4.7.3.6 Maintaining Biodiversity

Question 1

Positives of human interactions in an ecosystem:

Answer 1

• protecting + maintaining rainforests - ensuring habitats are not destroyed
• reducing water pollution & monitoring changes over time
• preserving areas of scientific interest by stopping humans from going there
• replanting hedgerows and woodlands to provided habitats which were previously destroyed

Question 2

Negatives of human interactions in an ecosystem:

Answer 2

• production of GHG’s leading to global warming
• producing sulfur dioxide in factories which leads to acid rain - affects habitats
• chemicals (e.g. pesticides, herbicides etc.) used in farming leak into the environment
• clearing land & deforestation in order to build on it → habitat loss

Question 3

What have scientists and concerned citizens put in place?

Answer 3

scientists and concerned citizen have put in place programmes to reduce the negative effects of humans on ecosystems and biodiversity

Question 4

Programmes put in place to reduce humans’ negative effects on biodiversity:

Answer 4

• breeding programmes for endanger species - to stop endangered species from becoming extinct
• protection and regeneration of rare habitats - to stop the species there from becoming extinct
• reintroduction of field margins and hedgerows in agricultural areas where farmers only grow one type of crop - maintains biodiversity as hedgerows provide a habitat for lots of organisms (as a field of one crop would not be able to support many organisms) and field margins provide areas where wild flowers and grasses can grow
• reduction of deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions by some governments - reduces rate of global warming + slows down the rate at which habitats are destroyed
• recycling resources rather than dumping waste in landfill - reduces amount of land taken up for landfills + slows the rate that we are using up natural resources