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Biology > B18 Biodiversity and Ecosytems > Flashcards

B18 Biodiversity and Ecosytems Flashcards

1
Q

What is biodiversity ?

A

The variety of all the different species of organisms on Earth .
-Biodiveristy can als refer to an individual ecosytem (biodversity in the amazon rainforest )

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2
Q

One reason biodiveristy is important for ecosytsems .

A

-Species depend on eachother for food and shelter .

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3
Q

Another reason biodveristy is important for ecosytems .

A

-Species also help to maintain the enivornemnt . For example , decomposers break down the remains df dead organsisms .

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4
Q

What does a high level of biodiversity mean ?

A

-There are a lot of different species , and this makes an eocystem more stable .
-As lots of different species means that the ecosytem is less dependant on one species .
-Therefore if the population of a species falls , it is less liekey to effect the whole ecosytem .

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5
Q

How are humans having a negative effect on biodiveristy ?

A

Example , deforestation .
-Tropicl forests contain a very rich biodiversity . However , large areas of these ofretss are being destroyed to provide land .
IN EXAM YOU CAN BE AKSED FOR THIS .

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6
Q

EXAM QUESTION ,,, Why are humans doing deforestation ?

A

-The land is used for rice fields or for grazing cattle .
-The land is used to grow crops which are then used to make biofuels .

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7
Q

-Over the last hundred years , the opulation of humans has increased massively as wella s the averge standard of living .

A

Because of this , humans are using more of the Earth’s resources than ever before .

-They are also producing more waste that is leading to pollutoin .

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8
Q

An example of water pollution

A

Humans porduce a large amouont of sweage , this contains urine and faeces .
-In the UK , sewage is treated before being released .
-However , in some cases , untreated sewafe is accidetally released into rivers or streams ..

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9
Q

How else can rivers and streams be polluted ?

A

By fertilsiers onf arms .
-both fertilisrs and untreated sewafe causes dissolved oxygen levells to fall and this can kill aquatic chemicals .

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10
Q

How else can rivers and streams be polluted .

A

-Toxic chemicals are released into rivers form factroies , and these can kill animals in the rivers .

WASTE FROM HUMAN ACTIVITY IS REDUCING BIODIVERISTY IN AQUATIC ECOSYTEMS .

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11
Q

Air pollution

A

-Waste from human activiies is also polluting the air .
-e.g burning coal in power stations can release acidic gases and these can cause acid rain .

-burnign lso releases smooke

AIR POLLUTION IKE THIS CAN KILL PLANTS AND ANIMALS AND THIS REDUCES BIODIVERSITY .

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12
Q

Land pollution

A

-Millions of tons of waste are dumped into landfills .
-Landfills destroy habitats for plants and animals .

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13
Q

Land pollution - Toixc Chemicals

A

-Toxic chemicals can also leach out of the landfills and pollute the soil .
-Toxic chemicals are simply dumped onto the land , all these are killing living organisms .

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14
Q

a note to take from pollutiion .

A

-From all these activities ,w aste from huamns is reducing biodveristy .
-Therefore , we need to carefully ahndle our waste material and dispose it without harming the environment .

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15
Q

temperautre like over the last hundred years

A

-avergae temeprature has been increasing

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16
Q

causes of temperature change ?

A

-Naatural changesi n the climate .
-However current increase is caused by human activity .

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17
Q

Human activity effecting cilmate ?

A

-For many decades now humans have release huge amounts of crbondioxide into the atmopshere . Mainly due to burning fossil fuels .
–Mehthane also release - which is porduced b y bacteria , i releasedin pddy rice field .
-cows passing wind .

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18
Q

Significance of Methane and arbondioxide

A

-Both cabrondioxide and methane are greenhouse gases so they trap heat in the atopshere leading to global warming .

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19
Q

What is peer review ?

A

-Thousands of scientifc papers have been published on global warming .
-These have been chekce dby other scientists before published this is PEER REVIEW .
-this hellps to detct flse claims , makes reasrch pblished in scientific journals valid .

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20
Q

example of something that is NOT peer re view

A

-Repororts in popular media , newspapers ar not subject to peer review .
-Some reports are just ismplifed , inaccurate or biased .

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21
Q

One consequence of temperatures on Earth increasing .

A

1.Loss of habitats
-Reduction in ice levels in the artic and this has cuased the populations of artic organisms like polar bears to decrease due to habitat reduction .

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22
Q

Another consequence of temperatures on Earth rising .

A

-Animals like birds and insects may gradually extend their range northward towards cooler conditions .
(MOSQUITO , can’t surive in the UK , but with global warming , they could spread to the UK and diseases like Malaria coul dbe brought with them .)

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23
Q

Final consequence o temperatures on Earth rising

A

-Migration patterns of animals may change .
-Effect palnts , like flowering seaons , some plant grown in palces htey could not before , ro some may not be able to be grown in a certain place again .

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24
Q

What is eutrophication ?

A

-The addition ofnutrients to water stryems that break down the natural chemical balance .

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25
Q

Stage one of eutrophication ?

A

-Farmers apply fertilisers containing nitrates and phosophates to their field .

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26
Q

Stage two of eutrophication ?

A

-Heavy rain washes the fertilisers off int rivers and lakes .

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27
Q

Stage three of eutrophication ?

A

-Nitrates abd phosphates encourga ealge to grown on the water’s surface .

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28
Q

Stage four of eutrophication ?

A

-Algae blocks sunlight reaching plnts below the surface .

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29
Q

Stage five of eutrophication ?

A

-Plants stop photosynthesising and releasing oxygen .

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30
Q

Stage six of eutrophication ?

A

-Decomposers break down dead plants and animals using up even more oxygen .

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31
Q

Stage seven of eutrophication ?

A

-Fish die due to lack of oxygen .

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32
Q

What is Bio -accumulation ?

A

-Toxic chemiclas such a spesticidies +herbcides or poisionous chemicals from landfill smight wash into water way .
-Th argest carnivores die or fail to breed beucse of th build of toxic chemicals in their bodies .

33
Q

What is acid rain ?

A

-Sulphur impurities in fossil fuels react with oxygen when they are burnt forming sulfurdioxide.
-Nitrogen oxides are also produced . Thes gses dissolve in rianwter or snow to form sulfuric acid + nitric acid .

34
Q

-what is smoke ?
-WHat is smog ?

A

-Smoke is tiny solid particlues produced through burning .
-Smog isi a combination of smoke and fog and other chemicals such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide.

35
Q

Problems of smoke and og ?

A

-Gobal dimming as the particles reflect sunlight .
-respitory problems like Bronchitis , lack of oxygen being transported around the body becuse carbon monoixide BINDS to the haemoglobin in red blood cells .

36
Q

What is food security ?

A

-Having enough food to feed a population .
it is IMPROTANT - as MORE poeple live in cities nd few people gro their OWN FOOD .

37
Q

there are 6 biological threats to food security .

A

..

38
Q

How is birth rate increasing a threat to food security ?

A

-As the population gorws , the amount of food availbe will have to increse to feed the whole population .

39
Q

How is chaning diets an increasing threating to food security ?

A

-In developed countries like UK , our tastes are chaning .
-We now exoect to eat a whole range of different foods throughout the yar .
-Many of these foods annot be gwon in the Uk , so lots of importing of other countries has to be done HOEVER , THAT S A THREAT TO THEIR GOOF SECURITY .

40
Q

How is food security threatened by pathogens and pests ?

A

PESTS EAT FOOD CROPS - catepillars .
-Pathogens cause infectious disease .
-Both of these reduce the moutn of food crops availabe to eat .

41
Q

How are environmental changes a threat to food secuirty ?

A

-An effect of global warming is unpredictbale weather .
-If rainfall patters change , many countires may not be bal to grow enough crops to feed their population . Which could lead to famine .

42
Q

How are modern farming methods a threat to food security ?

A

-Modern farming methods require a greta deal of new resources .
-E.g many farmers rely on fertilisers and pesticides to increse their crop yield .
-+Farmers producing livestock need ot buy food for hteir animals .

43
Q

modern farming methods (2)

A

-As the populaiton of the world increases , these resources are becomign mroe expensive .
-In certian countries , increased cost may be more thnthey cn afford . Threatening the security of their food production .

44
Q

How are conflicts a threat to food securiy ?

A

-During any period of war ,, farming can disruptted and improts of food may not be possible .
-Water can also threaten th reliable supply of water .

45
Q

WHAT TO DO TO HELP WITH FOOD SECURITY ?!

A

-As the worlds popualtion increases , it is essential we use sustaibable methods to feed everyone on Erth .
THAT WAY our long term food security will be increased.

46
Q

WAYS TO BE MORE SUSTAINABLE ?

A

-m-Maintainign osil quality so plans grow well year after year .
-Looking at more effient ways to produce food .
-Taking care of fishstock in the ocean os they don’t run out .

47
Q

Why are humans reducing biodiversity ?

A

Becuase of our need for land . (Housing , facctories , shops +airports)
-Also use lands for farms and quarries ,as well as landfills .
-This means less land is aaiable for animals+plant , due to reduction in ahbitats reducing biodiversity .

48
Q

What is an example of an area covering fromt his problem ?

A

PEAT
-Peat bogs and peat lands contain large amounts of dead plant materials .
-Conditions in peats means that decay is very slow . So peatbogs and peat glands contain a very large amount of trapped carbon , however these habitats are being destroyed .

49
Q

Uses of peats ?

A

-Peats are used to produce cheap compost-for gardens and farms .
-Ins ome countires , peat is burned to release energy (for example to generate electricyt .)
-The destruction of peatbogs and pea lands reducing the area of this habitat is reducing the variety of plnts and microgranisms that lvie htere reducing bidoversity .

50
Q

ANOTHER problem with peats ?

A

-Once hte peatws have been extracted , it is used for ocmpsots , it begins to devay , relesing laarge amounts of co2 into the tmoshpehre .
-A lot of peat is burned and relases co2 , contributing ot lcimsatechange .
-Many gardners have stopped buying compsots that contain peat , but an alternagtive like this is EXMPENSIVE , ffarmers using this can cause an icnreasein food price .

51
Q

WHat is the first way of maintaining biodiviersity

A

1.Breeding porgrammes for endangeed species.

52
Q

What is the second way of maintaining biodiversity ?

A

2.The destruction of habitats can reduce biodiversity so the protection and renhgeneration of rare habitats is important for preserving biodiversity .

53
Q

What is the third way of maintaining biodiversity ?

A

3.Both fieldmargins and hedgerows help to preserve biodiversity on farms .

54
Q

WHat is the fourth way of maintaining biodiveristy?

A

Governments - reducing co2 (uk renewbale nergy lke wind ) les co2 contirbuting to climate change and= therefore less loss of habitat ..
-Reducing deforrestation nantional prks in brazil to reduce deofrestation fo the amazon rainforest/

55
Q

How could invidiauls maintain biodiversity ?

A

-Recyling waste amterial as lots of waste is simply dumped into landfills .
-This destryos habitats for plants and nimals .
-If we recyle less watse ends up in landfills , so fewer hbitats are destryoed having posiitve effects on biodiversity .

56
Q

Scienttsts call positions on a food chain tropic levels

A

producers -L1
primary consumers-L2
Secondary Consumer -L3
Tertiary consumer -L4

57
Q

WHAT ARE PREDATORS

A

Consumers that kills nd ets other nimals .
Predators rhat have no rpedators themeselevs are APEX predctors , at the top of the food chain.

58
Q

What are decompsoers

A

Decompsoers break down dead plants+animlas , s waste porducts such as faeces .
-By breakgn down ded remians , decopoers return mineral ions back into the osil /.

59
Q

How do decompsoers decompose ?

A

Decomposers secrete enzymes into the environment .
-The enzymes digest the dead materials and the small soluble food molecules then diffuse back into the decompsoers .

60
Q

We can measure the MASS of al the organsisms at a certain trophic level , scientits call this hte biomass .

A

if a scientits wanted to workout the biomass of an animla in a good chain ;
1. Collect all the animals int hat area and kill them .
2.Then dry them and weigh them giving us dry biomass .

61
Q

What is more useful dry or wet biomass ?

A

DRY bIOMASS IS MORE USEFUL THAN WET BIOMASS ,
- AS MOISTURE CONTENT OF ORGANSISMS , can vary widely , and porduce inaccurate reuslts .
(scientits dont wanan go aoreund killing animals so look up data in a scientific journal )

62
Q

-If we plot the biomass at each trophic level , we can get a pryamid of biomass .

A

in EXAM , we could be asked to PLOT , a pyramid of biomass , from the data you are given .
L1 producers
-Only one percent of lgiht energ that falls on producers is absorbed and used for photosynthesis.

63
Q

Key fact about biomass pyramids ? WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN ?

A

The amount of biomass decreses with each trophic level.

64
Q
  1. Reason why the amount of biomass decreases with each trophic level.
A

-Not all the material an animla inests is absorbed. some is egested as faeces.

65
Q
  1. Reason why the amount of biomass decreases with each trophic level.
A

2.Some of the biomass that is absorbed is converted into waste porducts of metabolism ,a dn then released example in huamsn is UREA .

66
Q
  1. Reason why the amount of biomass decreases with each trophic level.
A

A large amount of the biomass used by animlas for respiration is to release neergy .
-Aerobic respiration also releases CO2 and H20 .
-SO osme of the biomass ins used to croduce wstecompunds .
-Energy fro respirtion is used in movement .

67
Q
  1. Reason why the amount of biomass decreases with each trophic level.
A

In some mamamls , nergy is used to maintain a constant body temperture .
Due to all these oransism , the number of ORGANSISMS at each trophic level tends to decrease /

68
Q

Do thre calcualte efficency of biomass transfer question .

A

efficency = gian in biomass/total biomass intake .
-The answer refelcts cows move around to maintain a constant tmeprature .

69
Q

What are free range chickens ?

A

-They can move as mcuha s they want as they are porvided with food - but can also find their own food e.g isnectds.

70
Q

Problem with free range chickens ?

A

A lot of the biomass the chicken eat , are being used in respiration providing energy for movement .
-ALso chickens when wether is old 0 energy is eeded to amintain body temperautre .
-Less biomass avaialable for chickens to grow and porduce eggs (same with sheep and goats ).

71
Q

SOO , Uk farms moved to factory farming .

A

Chickens are raised in temperature controlled shed .
-The space int these sheds restricts the chicens movement so less biomass is wasted compared to free range eggs /
-Chickens are also fed high proteind iet .
-Becuase of this , cheksn produce more egegs and grow faster than free range eeggs .

72
Q

Advanatges of factor farmimng (1)

A

-Factory farming is mroe efficent - so less biomass is wasted y animals in repsiration

73
Q

Advanatgesof factory farming (2)

A

-Also can control the food that the aniamls eats , so can cotnrol all the nutirents they need , so less food is wastd .

74
Q

Advanatages of facotry frming (3)

A

Eggs can more easily be harvested if the chickens are kept indoors .

75
Q

Disadvanatges of factory farming (1)

A

When naimlas are lef in crowded conditions , infectios disease can spread more easily .
-TO prevent this - animals in a facotry are often treed with antibiotic ,w hich may increase the irsk of antiiotic resiance to bacteria .

76
Q

Disadvanatge of factory farming (2)

A

-Crowded conditoins cause the chicens to be more stressed and gifht .

77
Q

Ethical Objections to Factory Farming (1)

A

-Animals should be raised in anutral condtions ,a dn should be bale to enage in normal bheavoiur .
(free rnage ends can eat isnects , but facotry farming cannot ).

78
Q

Ethical objections against factory farming ?

A

Enganging in anturla behaviour increases the animals welfare e.g reducing stress.

Biology (25 decks)

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