BY5.8 - Biodiversity and Endangered Species Flashcards
Where are the most biodiverse places on the planet?
Coral reefs and rain forests
- as you move from the poles to the equator, biodiversity increases
What is biodiversity?
A measure of the number of species on the planet
Why are large mammals (such as gorillas) threatened with extinction?
1) loss of habitat - deforestation
2) overhunting by humans
3) competition from introduced species
Why are other, smaller species threatened with extinction?
1) natural selection
2) deforestation - loss of hedgerows
3) pollution - PCBs and oil
4) Drainage of wetlands
Why is the conservation of species important?
to conserve potentially useful genes for future generations of humans as well as for the survival of the species itself
Why is each species genes important for humans?
They are a potential source of:
1) Food
2) Chemicals
3) disease resistant genes
4) Medicines
What steps have been taken to reduce the extinction of endangered species?
1) seed banks with seeds of traditional varieties of plants
2) sperm/ova banks
3) Rare breed societies - maintains old, less commercial animals
4) protection and breeding of endangered species in zoos
5) reintroduction programmes - red kites in wales
6) Habitat protection
7) International cooperation - restricting trade - ivory
What is agricultural exploitation?
The way in which food production has increased in efficiency and intensity
to maximise the yield from the land to meet human needs.
what are the conflicts that arise between farming and conservation?
1) Larger fields require hedgerow removal to allow machinery to manoeuvre, and more land used to grow crops
2) Monoculture - growing a single species of crop provides ideal conditions for crop pests and parasites so herbicides and pesticidesare used
3) Harvesting reduces recycling of nutrients, causing reduction in soil fertility/. Inorganic fertilisers are used, which lead to eutrophication
Why is deforestation needed?
1) Land cleared for subsistence farmers and cash crops
2) large scale timber extraction for building
3) Wood for fuel
4) Paper and packaging
5) Land cleared to build roads to provide transport infrastructure
What are the consequences of deforestation?
1) Soil erosion - increases desertification
2) Global Warming - Less CO2 removed from air by photosynthesis, co2 concentration increases in atmosphere, increasing the Greenhouse Effect
3) Loss of habitats -> reduction in biodiversity -> extinction
4) Loss of sources of plant chemicals which have medicinal properties
What are the Forestry Management methods to reduce the impact of deforestation?
1) allow natural regeneration
2) Coppicing/ selective cutting
3) Planting local tree species
4) control pests and diseases
How does global warming lead to a /reduction in biodiversity/
1) Change in rainfall patterns
2) Desertification
3) Loss of habitat
4) Reduction in Biodiversity
How does deforestation lead to a reduction in biodiversity
1) deforestation removes autotrophs
2) less photosynthesis occurs
3) more CO2 in atmosphere
4) Global Warming
5) reduction in biodiversity
How can we measure our contribution of CO2 to the atmosphere?
looking at our Carbon Footprint
