Farming & Agriculture

Question 1

Why should we maintain biodiversity? What are the arguments

Answer 1

Ethical argument - organisms have a right to life and we should protect our environment
Economic argument - species provide crops/medicines/fibres
Ecological argument - loss of genes and species affects the survival of others in an ecosystem
Aesthetic argument - it looks nice

Question 2

What is the main threat to biodiversity? What is the % linked to this

Answer 2

Habitat loss
It is the main reason for 73% of extinct or endangered species in the last 100 years

Question 3

What is habitat loss due to

Answer 3

Agriculture
Urban development
Forestry
Pollution
Mining

Question 4

What are the changes in agriculture which have affected biodiversity

Answer 4

Larger agricultural machinery is used
Fields have become larger (by removing hedgerows and field margins)
Livestock have been bred for increased productivity
Farms have become more specialised (eg just growing crops)
All available land is used for food production

Question 5

How do some farming techniques reduce biodiversity

Answer 5

Removal of woodland and hedgerows, monoculture (growing one type of crop) and use of herbicides to kill weeds reduces the variety of plant species so there are less habitats and less of a variety of food sources
The use of pesticides to kill insects and pests means that the predator population of pests decreases

Question 6

Explain the balance between conservation and farming

Answer 6

Conservation is required to increase biodiversity, but when implemented on farms, yields can be reduced which reduces profit and income for farmers (for example, reducing land area for crop growth, competition is increased and the pest population increases
In order to offset loss, financial incentives and grants are offered

Question 7

How can biodiversity be increased in areas of agriculture

Answer 7

Reintroduction of field margins and hedge rows (where farmers only grow one type of crop)
Reducing use of pesticides
Growing different crops in the same area (intercropping)
Using a crop rotation of nitrogen fixing crops instead of fertilisers

Question 8

How can we find out if species are diverse or not

Answer 8

Using standard deviation