Factors affecting degrees of impact

Question 1

nature of environment

Answer 1

rainforests are fragile as species diversity is high and organisms are highly specialised. also, much of the biomass is stored above ground which means that when trees are felled a large proportion of nutrients are removed. contrast, grassland are more resilient s most of the biomass is stored underground

Question 2

type of human activity

Answer 2

-e.g. large scale open cast mining causes more damage than footpath eroision

Question 3

numbers involved

Answer 3

large numbers of people cause more damage on an ecosystem than the occasional visitor

Question 4

length of impact

Answer 4

impacts may initially be small but increase over time

Question 5

level of development

Answer 5

as countries develop they have a greater and more varied level of impact on their physical environments although greater prosperity and awareness of their actions may lead in time to conservation and sustainable development