B6.1 Monitoring and maintaining the environment Flashcards
Sample
Observations or measurements from a small area, which is representative of a larger area
Different sampling techniques for animals
Pooters
Sweep nets
Kick sampling
Tree beating
Pitfall traps
Different sampling techniques for plant species
Quadrat
Transect
Tool which could be used to record abundance of different plant species in a habitat
Quadrat
Tool which could be used to record the abundance of different FLYING insect species in a habitat
Sweep net
What tool could be used to record abundance of different small crawling animals species in a habitat
Pitfall trap
Different approaches to sampling plants
Random sampling
Non-random sampling
Approach to sampling being used when sampling with a transect
Non-random
Equation for calculating animal population size
(Initial marked individuals / estimated population size) = (number of recaptured marked individuals / number of recaptured individuals)
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
Five negative impacts that humans have upon the environement
Hunting
Deforestation
Pollution
Land use
Pesticides
Positive impacts that humans have upon the environment
Sustainable farming
Captive breeding progammes
Creating nature reserves
Recycling
Preserving habitats
Biodiversity
Variety in all the species living in an ecosystem
Benefits of maintaining biodiversity
Ecotourism can provide money for local economies
(Focusses on the appreciation of nature and its conservation while having minimal negative impact on the local ecosystem)
Prevent extinction
Some animals or plants may have useful medicinal properties
Balance within an ecosystem
Challanges to maintaining biodiversity
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)
Conservation
Protecting a natural environment to ensure that habitats are not lost
Examples of conservation activities
Controlled grazing
Feeding animals
Controlling numbers of dominant species (grey squirrel)
Restricting human access
Reintroduction of species
Captive breeding
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
Issue with captive breeding
Organisms may not be suitable for release into the wild:
- may not know how to hunt / forage for food
- may not be able to recognise threats in the wild
Seed banks
Store of plant genetic material with the purpose of providing a backup against the extinction of plant species
How changes in water levels can affect ecosystems
Animals may have to migrate to find water
Melting cap caps may destroy habitats of some aniamls
How atmospheric gases can affect ecosystems
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
Indicator species
Species that’s population size directly correlates to the levels of pollution
How litchens are used as indicator species
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
Organisms that you would expect to find as indicators of different levels of water pollution
Unpolluted - Mayfly larva / nymphs
Low pollution - freshwater shrimp
High pollution - water louse
Very high pollution - sludge worms
