Human Impact on Ecosystems Flashcards
What is biodiversity?
Variety of all the different species of organisms on Earth or within an ecosystem
Why is a good biodiversity important?
Ensures the stability of ecosystems by reducing the dependence of one species on another for food, shelter and the maintenance of the physical environment
What does the future of human life on Earth require?
It requires a good biodiversity to be maintained
What is the impact of human activities on the environment?
They are reducing biodiversity and only recently has there been measures to try and stop this reduction in biodiversity.
What two factors are causing more resources to be used and more waste to be produced?
- Rapid growth in population
- Increase in standard of living
How does pollution occur in water?
- Sewage
- Fertilizer
- Toxic Chemicals
How does pollution occur in air?
- Smoke
- Acidic gases
How does pollution occur on land?
- Landfill
- Toxic chemicals
What are five ways that humans can reduce the negative impact of human activity on biodiversity?
- Breeding programmes for endangered species
- Protection and regeneration of rare habitats
- Reintroduction of field margins and hedgerows in agricultural areas
- Reduction of deforestation and carbon emissions by governments
- Recycling resources rather than dumping waste in landfill
In what ways are humans reducing land available for animals and plants?
- Building
- Quarrying
- Farming
- Dumping waste
What is the problem with the destruction of peat bogs and other areas of peat for compost?
- Reduces the area of this habitat
- Reduces the variety of species that live there
What is the problem with the decay and burning of peat?
Releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
What has caused large-scale deforestation of tropical areas?
- To provide land for cattle and rice fields
- To grow crops for biofuels
What is food security?
Having enough food to feed a population
What six biological factors are threatening food security?
- Increased birth rate in some countries
- Changing diets causing scarce food resources to be exported
- New pests and pathogens that affect farming
- Environmental changes such as droughts causing widespread famine
- Cost of agricultural inputs
- Conflicts that then restrict access to and availability of food and water
How can we improve the efficiency of farming?
Restricting energy transferred from the animals to the environment via limiting movement and controlling the temperature of their surroundings
What are food animals fed to increase growth?
Food that is high in protein
What is the problem with declining fish stocks?
Numbers of fish are not being maintained at a level where breeding continues and certain species may therefor disappear altogether in some areas
What have been implemented to conserve the fish stocks at a sustainable level?
- Controls on net size
- Fishing Quotas
- Larger mesh size
What is the importance of biotechnology?
Modern biotechnology techniques enable large quantities of microorganisms to be cultured for food
Which fungus is used to make mycoproteins?
Fusarium
What is mycoprotein?
A protein rich food suitable for vegetarians made by fungi
How are mycoproteins made?
Grown:
- on glucose syrup
- in aerobic conditions
Biomass is harvested and purified to form a food source
What is an important turn in treatment of type 1 diabetes?
A genetically modified bacterium that produces human insulin that can be harvested and purified
Why are GM crops important?
Could provide more food or food with improved nutritional value such as golden rice
