How Humans Threaten Wildlife Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q

How do humans deliberately exploit wildlife? (unsustainably)

A

Deforestation
Eutrophication
Mining/ resource extraction
Overfishing/ bottom trawling/blast fishing
Agriculture/ food production

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Examples of unsustainable exploitation for food:

A

Steller’s sea cow - hunted to extinction

Dodo - relied on by sailors - eaten by invasive species brought on boats

Mammoths
Bison

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Examples of unsustainable exploitation for fashion:

A

snake skin
ivory
leather
tortoise shell
coral jewellery
bear skin
leopard skin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How and why have humans exploited snow leopards?

A

poached for illegal trade

bones are used in traditional medicine

killed by farmers because they prey upon livestock

captured as pets for entertainment

deforestation has lead to habitat loss

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How many skins are needed to make a snow leopard coat? How much are they worth?

A

seven

£7,000

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Examples of unsustainable exploitation for pets and entertainment:

A

circuses

sea world

bullfighting

safari parks

horse racing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Yellow headed parrot case study: where?

A

Mexico and Central America

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Yellow headed parrot case study: why?

A

Imitates human speech

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Yellow headed parrot case study: what?

A

population decreased by 90%

half of all birds captured are thought to die in the process

threatened by habitat loss

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Yellow headed parrot case study: how are they protected?

A

nest monitoring and protection

illegal to trade them

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What does CITES stand for?

A

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

CITES: appendix 1

A

all of the species that cannot be traded internationally

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

CITES: appendix 2

A

trade of these species is closely monitored and restricted - varies depending on the population in the area

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Examples of unsustainable exploitation for furniture and ornaments:

A

Taxidermy
Leather - seating
Mahogany - wooden furniture
Animal skin - rugs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Examples of unsustainable exploitation for traditional medicines:

A

Pangolins - keratin - scales and bones

Tigers - whiskers/eyes/teeth - treats malaria and insomnia

Sharks - fins - prevent heart disease/lower cholesterol

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Reasons for the eradication of predators and pests

A

herbivores = damage crops

diseases vectors (badgers - TB, mosquitoes - malaria)

protected livestock

protecting plants from damage via pesticides

to protect human life/self-defense - e.g. from wolves/sharks/crocodiles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Unintentional harm to nature caused by other activities:

A

trampling
roadkill
by-catch
ghost fishing
combustion of fossil fuels - climate change
eutrophication

18
Q

How have invasive species been introduced to non-native areas?

A

boats - intentional/unintentional (ballast water)

ornamental plants

accidental transport with food

escaped/abandoned pets

species that have been used for food production (fish farms)

19
Q

Invasive species examples: American Mink

A

used in UK for furr farms
escaped in 1960s

affected water voles and seabirds

destroyed nests/eaten eggs
increased competition

20
Q

Invasive species examples: Cane Toad

A

introduced in Australia in 1935 as a biological control of beetles
moved over 200km from introduced site

affected northern quolls and large goannas

produce a poison
lay up to 50,000 eggs at a time - 15x the amount of the native toad

21
Q

Invasive species examples: Grey Squirrel

A

1870s - introduced to a park in Cheshire

predated upon red squirrels

brought squirrel pox
damage trees
increased competition for resources

impacts were reduced by monitoring red squirrel populations and by re-introducing pine martin (eat grey squirrels)

22
Q

Invasive species examples: Signal Crayfish

A

1970s - brought from North America
farmed for food
escaped from farms into fresh water

carried crayfish plague
grow faster than indigenous crayfish - grow larger
tolerant of changing conditions

23
Q

Invasive species examples: Rhododendron

A

1890s - added to gardens

affected oak trees/beech trees

out compete plants for nutrients and light
poisonous leaves - damage herbivores
fast growing

24
Q

Invasive species examples: New Zealand Flatworm

A

1960s - brought over in plants accidentally

affect earthworms, birds, badges, voles

disrupt food chain - slow decomposition - lower soil quality - lower crop yield - increase food risk

25
Q

Categories of Invasive Species: Competitors

A

rhododendron - compete for light

26
Q

Categories of Invasive Species: Predators

A

New Zealand Flatworm - ate native UK earthworm

27
Q

Categories of Invasive Species: Pathogens

A

Grey squirrels - carried squirrel pox
Crayfish - carried crayfish plague
Chalara Ash Dieback - spread amongst trees

28
Q

Categories of Invasive Species: Species that hybridise

A

Sika deer (introduced) hybridise with red deer (native)

29
Q

Categories of Invasive Species: Species that change abiotic features

A

rhododendron - change light availability

beavers - change nutrient availability

30
Q

What does biotic mean?

A

living features of an ecosystem

31
Q

What does abiotic mean?

A

non-living features of an ecosystem

32
Q

How humans change abiotic factors: Water Availability

A

increased population
agriculture - irrigation
urbanisation - surface runoff
climate change - melt ice caps
reservoir

33
Q

How humans change abiotic factors: Dissolved oxygen

A

lowers = eutrophication, power stations (release warm water)

increases = temperature decrease

34
Q

How humans change abiotic factors: Temperature

A

climate change
industry - releasing hot fluids
building reservoirs - moderates temperature

35
Q

How humans change abiotic factors: pH

A

combustion of fossil fuels - ocean acidification (CO2 + H20 makes carbonic acid)

burning of coal - acid rain

mining - acid mine drainage

36
Q

How humans change abiotic factors: Water Turbidity

A

increase = litter, sewage, dredging

lower = build dams

37
Q

How do we cause acid rain?

A

combustion of coal releases sulphur

sulphur + oxygen = sulphur oxides

SO2 + H2O = sulphuric acid

acid falls in the rain

38
Q

How does acid rain affect living organisms?

A

kills plants and trees

leaches nutrients from the soil

dissolves organisms with calcium carbonate structures (coral reefs)

39
Q

How humans change biotic features: Pollinators

A

neonicotinoids - kill bees
climate change - migration
habitat loss - loss of wildflowers

40
Q

How humans change biotic features: Seed Dispersers

A

Habitat loss

Hunting - rhinos, elephants, hippos

41
Q

How humans change biotic features: Food Chain Impacts

A

overfishing sand eels led to a decrease in puffin

collecting turtle eggs led to an increase in jellyfish population

42
Q

How do humans destroy habitats?

A

destructive fishing methods
urbanisation
wildfires
resource extraction/ mining
eutrophication/ oil spills
combustion of fossil fuels - climate change
agriculture
HEP / offshore wind farms