B6.1 Monitoring and maintaining the environment Flashcards
What is a Sample?
Observations or measurements from a small area, which is representative of a larger area.
Name four different sampling techniques for animals.
- Pooters
- Sweep nets
- Kick sampling
- Tree beating
- Pitfall traps
Name two different sampling techniques for plant species.
- Quadrat
- Transect
What tool could be used to record the abundance of different plant species in a habitat?
A quadrat.
What tool could be used to record the abundance of different flying insect species in a habitat?
A sweep net
What tool could be used to record the abundance of different small crawling animsl species in a habitat?
A pitfall trap
What are the two different approaches to sampling plants?
- Random sampling
- Non-random sampling
State the approach to sampling being used when sampling with a transect.
Non-random
What is the equation for calculating animal population size?
Estimated population size = (first sample x second sample) / number of recaptured marked individuals
Describe the mark-release-recapture method?
- 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.
State five negative impacts that humans have upon the environement/
- Hunting
- Deforestation
- Pollution
- Land use
- Pesticides
State five positive impacts that humans have upon the environment.
- Sustainable farming
- Captive breeding progammes
- Creating nature reserves
- Recycling
- Preserving habitats
Define biodiversity.
The variety in all the species living in an ecosystem.
Name three benefits of maintaining biodiversity.
- Ecotourism can provide money for local economies
- Prevent extinction
- Some animals or plants may have useful medicinal properties
- Balance within an ecosystem.
State two challanges to maintaining biodiversity.
- 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).