chapter 2 - conservation of biodiversity

Question 1

5 resources

Answer 1

wood, fuels, food, fibres, oils

Question 2

selective bred crops (2)

Answer 2

potato bean of North America has high protein

Yeheb tree from Somalia has edible nuts, drought resistant and can grow in poor soils

Question 3

what is biomimetics?

Answer 3

it involves the use of knowledge of the adaptations of other species to improve the designs of manufactured items

Question 4

5 biomimetics examples

Answer 4

vehicle design - splayed wingtips of birds reduces turbulence and has been used on planes
infection control - bacteria don’t stick to sharkskin, an immitation is used in hospitals
architecture - lightweight structure of birds bones have been used in lightweight bridges and roofs
adhesion - seeds of some plants have hooks that stick to passing animals for seed dispersal, velcro
materials - spider silk is being copied for car airbags / armour

Question 5

medicines made from plants

Answer 5

poppies - morphine

willow bark - asprin

Question 6

physiological research

Answer 6

hippos skin secretes hipposudoric acid which is a natural sunscreen
dolphins & bats that use echo-location have been studied to enable development of new 3d ultrasound scanners

Question 7

pest control species

Answer 7

parasitic wasp that is released into greenhouses to control whitefly
ladybirds and beetles (natural predators) can be increased by more hedgerows and beetle banks

Question 8

what is CWR

Answer 8

Crop Wild Related species - characteristics from wild crops bred into domesticated crops

Question 9

introduced characteristics (6)

Answer 9

disease resistance - sugar cane has been protected from sugar cane mosaic virus by cross breeding wild sugar cane
salt tolerance - sea kale is salt tolerant and is being studied to see if it can cross breed
drought resistance - varieties of cacao, bred with wild plants from the amazon
high yield - oil palm increased 25% cross breeding with varieties in central africa
improved taste / appearance - sweeter, more yellow pineapples have been produced since 1990’s
nutrient uptake - crossbreeding with wild wheat = more nutrient uptake

Question 10

what is a gene pool?

Answer 10

total number of different genes present in all individuals in a population of a particular species

Question 11

CO2 and oxygen are regulated by what two things?

Answer 11

photosynthesis and aerobic respiration

Question 12

pollinator examples

Answer 12

insects (butterflies, moths, bees, wasps), birds, bats, monkeys

Question 13

over-exploited species (for food)

Answer 13

cod, tuna, sharks

Question 14

over-exploited species (for fashion)

Answer 14

fur coats - leopard, snow leopard, tiger, fur seals
bags / shoes - crocodiles and alligators
feathers - kingfishers, parrots and ostriches

Question 15

over-exploited species (for furniture&ornaments)

Answer 15

furniture - mahogany
black piano keys - ebony wood
white piano keys - elephant ivory
jewellery - shark teeth, turtle shells

Question 16

over-exploited species (for traditional medicines)

Answer 16

tigers - tail for skin diseases, whiskers for toothache
rhino - horn for anything from nosebleed to smallpox
seahorses - infertility, baldness, asthma, arthritis

Question 17

how has land drainage affected the wetlands?

Answer 17

water drainage has meant reclaimed land for farmers, lower water tables means wetland areas dry out so wetland species can’t survive

Question 18

how does dissolved oxygen affect animals?

Answer 18

dissolved oxygen levels can decrease when hot water discharges from power stations, this can suffocate aerobic animals like fish and fly larvae

Question 19

how can temperature affect wildlife

Answer 19

higher temperatures may mean that some areas that were once habitable are now not

Question 20

what parts of fish are susceptible to acidic water

Answer 20

fish eggs and gills

Question 21

what activities can increase water turbidity?

Answer 21

ploughing, mining, dredging

Question 22

if insects die out, what happens to plants?

Answer 22

can’t reproduce

Question 23

what was introduced to the uk from north america?

Answer 23

grey squirrel - better adapted to the food available, bigger than red squirrels

Question 24

what are nesting birds on oceanic islands threatened by?

Answer 24

introduced cats, dogs, rats and pigs

Question 25

how do humans destroy habitats

Answer 25

deforestation, ploughing grassland, reservoir creation, urban expansion, open-cast mining

Question 26

8 IUCN red list categories

Answer 26

extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, near threatened, least concern, data deficient

Question 27

what is special about endemic species?

Answer 27

they are only found in one area, so if it dies out locally it won’t be found anywhere else in the world

Question 28

common fishing policies

Answer 28

size of fish caught, catch quota, net mesh-size,

Question 29

what does ITTO stand for?

Answer 29

International Tropical Tree Organisation

Question 30

what are some habitat requirements that make it difficult to keep some species in captivity?

Answer 30

habitat size, food requirements, species inter-relationships, financial restraints

Question 31

why doesn’t breeding always work?

Answer 31

conditions for breeding, populations interactions, breeding habitat, gene pool size, hybridisation

Question 32

methods of increasing breeding success

Answer 32

cryopreservation, artificial insemination, embryo transfer, micro-propagation of plants, cloning