Human Activities Flashcards
Biodiversity:
Variety of species on the Earth or within an ecosystem.
High biodiversity
Stability of ecosystems
Reducing the interdependence of
Food
Shelter
Maintenance
Programs to maintain biodiversity
Breeding endangered species
Protection + Regeneration of rare habitats
Reintroduction of field margins and hedgerows in agricultural areas
Reduction of deforestation + CO2 emissions
Recycling resources
Destruction of peat bogs
Produces garden compost
Reduces area of this habitat
Reduces biodiversity
Burning peat
Releases CO2
Cheap/available compost
Conflict to increase food production VS need to conserve habitats + reduce CO2 emissions
Human population increased
in past 200y
Better farming
More food
Treat and prevent
Diseases
No natural
Predators
More huamns
More waste
Pollutants of land
Toxic chemicals and sewage
When fossil fuels burned
CO2 and sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides released
What happens to the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
Dissolves in rainwater and reacts w oxygen to form dilute nitric and sulfuric acid
Pollutants of air
Smoke and acidic gas
Pollutants of gas
Landfill
Why are tropical areas deforested
Timber
Farmland, for rice and biofuels
How does deforestation increase CO2 levels
Trees lock up CO2 in wood
No photosynthesis from dead tree = less CO2 locked in
Increase in CO2 released to atmosphere
Burning and decaying.
How does decay release CO2
Microorganisms, e.g. bacteria and fungi releasing CO2 through respiration
How does deforestation affect biodiversity
Decreases it through removing habitats
What could global warming cause
Sea levels rising
Drought
Climate change
Decreased biodiversity
Changed migration patterns
Changes in species distribution
Food security
Having enough food to feed a population
Reasons for food insecurity
Increasing birth rate
Changing diets in developed country
New pest and pathogens
Cost of agricultural input (fertiliser, feed, pesticide)
Conflicts affecting availability of food
fish fish blub blub (How are we going to maintain fish stocks?)
Quotas
Controls on fish net size (larger)
What happens if we don’t maintain fish stocks?
Breeding stops
Some species will go extinct
Ways to improve efficiency of food production
Reducing number of stages in a food chain
-> Less biomass lost in each stage of the food chain
Restricting energy transferred from food animals to environment
[ methods in separate question ]
How can the energy transferred from food animals to their environment be restricted?
Limiting movement
Warm surroundings
Feeding them high protein foods to increase their growth
