B6.1 Maintaining The Environment

Question 1

What tool could be used to record the abundance of different plant species in a habitat?

Answer 1

A quadrat

Question 2

What tool could be used to record the abundance of different flying insect species in a habitat?

Answer 2

A sweep net

Question 3

What tool could be used to record the abundance of different small crawling animal species in a habitat?

Answer 3

A pitfall trap

Question 4

Describe the mark-release-recapture method

Answer 4

• Use a trap to capture some animals
• Mark the captured animals
• Release the animals
• Set up the trap again in a couple of days
• Note the number of animals in the recapture and the
  number of those that are marked

Question 5

Give 5 negative impacts that humans have on the environment

Answer 5

• Hunting
• Deforestation
• Pollution
• Land use
• Pesticides

Question 6

Give 5 positive impacts that humans have on the environment

Answer 6

• Sustainable farming
• Captive breeding programmes
• Creating nature reserves
• Recycling
• Preserving habitats

Question 7

Define biodiversity

Answer 7

The variety in all the species living in an ecosystem

Question 8

Give 3 benefits to maintaining biodiversity

Answer 8

• Ecotourism provides money for the local economy
• It can prevent extinction
• Some animals or plants may have useful medicinal properties

Question 9

Give 2 challenges to maintaining biodiversity

Answer 9

• It is sometimes difficult to gain political agreement on policies
• Maintaining biodiversity is expensive

Question 10

How can changes in water levels affect ecosystems?

Higher

Answer 10

• Animals may have to migrate to find water

- Melting ice caps may destroy the habitats of some animals (either animals living in icy regions or by sea level rise)

Question 11

How can atmospheric gases affect ecosystems?

Higher

Answer 11

• Some organisms cannot survive when certain gases are present
• Polluted water can cause illness to animals that drink it