Human Impact

Question 1

Define biodiversity:

Answer 1

The number of species and individuals of each species in a given place at a given time

Question 2

Define endangered

Answer 2

A species that is at risk of extinction

Question 3

Define extinct

Answer 3

A species that has no living members

Question 4

List four reasons animals may become endangered

Answer 4

Natural selection, habitat destruction such as deforestation and loss of hedgerows; pollution such as PCBs and oil; hunting and collecting; competing domestic or invasive animals.

Question 5

List four ways we could conserve species

Answer 5

Habitat protection by nature reserves and SSSI; international cooperation restricting trade (eg CITES); breeding programmes by zoos and botanic gardens; sperm banks and seed stores and reintroduction, education, ecotourism.

Question 6

List four ways we have made agriculture more intensive in the last 70 years

Answer 6

Hedgerow removal, fertiliser, pesticide, herbicide and fungicide use

Question 7

Why do fish die during eutrophication?

Answer 7

Aerobic bacteria decompose dead plants and algae, using up O2 in the water

Question 8

Give the three ways deforestation increases atmospheric CO2

Answer 8

Less photosynthesis, cut trees either decay or are burned

Question 9

Describe coppicing

Answer 9

A tree trunk is cut, leaving a ?stool? a few cm high. Shoots can still emerge from the stool, and can be cut on rotation to provide timer of different widths

Question 10

Give three ways to reduce overfishing

Answer 10

Larger mesh size , quotas, exclusion zones (best three answers)

Question 11

Define planetary boundary

Answer 11

A threshold value for a global process affected by human activity. If crossed could lead to unpredictable/irreversible change

Question 12

What is the status of the biodiversity planetary boundary?

Answer 12

Crossed

Question 13

What is the status of the climate change planetary boundary?

Answer 13

Crossed

Question 14

What is the status of the nitrate and phosphate planetary boundary?

Answer 14

Crossed

Question 15

What is the status of the land use planetary boundary?

Answer 15

Crossed

Question 16

What is the status of the fresh water planetary boundary?

Answer 16

Avoidable

Question 17

What is the status of the inorganic pollution planetary boundary?

Answer 17

Unknown

Question 18

What is the status of the ocean acidification planetary boundary?

Answer 18

Avoidable

Question 19

What is the status of the ozone planetary boundary?

Answer 19

Avoided (reversed)

Question 20

How would you investigate the biodiversity of plants on a field?

Answer 20

Divide the area into a grid, use a random number generator to give coordinates, use a quadrat and count number of species and individuals of each species, repeat at different times of year

Question 21

How would you measure how distribution of daisies changes moving away from the treeline?

Answer 21

Lay out a transect line, place a quadrat at regular intervals, count the number/percentage coverage of daisies in a quadrat, repeat in a different area or at a different time of year.