Ecology - Human Impacts On The Environment Flashcards
What is biodiversity
Variety if different species of organisms on earth or within an ecosystem
What is independence
Species depend on each other for things like shelter and food. A high biodiversity means one species is less likely to have to rely on a different single species
Name 3 human activities that are decreasing biodiversity
Waste production, global warming and deforestation
Why does increased population lead to a greater strain on the environment
We are taking more resources
People have a higher standard of living so we use more raw materials and more energy for the manufacturing process
What is water pollution
Sewage and toxic chemicals pollute lakes, rivers and oceans affecting the plants and animals that rely on them for survival
Chemicals used on land eg fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides can be washed into water
What causes land pollution
We use toxic chemicals for farming
We bury nuclear waste underground
Landfill sites
What pollutes the air
Smoke and acidic gases
Eg burning fossil fuels releases sulphur dioxide wich mixes with clouds to form dilute sulfuric acid eich falls as acid rain .
Explain the greenhouse effect
Gasses in the at.osphere absorbed mist of the energy that would normally be radiated back into space and reraideates it in all directions including back towards earth this increases the temperature of the planet
What is global warming
Earth gradually warming due to increasing levels of greenhouse gasses
Global warming is a type of climate change
Why are sea levels rising and what are the effects
As the sea gets warmer it expands causing sea level to rise. Ice caps melt and run into sea causing sea to rise
Effects - flood low lying areas like the Neverlands, resulting in loss of habitat
What is the distribution of organisms and how will climate change effect it
Where organisms are usually found within a certain area. If the climate changes, distribution of species will change
Some species will become more widely distributed as conditions they thrive in will exist over a wider area and other less widely distributed.
What will happen to migration
Some animals may migrate further or smaller distances and some animals might not migrate at all
What are 4 reasons for deforestation
Timber
Mining
Cattle grazing
Crops
What are 4 human activities that decrease the amount of land in the wild
Building
Quarrying
Farming
Dumping waste
What are 3 problems causes by deforestation
Less biodiversity so species may go extinct and we reduce thr chance of finding ingredients for new foods and medicines
More co2 released when trees burned and microorganisms feeding on bits of dead wood also release co2 as a waste product of respiration
Less co2 taken in
How are peat bogs formed
Land is acidic and waterlogged. The plants that die their dont fully decay because there eisnt enough oxygen so they build up to form peat.
The carbon is stored in the peat rather than being released into the atmosphere.
Why are peat bogs destroyed
For fuel, garden fertilizer and to make farmland
Name 2 negative impacts of destroying peat bogs
The co2 store is released
Destroys the habitats of the organisms that live their, reducing biodiversity
What are breeding programs
Help protect endangered species from becoming extinct. Animals are breed in captivity and can be released into the wild to boost ir re establish a population
What rare habitats are protected to maintain biodiversity
Mangroves - vital for younge fish
Heathland - an open landscape made mainly of shrubs like heather
Coral reefs
Protection of hedgerows and field margins to maintain biodiversity
Reintroduce to farlmand especially where there is a single crop field. Provides habitats for species.
How could landfill be reduced
Encorouge people to recyle
Why does protecting biodiversity cause confilct
Cost money eg. governments paying farmers to introduce field margins
Cost to livelihood eg. Stopping deforestation will result in the logging people being unemployed. Also effect local economy
Conficlt between development in biodiverse land when the land is 8n high demand for housing or farmland
