B6.1 Monitoring and maintaining the environment

Question 1

What is a Sample?

Answer 1

Observations or measurements from a small area, which is representative of a larger area.

Question 2

Name four different sampling techniques for animals.

Answer 2

• Pooters
• Sweep nets
• Kick sampling
• Tree beating
• Pitfall traps

Question 3

Name two different sampling techniques for plant species.

Answer 3

• Quadrat
• Transect

Question 4

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

Answer 4

A quadrat.

Question 5

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

Answer 5

A sweep net

Question 6

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

Answer 6

A pitfall trap

Question 7

What are the two different approaches to sampling plants?

Answer 7

1. Random sampling
2. Non-random sampling

Question 8

State the approach to sampling being used when sampling with a transect.

Answer 8

Non-random

Question 9

What is the equation for calculating animal population size?

Answer 9

Estimated population size = (first sample x second sample) / number of recaptured marked individuals

Question 10

Describe the mark-release-recapture method?

Answer 10

• 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 11

State five negative impacts that humans have upon the environement/

Answer 11

• Hunting
• Deforestation
• Pollution
• Land use
• Pesticides

Question 12

State five positive impacts that humans have upon the environment.

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Define biodiversity.

Answer 13

The variety in all the species living in an ecosystem.

Question 14

Name three benefits of maintaining biodiversity.

Answer 14

• Ecotourism can provide money for local economies
• Prevent extinction
• Some animals or plants may have useful medicinal properties
• Balance within an ecosystem.

Question 15

State two challanges to maintaining biodiversity.

Answer 15

• It can be difficult to gain political agreement upon policies
• Populations may need (re)educating to understand why they must change their (lifelong) ways of doing things.
• Maintaining biodiversity can be expensive (in the short term).

Question 16

What is conservation?

Answer 16

Protecting a natural environment to ensure that habitats are not lost.

Question 17

Give two examples of conservation activities/

Answer 17

• Controlled grazing
• Feeding animals
• Controlling numbers of dominant species (grey squirrel)
• Restricting human access
• Reintroduction of species

Question 18

What is captive breeding?

Answer 18

Breeding animals in a human-controlled environment such as a zoo or aquarium with the aim to:

• Create a healthy stable population
• Gradually reintroduce
• Maintain genetic diversity

Question 19

What is the issue with captive breeding?

Answer 19

Organisms may not be suitable for release into the wild:

• they may not know how to hunt / forage for food
• they may not be able to recognise threats in the wild

Question 20

What a seed banks.

Answer 20

A store of plant genetic material with the purpose of providing a backup against the extinction of plant species.

Question 21

How can changes in water levels affect ecosystems?

Answer 21

• Animals may have to migrate to find water
• Melting cap caps may destroy habitats of some aniamls

Question 22

How can atmospheric gases affect ecosystems?

Answer 22

• Some organisms cannot survive when certain gases are present
• Polluted water can cause illness to animals that drink it
• Certain gases can lead to acid rain which can cause deforestation

Question 23

What is an indicator species?

Answer 23

A species thats population size is directly correlates to the levels of pollution.

Question 24

Explain how litchens are used as indicator species.

Answer 24

• Lichens have no root systems and derive most of their nutrition from the air and rainwater
• Air pollutants dissolved in rainwater, especially sulphur dioxide, damage litchens affecting their growth
• A lack of litchens is a sign of high pollution.
• Certain species will tollerate different levels of air polllution
• Crusty litchens are found in areas of polluted air.
• Leafy litchens are found in areas of moderately polluted air.
• Bushy litchens are found in areas of unpolluted (clean) air.

Question 25

State the organisms that you would expect to find as indicators of different levels of water pollution.

Answer 25

• Unpolluted - Mayfly larva / nymphs
• Low pollution - freshwater shrimp
• High pollution - water louse
• Very high pollution - sludge worms