3.3 Human Impacts on Biodiversity

Question 1

Humans affect biodiversity by:

Answer 1

Destroying habitats
Creating Pollution
Invasive Species
Overexploitation
Climate Change

Question 2

earth today

Answer 2

-Mass extinction is currently taking place
-Exact scale is uncertain as we only know a fraction
of the total number of species on Earth.
-approx. 12% of known bird species are
endangered
-of approx. 20,000 known plant species in North
America, at least 300 are at risk (e.g. 86% of
mosses face extinction)
-approx. 37% of known fish have become extinct
during historical time or are at risk

Question 3

habitat loss

Answer 3

Water Fronts
-highly populated
-more land is needed for agriculture, roads and
communities
-fertilizer runoff can flow into water, creating dead
zones via eutrophication (areas with low levels of
O2)
-with proper care shorelines can recover
-(e.g. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
b/w CAN and USA has reduced fertilizer runoff)

Question 4

Habitat loss is the ___________ to biodiversity of life.

Answer 4

greatest threat

Question 5

As human pop grows, we develop land for;

Answer 5

Communities
Farms
Obtaining natural resources (e.g. coal and lumber)

Question 6

If species cannot adapt or move, they will _______

Answer 6

not survive

Question 7

Habitat Fragmentation

Answer 7

altering small areas within a large region, creating patchwork of altered and original habitats

Question 8

Regions within Ontario have made a commitment to practice __________ by replanting cut trees with _________

Answer 8

sustainable forestry; seedlings

Question 9

Organizations like Forest Stewardship Council work to …

Answer 9

conserve and protect forest habitats

Question 10

Invasive Species

Answer 10

Non-native species that invade new habitats
-prey on native species and outcompete them for
resources
-humans have introduced these invasive species
intentionally or accidentally as people travel
-e.g. Japanese plant kudzu, Emerald ash borer,
Zebra mussels, Asian carp

Question 11

Pollution

Answer 11

Cars and coal burning plants release GHG that can contribute to global warming and acid rain
-as temp. rises, species must adapt, move, or die
-acid rain damages forests, fresh water, and soil by
altering the pH

Pesticide use has inadvertently killed many organisms besides those targeted
-e.g. In South America pesticides were sprayed to
control grasshoppers yet also killed 6000 hawks.
-toxicity can bioaccumulate thru food chains (e.g.
atrazine changing the sex of frogs)

Question 12

Toxicity can _________ thru food chains (e.g. atrazine changing the sex of frogs)

Answer 12

bioaccumulate

Question 13

different types of pollution

Answer 13

Light pollution
Chemical pollution
Sewage pollution
Plastic pollution
Air emissions (type of air pollution- NOx, SOx)

Question 14

Overexploitation

Answer 14

Harvesting resources faster than they can be replaced
-e.g. Rosi periwinkle in Madagascar nearly picked
to extinction – used as a cancer trmt drug
-e.g. collapse of cod fisheries from 479,141 to
12,490 tons in only 7 years…still hasn’t recovered

Question 15

Climate Change

Answer 15

Human activities have increased the level of CO2 in the atmosphere;
-deforestation
-burning fossil fuels
-burning peat forests
-raising livestock
-draining wetland ecosystems

Question 16

examples of disease outbreaks that climate change has caused

Answer 16

e.g. Malaria, H1N1, SARS increase

Question 17

how does climate change result in plant migration

Answer 17

Grasslands will replace Boreal Forests

Question 18

how does climate change result in animal migration

Answer 18

Animals will have to migrate more North

Question 19

how does climate change result in extreme weather

Answer 19

Increase in energy in our weather systems

Question 20

how does climate change result in extreme weather in increase of CO2

Answer 20

Changes pH levels in water; changes animal behaviour

Question 21

how does climate change result in extreme weather in water availibility/quality

Answer 21

Reduced in many arid (dry) and semi-arid regions
Aral Sea

Question 22

Synergistic Effect

Answer 22

The impact of several human activities combined

Question 23

The Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty signed by 161 countries that helps …

Answer 23

sustain life on Earth

Question 24

Ex-situ conservation

Answer 24

-Removing species from their habitats to protect
them (e.g. zoos)
-Used when habitat is no longer there, or existing
pop. is small
-Considered a last resort

Question 25

In-situ conservation

Answer 25

-Protecting species in their natural habitat by
establishing protected areas, restoring habitats
and adopting laws to protect
-e.g. Lake Ontario Atlantic Salmon Restoration
Program

Question 26

how does Costa Rica protect wildlife habitats

Answer 26

by enforcing heavy taxes on industries that release large amounts of pollution

Question 27

how does South Africa help

Answer 27

they have an incentive for people to help remove invasive species

Question 28

ecological footprint

Answer 28

the amount of resources you need to exist

Question 29

Sustainable development’s goal is to …

Answer 29

develop natural resources so that they can renew themselves and be available for the future

Question 30

_________ economies are the goal

Answer 30

Circular

Question 31

What types of strategies are in place to protect
the Great Lakes ecosystems?

Answer 31

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States has reduced
fertilizer runoff, improved sewage treatment, and helped protect the Great Lakes ecosystem

Question 32

Why do lakes that have been exposed to
acid rain usually appear clear and lifeless?

Answer 32

Although lakes can withstand a certain amount of acid rain, after a while, their acidity will increase. When this happens, the water in the lake can turn a clear blue due to a loss of organic matter which is usually dissolved in the water

Question 33

List some problems that affect biodiversity
from the use of pesticides

Answer 33

killed many organisms besides those targeted

-once a pesticide enters an ecosystem, it can harm diversity through the food chain.

-the herbicide atrazine, for example, accumulates in sublethal doses in amphibians, even changing
the sex of species, such as leopard frogs.

-as top predators in the food chain eat the tainted animals, lethal doses of pesticides build up in their tissues

Question 34

How does habitat fragmentation contribute
to habitat loss?

Answer 34

Habitat fragmentation alters small areas within a large region, creating a patchwork of altered and original habitats.

The smaller the habitat fragments become, the fewer species each fragment can support.

Question 35

Coal is an important source of fuel. How does
the use of this resource impact biodiversity?

Answer 35

Burning coal to produce electricity is one of the greatest contributors to pollution impacting biodiversity.

Coal-fired power plants emit more carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming than all the vehicles in North America.

As temperatures rise, species must adapt, find new
homes or die