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Organisms and environment: Mini modules > Challenges to biodiversity > Flashcards

Challenges to biodiversity Flashcards

1
Q

What is an invasive species?

A

Species introduced into areas outside their native range that can use harm in the new area
Invasive species may outcompete native species for resources or habitat, altering community structure and potentially leading to extinctions

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2
Q

Where were Kudzu introduced to and where are they from?

A

Introduced to USA from Asia in late 1800s as ornamental plant

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3
Q

What is the problem with Kudzu as an invasive species?

A

Plant grows very rapidly and enshrouds ground, shrubs, trees and even houses and old cars in suffocating girdle of vines

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4
Q

Where were prickly pears imported to and why?

A

Imported to Australia in 19th century to use as natural agricultural fence and establish cochineal dye industry

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5
Q

Why was prickly pear an issue?

A

Widespread invasive species that rendered 40,000 km^2 of farmland unproductive

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6
Q

What was the successful biological control used to deal with prickly pear?

A

Moth from South America
The larvae eat prickly pear
They almost wiped out the population

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7
Q

How can introduced species impact a habitat?

A

Grazing, browsing and rooting by introduced mammals
Introduced plants overgrowing and shading out native plants
Plants modifying natural fire regime
Using vast amounts of water
Nitrogen fixing, fertilising the soil

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8
Q

Give some examples of competition of invasive species and native species.

A

American grey squirrel caused drastic decline in population of native red squirrel in UK
House gecko caused line of native lizard populations on Pacific islands by outcompeting for insect prey

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9
Q

What is the negative affect of hybridisation from invasive species?

A

Embryos often end up aborted but females are removed for a year from the breeding population Dangerous for already fragile populations

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10
Q

Name the characteristics of invasive species.

A 
Fast growth 
Rapid reproduction
High dispersal ability
Phenotypic plasticity 
Tolerance of a wide range of environmental conditions 
Ability to live off wide range of food types 
Associations with humans
Prior successful invasion history
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11
Q

Why is invasive Rhododendron having a negative impact?

A

Blocks light

Carries diseases fatal to native trees

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12
Q

Why were mink introduced to the UK and what negative impact have they had?

A

Introduced for fur farming

Native water vole experienced most rapid and serious decline of any Britisj wild mammal in the 20th century due to mink

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13
Q

What is the negative affect of single crayfish being introduced to the UK?

A

Driven native white-clawed crayfish towards extinction due to competition and transmission of crayfish plague
Burrows into riverbanks leading to erosion and increased flood risk

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14
Q

What is the negative impact of Muntjac deer being introduced to the UK?

A

Serious impacts on woodlands by clearing shrubs and preventing tree regeneration

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15
Q

What is the negative impact of introduced of Himalayan balsam?

A

Crowds out native plants including tansy

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16
Q

What is the problem with Japanese Knotweed in the UK?

A

Forms dense stands that are really hard to control
All across Great Britain
Can reduce capacity of channels in flood defences
Damages concrete foundations, buildings, flood defences, roads, paving, etc

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17
Q

What was the turning point for urbanisation where more than 50% of the world population lived in cities?

A

2007

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18
Q

What is urbanisation?

A

Population shift from rural to urban areas

Process by which towns and cities are formed

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19
Q

What are urban heat islands?

A

Formed when industrial and urban areas produce and retain heat
In cities, with less vegetation and exposed soil, sun’s energy is absorbed by buildings and asphalt, leading to higher surface temperatures

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20
Q

How much hotter is a city normally compared to the surrounding landscapes?

A

1 to 3 degrees celsius

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21
Q

Why does urbanisation cause ecological degradation?

A

Creates highly fragmented, heterogenous and altered environments
It is often associated with declines in animal and plant richness, abundance and diversity

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22
Q

What is built habitat?

A

Buildings and sealed surfaces, such as roads

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23
Q

What is managed vegetation?

A

Residential, commercial, and other regularly maintained green spaces

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24
Q

What is ruderal vegetation?

A

Empty lots, abandoned farmland, and other green space that is cleared but not managed

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25
Q

What is natural ruderal vegetation?

A

Remaining islands of original vegetation (usually subject to substantial non-native plant invasion)

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26
Q

What is eutrophication?

A

When rain occurs in large cities, it filters pollutants such as carbon dioxide onto the ground below
Chemicals washed directly into rivers, streams and oceans, causing a decline in water quality and damaging marine ecosystems

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27
Q

What does it mean if a species is an urban avoider?

A

Very sensitive to human habitat disturbances

large mammals, old forest birds, late successional plants

28
Q

What does it mean if a species is an urban adapter?

A

Frequently found in suburban matrix areas

Cultivated plants, weedy species, edge species animals, omnivore birds

29
Q

What does it mean if a species is an urban exploiter?

A

Excel in urban areas, even dependent on human resources
Grasses
Birds and mammals that inhabit and exploit human dwellings

30
Q

What is light pollution?

A

Presence of anthropogenic light in the night environment

31
Q

Why is light pollution bad?

A

Compromises health, disrupts ecosystem and spoils aesthetic environments
Circadian rhythm affected
Light favours predators
Interferes with spatial orientation

32
Q

How can light pollution be minimised?

A

Unnecessary lights extinguished
Spectrum chosen to minimise imputes (not UV or blue)
Only as bright as needed and only used when/ where needed

33
Q

Is urban health on average better or worse?

A

On average health levels are better

34
Q

What are some health issues associated with urban areas?

A

Urban areas like slums disproportionately suffer from disease, injury and premature death
Children at more risk of being overweight
BMI and cholesterol levels are higher
Chronic diseases

35
Q

What is tillage?

A

Agricultural preparation of soil by mechanical agitation

36
Q

What does primary tillage do?

A

Loosens the soil and mixes in fertiliser and/ or plant material, resulting in soil with rough texture

37
Q

What is an example of a primary tillage method?

A

Ploughing

38
Q

What does secondary tillage do?

A

Produces finer soil and sometimes shapes the rows, preparing the seed bed

39
Q

What are the positives of tillage?

A

Loosens and aerates
Mixes harvest residue, organic matter and nutrients
Mechanically destroys weeds
Dries the soil before seeding
Helps exposed soil crumble over winter through frosting and defrosting

40
Q

What are the negatives of tillage?

A 
Soil loses nutrients and water storage ability
Lessens cohesiveness of the soil inducing erosion
Reduces organic matter in the soil
Reduces microbes, worms, etc
Compaction of soil
Eutrophication
Attracts slugs
Crop diseases in surface residues
41
Q

What is agricultural drainage?

A

System by which water drained on or in the soil

42
Q

What is intercropping?

A

Growing two or more crops in proximity

43
Q

What are the benefits of intercropping?

A

Encourages biodiversity
Resource partitioning
Mutualism
Pest management

44
Q

What is resource partitioning?

A

Planting a deep-rooted crop with a shallow-rooted crop, or planting a tall crop with a shorter crop that requires partial shade

45
Q

What is mutualism?

A

Plants interact in a way increases one or both of the plant’s fitness

46
Q

What is mixed intercropping?

A

Crops are totally mixed in the available space

47
Q

What is row intercropping?

A

Crops arranged in alternate rows

48
Q

What is temporal intercropping?

A

Practice of sowing a fast-growing crop with a slow-growing crop

49
Q

What is relay intercropping?

A

Second crop sown during the growth, near the onset of reproductive development, of first crop

50
Q

What is trap cropping?

A

Plating crop nearby that is more attractive to pests than the production crop

51
Q

What is repellant intercrop?

A

Repellant crop masking the smell of the production crop

52
Q

What is push-pull cropping?

A

Mixture of trap cropping and repellant intercropping

53
Q

What is agricultural rotation?

A

Practice of growing a series of dissimilar or different types of crops in the same area in sequenced seasons
Prevents soil of farms not being used for only one set of nutrients
Reduces soil erosion and increases soil fertility

54
Q

What is grazing?

A

Method of feeding in which a herbivore feeds on plants such as grasses, or other multicellular organisms like algae
Conversion by domestic livestock of grass and other forage into meat, milk and other products

55
Q

What are the two types of defences plants have against grazers?

A

Constitutive defences

Induced defences

56
Q

What are constitutive defences?

A

Always present in the plant

57
Q

What are induced defences?

A

Produced or mobilised to the site where a plant is injured

Benefit is only produced when needed, so potentially less costly

58
Q

Examples of plant defences against grazers.

A

Chemical defences
Anti-herbivory compounds
Mechanical defences
Mimicry and camouflage

59
Q

What is the negative impact of fertiliser use?

A

Reduces species asynchrony, leading to less production over time
Eutrophication
Soil acidification and toxicity
Methane emissions- climate change

60
Q

How many people rely on fish for animal protein?

A

4.3 billion

61
Q

Why does aquaculture need to diversify and step up the domestication of aquatic species?

A

To meet global food security demands in a sustainable way
Less food, less space and less water
Plus dealing with warmer temperatures

62
Q

How much do fisheries in Wales contribute to rural and coastal economies?

A

More than £30 million per year

63
Q

What are the main challenges faced by intensive aquaculture?

A

To reduce its ecological footprint
To reduce the risk of disease
To prevent the introduction of invasive species

64
Q

Why are fish parasites so common?

A

Fish are abundant and diverse
Co-evolution
Human interference: breaking down barriers and translocation
Aquaculture: high host density and stress

65
Q

How can we prevent fish parasites spreading?

A

Maintain optimal environment for host, not parasite
Sterilise water, nets and equipment
Control of intermediate/ reservoir hosts
Ensure optimal nutrition
Minimise stress
Know fish behaviour

66
Q

What are some threats to fish biodiversity and aquaculture?

A 
Overfishing
Habitat destruction
Introduced species/ farm escapees
Pollution
Global climate change
Parasites

Organisms and environment: Mini modules (8 decks)

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