B6.1 - Monitering & Maintaining The Environment

Question 1

Sampling

Answer 1

Taking observations & measurements from a small area, representative of a larger area to estimate

Question 2

Apparatus & techniques to collect living animals:

Answer 2

• Pooters
• Sweep nets
• kick sampling
• tree beating
• pitfall traps

Question 3

Pooters

Answer 3

• suck on mouthpiece to draw insects into holding chamber

- filter stops organisms entering mouth

Question 4

Sweep nets

Answer 4

sweep large net through air to catch flying insects / insects in long grass

Question 5

Kick sampling

Answer 5

• ‘kick’ river bank/bed to disturb mud/vegetation

- hold net downstream to capture organisms released into flowing water

Question 6

Tree beating

Answer 6

• stretch large white cloth under tree/bush

- shake/beat tree to dislodge invertebrates, will fall into cloth

Question 7

Pitfall traps

Answer 7

• dig hole in ground
• crawling invertebrates (beetles, spiders, slugs) will fall into
• cover hole with roof so trap doesn’t fill with rain water

Question 8

Types of identification keys (to identify living organisms)

Answer 8

• branched key: answer yes/no for each question

- numbered key: correct answer to a question tells you which question to answer next

Question 9

Capture-recapture technique

Answer 9

1. Capture organisms from sample area
2. Mark individual organisms, then release back into community
3. At later date, recapture organisms in original sample area
4. Record number of marked & unmarked individuals
5. Estimate population size

Question 10

Estimated population size equation (capture-recapture technique)

Answer 10

Estimated population size = (first sample size x seconds sample size) / no. of recaptured marked individuals

Question 11

Quadrat, how do you sample plants

Answer 11

Square frame divided into a grid

• place it onto ground to take sample & record type & no. of organisms within each section
• take multiple samples & calculate mean average for accurate results

Question 12

Random sampling

Answer 12

• position of sample not pre-determined
• individuals selected by chance
• prevents bias
  Eg. Number generator to give random coordinates

Question 13

Non random sampling

Answer 13

• systematically choosing where to take a sample
• transect: samples taken along line, place quadrat at fixed positions along line
  Eg. To see how plant species change as move inland from sea

Question 14

Why is biodiversity important

Answer 14

• species interconnected, so removal of 1 species can affect others
• essential for maintaining balanced ecosystem
• humans rely on biodiversity for raw materials (food, wood, oxygen)

Question 15

How is biodiversity lost

Answer 15

increased need for food & materials due to increased population causes:

• deforestation
• agriculture
• hunting & fishing
• pollution

Question 16

Deforestation

Answer 16

• removing forest provides wood for building/fuel & creates space for roads/buildings/agriculture
• reduces no. of trees & no. of supported animal species as food source & home lost, can also affect predator species

Question 17

Agriculture

Answer 17

Many intensive farming techniques(for increased population):

• remove hedgerows to use large machinery & extra land for crops: reduces no. of plant species & destroys habitat of animals (mice/hedgehogs)
• pesticides to kill pests that eat crops/live on livestock: removes food source (pests) of other organisms, can ruin food chain, killing animals not targeted
• herbicides to kill plants growing where not wanted: reduces no. of plant species present & no. of animal species present (removes food/shelter)

Question 18

Fishing

Answer 18

• overfishing = some fish populations decrease significantly/extinct in some area
• other marine species may be caught/killed

Question 19

Hunting

Answer 19

• decreases target species population, removes food for other species (ruins food chain)
• allow unchecked growth of some plant species, outcompete other plants

Question 20

Pollution

Answer 20

generally, more polluted area = fewer no. of species that can survive

Question 21

Techniques to prevent biodiversity loss

Answer 21

• conservation
• seed banks
• captive/selective breeding

Question 22

Conservation techniques

Answer 22

• controlled grazing (only allow animals to graze land for certain period of time, plant species have time to recover)
• restricting human access (providing paths, prevent plants being trampled)
• feeding animals (ensure organisms survive to reproductive age)
• reintroduction of species (adding new individuals of species to area where numbers decreases significantly / species haven’t survived)

Question 23

Captive breeding

Answer 23

• breeding animals in human-controlled environments (zoo/aquarium)
• animals given shelter, nutritious food, veterinary treatment, predator-free environment
• suitable breeding partners imported from other zoos

Question 24

Aim of captive breeding

Answer 24

• create stable, healthy population of species

- gradually reintroduce species back into its natural habitat

Question 25

Problems with captive breeding

Answer 25

• maintaining genetic diversity difficult since few breeding partners available
• organisms born in captivity not suitable to release into wild (predators may not know how to hunt, prey how to survive)

Question 26

Seed banks

Answer 26

• way of conserving plants to prevent extinction
• seeds carefully stored so new plants may be grown in future
• gene bank (store of genetic material)
  Eg. Millennium Seed Bank Project at Kew Gardens, large underground frozen vaults preserve billions of seeds

Question 27

International agreements to maintain biodiversity

Answer 27

• IUCN
• CITES
• Rio Conventions

Question 28

IUCN

Answer 28

= International Union for the Conservation of Nature

• publishes the ‘Red list’ which details current conservation status of threatened animals
• countries work together to conserve these species

Question 29

CITES

Answer 29

= Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

• regulates international trade of wild plants & animals & their products to prevent over-exploitation
• protects more than 35,000 species

Question 30

Rio Conventions

Answer 30

• require countries to develop strategies for sustainable development
• to reduce greenhouse emissions & combat desertification
• aim to maintain biodiversity, but countries not forced to implement them

Question 31

Local agreements to maintain biodiversity

Answer 31

Stewardship Schemes:

• farmers in England offered government payments to conserve landscape
• aim to make conservation part of normal farming practices

Question 32

Ecotourism

Answer 32

Form of tourism that minimises the impact of visitors on he environment

Question 33

Indicator species

Answer 33

Organisms that can be used to measure environmental quality

Their presence/absence tell biologists if an area is polluted

Question 34

Sulfur dioxide

Answer 34

• released from combustion of some fossil fuels

- causes acid rain, can result in death of trees/fish

Question 35

What indicator species is used to measure sulfur dioxide air pollution

Answer 35

LICHENS

• no root systems, most nutrients come from air
• rainwater contains enough nutrients to keep them alive
• acid rain can damage lichens & prevent their growth
• some species can cope with high levels of pollutions, other grow in clear air
• lack of lichens sign of high pollution

Question 36

Water pollution

Answer 36

• caused by discharge of harmful substances into rivers, lakes, seas
• higher level pollution = lower level of dissolved oxygen
• indicator species used to indicate oxygen content in water as some enquire higher oxygen content than others

Question 37

Indicator species to monitor water pollution

Answer 37

Unpolluted = mayfly larva
Low pollution = freshwater shrimp
High pollution = water louse
Very high pollution = sludgeworm