How Humans Influence Biodiversity Flashcards
What is direct exploitation?
When humans directly exploit a population for their own gain. Often causes harm to that species.
Why is exploiting a habitat not always bad?
If it is done sustainably do that population won’t be negatively affected
List the main things humans exploit ecosystems for
Traditional medicines
Ornaments
Furniture
Pets and entertainment
Products
Food
Fashion
What is deliberate eradication
When a species is killed because they threaten or interfere with human life
Examples of why a species might be eradicated?
If they cause a threat to human life (sharks)
A vector for disease (mosquitoes)
Forestry pests (squirrels)
Agricultural pests (insects)
Predators to livestock (wolves)
Wild herbivores (deer)
What is an abiotic factor!
A non living essential pet of an ecosystem
Give examples of abiotic factors and how humans affect them?
- Reduction in water availability (ground water exploited cause wetland to dry.
- Reduction in dissolved oxygen (hot water discharge from power plants)
- Changes in temperature ( combustion GHG’s cause warming)
- Change of pH in water and rain (Smelting metals produce acidic conditions)
- Increased water turbidity (mining)
- Physical harm to wildlife (littering)
Why are insect populations in decline?
Urbanisation means that are less areas for the to love and less flowers to feed off
What are the consequences of a reduction in pollinators?
3/4 of crops require pollination if pollinators die then they won’t be able to reproduce affecting food security
Why do elephants make excellent seed dispersers?
- They travel over large distances
- They don’t chew he seeds meaning the plants are till able to germinate
What is an example of how over exploitation of one species caused an increase in another?
For example, if every time someone found a spider they killed it over time this would have a negative affect on spider populations but a positive affect on the populations of their prey (insects).
6 ways human activities are causing habitat destruction
- Deforestation
- Urbanisation
- Farming
- Mining
- Littering
- Ploughing
What are the downsides of introducing a species?
Could and has have negative affects on the native population
What is an example of how Introduced predators have affected a native population
The European water vole was affected by the American mink
Livestock for farming affect vegetation which many other species rely on
What is a Uk example of an Introduced competitor
Grey squirrel over powered and put complete for food over red squirrel.
What is an example of how an Introduced pathogen affected the native population
Grey squirrel bought squirrel pox which the red squirrel isn’t immune to
Hybridisation examples
Wildcats is Scotland hybridised by domesticated cats
Native red deer hybridised with introduced Sikka deer
Examples of how a species can control abiotic factors
Elephants create clearings and water holes which the species rely upon for water
Beavers create dams which create mini lakes for aquatic life to live in
What is commensalism
When one species benefits another without harming it but it does not benefit
Give an example of commensalism
Remoras fish attaches to sharks using suckers eating sharks dead skin
What is a symbiotic relation
When both organisms benefit from there interactions together
What is mutualism
A relationship in which each species benefits from interactions with each other
Name 5 ways of habitat destruction
Deforestation
Urbanisation- growth of city
Agriculture and fishing
Mining and mineral extraction
Reservoir creation
