B6.1 Monitoring And Maintaining The Environment Flashcards
What is sampling?
Taking observations or measurements from a small area which represents a large area. Estimates can be made of larger populations and distribution
What are the problems with sampling animals?
They move around so it is hard to track them. It is also unethical to kill them or capture them
List some methods of sampling animals
Pooters- insects Kick sampling - aquatic organisms Tree beating - invertebrates on trees Pitfall traps - animals and insects Long worth traps - rodents Sweep nets - flying insects Light trap - insects Mist nets - bats
Describe pooters
The sampler sucks on a mouthpiece to suck insects into a chamber while blocking them from your mouth
Describe sweep nets
A net is swung in the air or on plants to catch insects
Describe kick sampling
You kick an area of river o sis turn mud and vegetation and hold a net to catch organisms which flow downstream
Describe tree beating
Shake or beat a tree or bush and catch falling insects onto a white cloth
Describe Pitfall traps
Invertebrates crawl into a hole in the ground and are trapped. There is a roof so that insects don’t drown
What is capture recapture?
It is a technique for estimating population of species. First a sample of organisms in an area are captured, marked and counted and the released. A while later, the organisms are recaptured and counted
There is a formula used
Capture recapture formula
Number in 1st sample x number in 2nd sample
/ number in 2nd sample marked
What are identification keys?
They are a way to identify living organisms from its characteristics. There are 2 types : branched and numbered
How does branched key work?
It is like Huffman compression. Yes and no is answered for each question until the organism is narrowed down
How does numbered key work?
Like pick your own story. A number is given for an option which you choose and that leads you to a new question
How can you sample plants?
Using a quadrat. It is placed on th pe ground to take a sample and record the number of organisms in each section. An average is calculated
Either random or non random sampling is used
What is random sampling?
Areas of plant population are selected at random. This prevents bias
What is non random sampling?
Samples can be taken along a line to measure distribution over a distance using a transect. For example the sea life as you move further from the coastline. Either Quadrats can be used or organisms which touch the transects can be used
What is biodiversity?
The variety of species living in a habitat and the diversity within a species
How is biodiversity lost?
Deforestation, intensive farming and agriculture, hunting and fishing, pollution
What is deforestation and how does it affect biodiversity?
Deforestation is the removal of large areas of forest in order to clear land for infrastructure or to use wood.
Deforestation removes trees and other flora and results in loss of habitat for millions of species which reduces population and biodiversity.
What other effects does deforestation have?
Climate change - more greenhouse gases in the air which increase the speed of global warming
Removes protection for animals and other plants
What is overfishing and how does it affect biodiversity?
Overfishing leads to fish populations decreasing and going extinct which also leads to other marine animals at the top of the food chain decrease in population. Fish is a popular and healthy food so demand is high.
Fishing reduces the species’ population as well as the species which are caught by accident which leads to the uncontrolled growth of plant species which are eaten. It also affects marine animals which eat fish
How can we reduce the impact of overfishing?
Impose fishing quotas and use bigger nets so that young fish can escape. Also creating fish farms reduces the catching of unwanted fish
How can we reduce the affect of deforestation?
Protect areas of forest to preserve them, preserve animals
What is pollution and how does it affect biodiversity?
Pollution is the contamination of the environment with substances which are harmful. It happens because of human activity which produces waste. Fossil fuels used for combustion release gases which are greenhouse and cause acid rain. This also leads to global warming
Pollution kills species of animals so the more polluted an area is, the lower the biodiversity
How can we reduce pollution?
Reduce the amount of household waste by recycling more, using renewable energy sources like solar, don’t waste energy, use public transport
What is agriculture?
Agriculture is framing used to rear animals and grow crops. It is needed in order the meet the increasing demand for food of the growing population. Intensive farming techniques are used to maximise yield but have a bad effect
What are the effects of agriculture?
Removing hedgerows reduces the number of plant species and destroys habitats for mice and hedgehogs
Monoculture
Pesticides and herbicides
Eutrophication
What is monoculture and how does it affect biodiversity?
Monoculture is growing one crop in an area. Very few animals species are supported by this so it creates low biodiversity
What is the effect of pesticides and herbicides?
Pesticides can reduce the food source for animals it is not intended to. The removal of pests reduces food for non target animals and the pesticides also accumulate in the food chain to affect animals up the food chain. Herbicides reduce the plant species present which animals need for food and shelter which reduces biodiversity
What is Eutrophication?
Eutrophication is when fertilisers run into lakes one rivers from rainfall and cause a rapid over growth of algae. This prevents light reaching under the water, causing plants to die. Oxygen levels fall because of this which causes fish to die
How can we reduce the effect of agriculture on biodiversity?
Use organic farming techniques and as little chemicals as possible as well as natural fertilisers.
Growing plants that attract predators to kill prey is good
What is conservation?
Conservation means protecting a natural environment to ensure that habitats are not lost. This increases the organism’s chance of survival nd allows them to reproduce.
List some methods of conservation
Protecting habitats Legal protection against hunting Educating people Captive breeding in zoos Seed banks Artificial ecosystems
What is captive breeding(aim)
Captive breeding is breeding animals in a controlled environment by giving shelter, nutritious food, veterinary treatment, predator free environment.
The aim is to create a stable and healthy population of a species and then reintroducing them into the wild
What are the problems of captive breeding?
It is hard to maintain genetic diversity since few breeding partners are available. Organisms born in captivity may not be used to living in the wild
How are nature reserves managed?
Grazing is controlled so that plants have time to recover and grow
Human access restricted so that plants aren’t trampled on
Animals are fed so that they they survive and reproduce
Species are reintroduced to areas where population has decreased
What are seedbanks?
Seedbanks are a way of conserving plants. Seeds are stored so that they can be grown in the future. This is an example of a GENE BANK underground to provide a backup against extinction in the future
What is a gene bank?
A mass store of genetic material
Why should we maintain biodiversity?
It protects the human food supply for future generations who may not have food like fish to eat
Ensures minimal damage to food chains - one species can affect an entire food chain
Provides medicine for the future - a lot of medicine comes from plants so if plants go extinct, we will miss out on valuable medicine
Provides materials and fuels - important resources will be difficult to produce if they become extinct
What are conservation agreements?
Conservation agreements are there to conserve biodiversity and preserve habitats and species.
List some international agreements and what they do
IUCN - publishes a list of endangered animals so they can be conserved
CITES - regulates international trade of plants and animals to prevent exploitation
Rio Convention - an agreement which required countries to develop methods to reduce pollution and maintain biodiversity
What are problems with tourism?
Large numbers of humans can lead to habitat destruction and loss in biodiversity. Littering and pollution from vehicles is a major problem
What are the advantages of tourism?
Brings in money which can be used to support wildlife, improve habitats and maintain biodiversity
What is ecotourism?
Tourism which focuses on the appreciation of nature while having a minimal negative impact on the local ecosystem. Maintaining areas with high biodiversity draws pasple in to visit
Advantages of ecotourism?
Money is brought in from visitors and gift shops to support the local economy and help support the ecosystem. Conservation work can be funded
Disadvantages of ecotourism
Vehicles carrying tourists contribute to pollution and soil erosion. Trails disturb habitats
Why is maintaining biodiversity a challenge?
Sometimes countries aren’t willing to sign up to agreements, eg Norway and the whaling agreement.
Sometimes conservation schemes are objected to by local residents because it reduces their income, eg logging and fishing restrictions)
Keeping track of fishing quotas is hard
How do scientists monitor pollution?
Scientists take samples of the type and number of organisms present. A decrease suggests that there has been a change.
Indicator species, such as lichen, give us an idea of the level of pollution. Many species CANNOT tolerate sulphur dioxide so the less lichen, the more pollution
Why are lichen a good indicator of pollution?
Lichen get their nutrition from the air from rainwater. Air pollutants like sulphur dioxide can damage lichens and prevent growth. Some lichen can withstand high pollution levels so the types of species can be used to identify levels. Generally less lichen = more pollution
What causes water pollution?
Factories release harmful chemicals into water flows.
How can water pollution be monitored?
The higher the pollution, the lower the level of dissolved oxygen. Oxygen levels can be read directly or indicator species can be used because different species require different levels of oxygen
What is biotic index?
A measure of the cleanest of water by indicating the types of organisms present
Name some indicator species which can be used
Mayfly larvae - only present in unpolluted water(biotic index 10). Numbers decrease around sewage discharge points
Freshwater shrimp - low pollution
Water louse - high pollution
Sludge worm - very high pollution - less competition as they can survive in low levels of oxygen
How is oxygen levels and pollution related?
The higher the pollution, the lower the oxygen. This is because bacteria feed on the waste and use up oxygen for respiration. (As well as decomposers)
How can changes in water levels affect ecosystems?
Animals may need to migrate to find water
How can pollution gases affect ecosystems?
Some organisms cannot survive because of certain gases
Polluted water can poison animals
