Agriculture Impact On Biodiversity

Question 1

What do farmers aim to do?

Answer 1

Maximise food grown on land

Question 2

How farmers reduce biodiversity

Answer 2

Remove hedgerows
Clearing woodlands
Pesticides
Herbicides
Monoculture

Question 3

Removing hedgerows

Answer 3

Reduces number of species of plants in the hedgerow
Reduces habitat for organisms so reduces variety of food sources + shelter (reduces species)

Question 4

Clearing woodlands

Answer 4

Reduces number of plant species
Habitat loss for many organisms so cannot receive food or shelter thus species richness decreases

Question 5

Using pesticides

Answer 5

Kills small organisms that are pests (directly reduces species richness of killing organisms)
Animals that pray on these organisms more likely to die as their food source is reduced so decreases number of these organisms

Question 6

Herbicides

Answer 6

Killing weeds directly reduces species richness as different species of plants killed
And removes food source for organisms that eat these weeds so they die out further reducing biodiversity

Question 7

Monoculture

Answer 7

Only growing 1 species of plant directly reduces species evenness and supports fewer organisms because less shelter and food (due to lower variety) can support smaller range of species

Question 8

Maintain balance between wildlife conservation and farming

Answer 8

Give legal protection to species
Create protected habitats e.g. nature reserves
Give farmers money to improve/maintain biodiversity on their farms e.g. planting/maintaining hedgerows.

Question 9

Advantages to farmers for replanting hedgerows/keeping woodland etc

Answer 9

More biodiversity so wider variety of different species attracted to farm:
Pollinators
Predators of pests

Question 10

Disadvantages to farmers for replanting hedgerows/keeping woodland etc

Answer 10

Reduce area for crop growth so reduced profits/income
Increase in pest population so lower yield of crops = less profits