AS Unit 1 Spec Questions

Question 1

How has life on Earth caused environmental change

Answer 1

Atmospheric oxygen and ozone

Atmospheric carbon dioxide and temperature control

Question 2

What are 6 main reasons for wildlife conservation?

Answer 2

1. Educational
2. Moral
3. Aesthetic/recreational
4. Economic benefit : a) medical b) food c) materials
5. life support systems from living organisms: eg nutrient & hydrological cycle, soil, atmosphere
6. Species interdependence eg pollination,seed dispersal, habitat provision, food supplies

Question 3

What 6 ways do humans threaten wildlife?

Answer 3

1. Deliberate exploitation eg food, fashion,medicine
2. Accidental harm eg roadkill, catch fishing
3. Introduced species eg predator, competitor,disease
4. Deliberate eradication of species eg predator for pest
5. Habitat change
6. Habitat destruction eg deforestation, urbanisation, flooding, mineral extraction, farmland

Question 4

Name 3 conservation methods

Answer 4

Legal protection
Habitat conservation
Captive breeding and release programmes

Question 5

What types of legal protection are there?

Answer 5

Trade controls eg CITIES
Laws banning damaging activities
Laws enabling establishment of protected areas
Eg wildlife & countryside acts 1981 & 1984
Sustainable exploitation eg IWC

Question 6

What are 3 methods of habitat conservation?

Answer 6

Habitat protection eg nature reserves
Habitat management eg culling, biological corridors
Habitat creation

Question 7

What are UK designations for conservation?

Answer 7

SSSIs
NNR
LNR
MNR

Question 8

What are international conservation designations?

Answer 8

Ramsar sites
SPAs
SACs

Question 9

What are voluntary organisations or pressure groups?

Answer 9

WWF
RSPB
Greenpeace

Question 10

What are agri-environmental systems?

Answer 10

The single farm payment has replaced previous schemes such as CSS and ESS and ESA.

Question 11

3 ways Humans create semi natural habitats

Answer 11

1. Farming : grazing and field boundaries
2. Woodland ; coppicing and pollarding
3. Hunting/fishing: river management, burning moorland

Question 12

5 examples of species interdependence

Answer 12

Pollination
Seed dispersal
Habitat provision
Food supplies
Decomposers & Detritivores recycling nutrients

Question 13

What are key factors in population size?

Answer 13

Reproduction
Mortality
Migration
Density dependence factors
Carrying capacity

Question 14

3 ways of conserving landscape

Answer 14

Landscape protection
Landscape enhancement to restore character
Visitor management

Question 15

Government organisations for landscape

Answer 15

National England: national parks & AONB
Local authorities: country parks
DEFRA : environmental stewardship scheme

(Non Government : National Trust)

Question 16

6 causes of land use conflicts

Answer 16

1. Urban expansion
2. Transport : new roads, airports, ports
3. Mining & quarrying
4. Harnessing energy: wind farms, tidal barrages, power stations
5. Recreation & tourism
6. Waste disposal eg landfill, incinerator location

Question 17

4 Methods for resolving land use conflicts

Answer 17

1. Environmental impact assessment & Leopold matrix
2. Land use zoning - space or time zoning
3. Economic methods such as cost benefit analysis
4. Legislative eg planning authorities/strategies

Question 18

What are 4 main conditions for life on Earth to survive

Answer 18

Availability of water
Appropriate temperature range
Suitable ambient gases
Light