4.2.1 f factors affecting biodiversity Flashcards
what is maintaining biodiversity essential for?
preserving a balanced ecosystem for all organisms
how are humans disrupting the ecology of many areas?
deforestation
agriculture
climate change
how can deforestation occur naturally?
forest fires by heat and dry weather
how does deforestation affect biodiversity?
directly reduces number of trees present in the area
if one specific type of tree is cut down, species diversity is reduced
reduces the number of animal species present in an area as it can destroy their habitat and food source
animals are forced to migrate to other areas for survival which can result in biodiversity increasing in other areas
why does agriculture result in a loss of biodiversity?
the techniques used to produce as many of the farmers desired species as possible can lead to a reduction in biodiversity
how does agriculture affect biodiversity?
deforestation to increase area of land
removal of hedgerows which reduces number of plant species present in an area and destroys habitats for animals
use of pesticides and herbicides which can reduce species diversity and plant diversity directly and animal diversity as they may eat weeds for a food source
monoculture as only one species of plant is present so few animal species will be supported
key findings from the report summarising scientists’ current understanding of climate change
warming trend over the last 50 years is twice that of the previous 100 years
average amount of water vapour on the atmosphere has increased since the 1980s over land and ocean
average temperature of the global ocean down to depths of 3km has increased
global average sea level has risen by an average of 1.8 mm per year from 1961-2021
how will global warming affect biodiversity?
melting of polar ice caps could lead to the extinction of plant and animal species living in that region
rising sea levels could flood low-lying land reducing the available terrestrial habitats
higher temperatures and less rainfall could result in some plant species failing to survive and xerophytes becoming more dominant
insect life cycles and populations will change as they adapt to climate change
what will happen to biodiversity if climate change is slow?
species may have time to adapt or migrate to new areas which will lead to a loss of native species but in turn other species may move into the area causing the species mix to change
