Conservations of ecosystems Flashcards
What does the conservation of ecosystems include?
-Maintaining species diversity
-maintaining genetic diversity
-maintaining habitat diversity
What does the conservation of ecosystems involve?
-sustainable development = managing ecosystems so natural resources can be used without them running out
-Reclamation = restoring ecosystems that have been damaged or destroyed
Explain the economic importances of conservation
-Provide the resources that humans need to survive
-provide an income (medicine, clothes,food, timber)
-If ecosystems aren’t conserved, the resources we use now will be lost, so there’ll be less trade in the future, on a local and global scale
Explain the social importances of conservation
-Natural beauty brings joy
-relaxation
-exercise and other opportunities (e.g bird watching, cycling, walking, climbing)
Explain the ethical importance of conservation
-all organisms have the right to exist and have an important role in their ecosystem
-we don’t have the right to decide which organisms survive and which don’t
-moral obligation to future generations to conserve the variety of existing ecosystems
-we are the most intelligent species therefore the responsibility does lie with us to protect other species
What are the 5 aims of sustainability?
- Preserve the environment
- Ensure resources available to future generations
- Allow humans in all societies to live comfortably
- Enable LEDC’s to develop through exploiting their natural resources
- Create a more even balance in the consumption of resources between MEDCs and LEDCs
Give an example of a sustainable company and explain how they produce their product in such a sustainable way
-Andrex toilet roll
-their paper is 100% recyclable, biodegradable, and sustainability, zero waste, ethical etc
What is coppicing? How does this technique improve biodiversity?
-small scale timber production method
-tree trunks are cut close to the ground - new shoots grow from the cut surface - eventually these are cut and more grow again - rotational coppicing is when a woodland is divided into sections and coppicing happens 1 section at a time, so when the first section is reached again, the coppicing trees can be harvested and coppiced again
-trees never grow enough to block out the light therefore allowing other species to germinate and grow under the trees
-it creates a mixture of young and mature trees within a woodland so a range of different habitats and food is available
-minimal soil damage during harvesting of the wood as the roots are not disturbed so soil biodiversity is maintained
What is pollarding?
-a small scale timber production method
-tree trunks are cut higher up so that animals such as deers, can’t eat the new growing shoots
What is large scale timber production?
-felling- felled trees are destroyed and will not regrow
Describe ways in which timber production can be carried out sustainably
-selective cutting = removing only the largest trees so large areas of bare ground aren’t created which leads to soil erosion
-replacing trees = replanting rather then natural regeneration to ensure the woodland never becomes depleted
-planting trees optimal distances to reduce competition for space, or resources so they are more likely to survive
-allowing time for the trees to fully regrow before next felling
-planted trees are attached to posts to provide support, and are grown in plastic tubes to stop them being eaten by grazing animals, making them more likely to survive
Explain how fishing quotas allow for commercial fishing to be done in a sustainable way. Include one problem with this method
-Fishing quotas are limits to the amount of certain fish species that fishermen are allowed to catch. Scientists calculate how big the different populations need to be for them to maintain their numbers, then decide how many its safe for fishermen to catch
-fish of the wrong species or size are still caught but they end up being thrown back to sea often dead or dying, because restrictions don’t allow fishermen to bring them ashore
Explain how controlling the mesh size of nets allows for commercial fishing to be done in a sustainable way. Include one problem with this method
-there are different limits to mesh size of the fish net, depending on what’s being fished. This is to reduce the number of unwanted and discarded fish that are accidentally caught. Using a bigger msg size will let unwanted species and younger fish escape so they can reach full breeding age
-difficult to determine how big the mesh size should be in areas where several different species are fished for at the same time
Give and explain an example of an ecosystem which is managed to reduce the conflict between conservation and preservation, and human needs
The Maasai Mara:
-is a National reserve in Southern Kenya
-is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world, home to the big 10, and the little 5, as well as a huge diversity of plant species too
-the Maasai Mara is named after the Maasai people who live in the area
-the Maasai people traditionally earn a living by raising livestock e.g cattle, but this can bring them into conflict with conservationists as overgrazing livestock can destroy grassland for wildlife
-they may also take part in poaching- the illegal hunting of animals to provide meat, or to trade ivory, horns, and trophies
-conservation trusts are working with Maasai people to help them make money from their land through conservation and ecotourism (tourism directed towards natural environments, ensuring it does not exploit the natural environment) projects rather then farming, and to farm in a sustainable way.
Give and explain an example of how human activities have affected an environmentally- sensitive ecosystem , and explain how the effects are being controlled
The Galapagos Islands:
-A small group of islands located I the Pacific Ocean, home to a very wide variety of rare plant and animal species that have evolved their and can’t be found anywhere else
-animal species include sea turtles, whales, great white shark, hammerhead shark, sea lions, Galapagos penguins etc
-its a sensitive ecosystem due to invasive species being introduced by humans. They have interrupted and damaged the natural balance of fauna and flora in the local ecosystem
-pollution and climate change have also increased the sensitivity of the islands as waste, soil, light and noise pollution have all significantly increased as a result of increased tourists and residents. Rising temperatures and more frequent weather events will cause widespread extinction of species
-conservation strategies include scanning visitors bags before entering, capturing and removing invasive species, educating people about the islands and the consequence of long term pollution, improving understanding of climate change so we can inform future conservation management
