction due to loss of essential habitats.
57
How does habitat destruction increase vulnerability to natural disasters?
Loss of vegetation and wetlands increases floods, landslides, and storm damage.
58
What is meant by 'a brewing crisis' in habitat destruction?
A combination of environmental, social, and economic consequences escalating due to unchecked habitat loss.
59
What are the effects of habitat destruction on food security?
Famine: Loss of ecosystem services and arable land reduces food production.
60
How does further habitat destruction become a feedback loop?
Loss of resources forces exploitation of remaining habitats, worsening degradation.
61
What are potential solutions to habitat destruction?
- Protected areas and conservation
- Sustainable land use
- Reforestation and habitat restoration
- Stronger environmental policies
- Community-based conservation
