7.3 Ecology (biodiversity and the effect of human interaction on ecosystems) Flashcards
What is biodiversity?
the variety of the different species on earth or within an ecosystem
What is the importance of biodiversity?
to maintain the stability of an ecosystem
How does biodiversity ensure the stability of an ecosystem?
It reduces the dependence on particular species for resources. eg. food and shelter, so that even if one species is removed other species can still survive
Why have human’s consumption of resources and waste production increased?
- rapid rise in human population
- increase in standard of living
Where does pollution occur?
- air
- land
- water
State 3 examples of water pollutants
- sewage
- fertiliser
- chemicals
How does eutrophication occur?
- fertiliser from farms pollute the water, causing excessive algae growth, depleting the oxygen in the water, causing other plants and animals to die
- dead plants are decomposed by bacteria and the oxygen levels decreases further
State 2 examples of air pollutants
- smoke
- acidic gases
State 2 examples of land pollutants
- landfill waste
- chemicals
Which human activities reduce the land available for plants and animals?
- building
- farming
- quarrying
- disposing of waste
Why have peat bogs been destroyed?
to produce compost to increase food production
Why does the destruction of peat bogs greatly contribute to the greenhouse effect?
- peat bogs are stores of carbon and burning them releases a large volume of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
Why have large-scale deforestation activities occurred?
- to provide land for cattle or rice fields
- to grow crops to produce biofuels
What is the greenhouse effect?
greenhouse gases trap energy from the sun as heat in the atmosphere, keeping the temperature on earth suitable for life
What is causing global warming?
the increase in levels of greenhouse gases, causing the temperature on earth to increase
