B6.1 Monitoring and maintaining the environment

Question 1

Sample

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Different sampling techniques for animals

Answer 2

Pooters
Sweep nets
Kick sampling
Tree beating
Pitfall traps

Question 3

Different sampling techniques for plant species

Answer 3

Quadrat
Transect

Question 4

Tool which could be used to record abundance of different plant species in a habitat

Answer 4

Quadrat

Question 5

Tool which could be used to record the abundance of different FLYING insect species in a habitat

Answer 5

Sweep net

Question 6

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

Answer 6

Pitfall trap

Question 7

Different approaches to sampling plants

Answer 7

Random sampling
Non-random sampling

Question 8

Approach to sampling being used when sampling with a transect

Answer 8

Non-random

Question 9

Equation for calculating animal population size

Answer 9

(Initial marked individuals / estimated population size) = (number of recaptured marked individuals / number of recaptured individuals)

Question 10

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

Five negative impacts that humans have upon the environement

Answer 11

Hunting
Deforestation
Pollution
Land use
Pesticides

Question 12

Positive impacts that humans have upon the environment

Answer 12

Sustainable farming
Captive breeding progammes
Creating nature reserves
Recycling
Preserving habitats

Question 13

Biodiversity

Answer 13

Variety in all the species living in an ecosystem

Question 14

Benefits of maintaining biodiversity

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Challanges to maintaining biodiversity

Answer 15

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

Conservation

Answer 16

Protecting a natural environment to ensure that habitats are not lost

Question 17

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

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

Issue with captive breeding

Answer 19

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

Question 20

Seed banks

Answer 20

Store of plant genetic material with the purpose of providing a backup against the extinction of plant species

Question 21

How changes in water levels can affect ecosystems

Answer 21

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

Question 22

How atmospheric gases can 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

Indicator species

Answer 23

Species that’s population size directly correlates to the levels of pollution

Question 24

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

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