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Bio > human influence on ecosystem > Flashcards

human influence on ecosystem Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

how humans have increased food production

A
  • agricultural machinery
  • chemical fertilisers
  • insecticides
  • herbicides
  • selective breeding
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1
Q

agricultural machinery

A

to use larger areas of land + improve efficiency

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2
Q

chemical fertilisers

A

the mineral ions increase nutrients in soil so plants grow larger + produce more fruit, increasing yield

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3
Q

indecticides

A

kill unwanted insects that can damage the plants

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4
Q

agricultural machinery

A

to use larger areas of land + improve efficiency

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4
Q

herbicides

A

kill unwanted weeds to minimise competition for minerals, soil, water, sunlight

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5
Q

selective breeding

A

animals + crops that produce high yield are bred together to produce larger amounts of animals + crops that produce high yield

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6
Q

advantages of intensive livestock production

A
  • less land needed for large amounts of food
  • food can be produced all year-round in controlled
    environments
  • lower production cost so lower selling price
  • lower labour requirement
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7
Q

chemical fertilisers

A

fertilisers with mineral ions increase nutrients in soil so they grow larger and produce more fruit, increasing yield

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7
Q

disadvantages of intensive livestock production

A
  • use herbicides which may cause eutrophication
  • ethical issues due to cruel treatment of animals
    (stress due to high density + restricted movement)
  • habitats destroyed to make land available
  • disease can spread rapidly
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8
Q

advantages of large scale monocultures of crop plants

A
  • allow use of specialised machinery + techniques
    leading to higher yields + efficiency
  • managing one type of crop makes pest control +
    harvesting simpler so overall management easier
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9
Q

disadvantages of large scale monocultures of crop plants

A
  • low biodiversity as natural crops have variety of
    coexisting species while monos have one species
  • pest population increases as increasing amount of
    food
  • disease can spread rapidly
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10
Q

biodiversity

A

number of different species that live in a given area

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11
Q

insecticides

A

kill off insects and pests that may cause damage to plants

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11
Q

3 reasons for habitat destruction

A
  • increase land area for housing + crops + livestock
  • extraction of natural resources
  • freshwater + marine pollution
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12
Q

increasing land area

A

as population increases demand for food + housing increases so clear habitats such as forests

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13
Q

extracting resources

A
  • wood, stone, metals
  • trees cut down to get wood (destroys forests)
  • land cleared to mine for metals + stones
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14
Q

herbicides

A

kill off unwanted weeds to minimise competition with other species for minerals, soil, water, and sunlight

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14
Q

marine pollution

A
  • disposing waste + oil spills + littering causes pollution that harms / kills marine organisms
  • eutrophication if fertilisers enter waterways
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15
Q

humans have negative impacts on habitats through

A

altering food chains and food webs

16
Q

5 ill effects of deforestation

A
  • biodiversity loss
  • extinction
  • loss of soil
  • minerals washed away + regrowth difficult
  • flooding
  • increased CO2 in atmosphere
17
Q
A
17
Q

loss of soil

A

no roots to hold the soil together so soil eroded by rain

18
Q

mineral loss + regrowth difficult

A

no trees so minerals are unused get washed away into waterways making regrowth very difficult due to lack of nutrients

19
Q

flooding

A

topsoil easily washed away without trees causing flash floods + landslides

20
Q

effects of untreated sewage on aquatic ecosystems

A
  • feeds bacteria that remove dissolved oxygen causing death of marine organism (eutrophication)
  • degrade the habitat
  • contain pathogens that harm organisms
21
Q

effects of excess fertilisers on aquatic ecosystems

A

causes algal blooms which die + feed bacteria leading to eutrophication

22
Q

effect of non-biodegradable plastics on marine organisms

A
  • animals try to eat plastic (toxic)
  • get caught (injuries + death)
  • break down to release toxins to surroundings
  • broken down particles are ingested, entering + altering food chains
  • remain in environment for a long
23
Q

effect of non-biodegradable plastics on terrestrtrial organisms

A
  • animals may choke on it
  • release toxic substances
  • cover plants + block light, preventing photosynthesis
  • remain in environment for long time
  • toxic if ingested
  • enter food chain
24
Q

sources + effects of pollution of
the air by methane

A

sources:
- keeping livestock
- melting polar ice (trapped methane)
effects:
- enhanced greenhouse effect
- climate change

25
Q

sources + effects of pollution of
the air by CO2

A

sources:
- burning fossil fuels
- increasing population
effects:
- enhanced greenhouse effect
- global warming

26
Q

process of eutrophication

A
  • runoff fertilisers enter waterways
  • increased availability of nitrates + other ions
  • increased growth of producers (algal bloom)
  • increased decomposition after death of algae
  • increased aerobic respiration of decomposing bacteria
  • they use up (reduce) dissolved oxygen in water
  • death of marine organisms
27
Q

sustainable resource

A

one which is produced as rapidly as it is removed from the environment so that it does not run out

28
Q

some resources can be

A

conserved + managed sustainably

29
Q

reasons organisms become extinct/endangered

A
  • climate change
  • habitat destruction
  • hunting
  • overharvesting
  • pollution
  • introduced species
30
Q

climate change

A
  • natural disasters
  • ocean acidification + rising sea levels
31
Q

habitat destruction

A

species lose natural home + resources

32
Q

hunting

A

reduces population + genetic diversity

33
Q

overharvesting

A

affect reproductive patterns + genetic diversity

34
Q

pollution

A

contaminate habitats causing health difficulties + death

35
Q

introduced species

A
  • competition for resources
  • may bring diseases native species are susceptible
    to
36
Q

5 ways to conserve endangered species

A
  • monitoring + protecting habitats
  • education (spread awareness)
  • captive breeding (establishing populations in
    controlled environments)
  • seed banks (secure facility preserves genetic
    diversity, protecting from extinction)
  • international agreements
37
Q

4 ways to conserve forests

A
  • education (spread awareness)
  • protected areas that restrict human activities
  • quotas (limit deforestation activities)
  • replanting helps restore forest + biodiversity
38
Q

6 ways to conserve fish stocks

A
  • education (spread awareness)
  • closed seasons help them reproduce undisturbed during peak breeding seasons
  • protected areas provide safe habitats
  • controlled net types reduce overfishing
  • quotas limit + prevent overfishing
  • monitoring
  • international agreements + permits + fines
39
Q

4 reasons for conservation programmes

A
  • maintaining/increasing biodiversity
  • reduce extinction by preserving habitats
  • protect vulnerable ecosystems
  • maintain ecosystem functions (nutrient cycling + provision of resources
40
Q

use of artificial insemination (AI) in captive breeding

A

allows many offspring to be produced without need for convenient intercourse

41
Q

use of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in captive breeding

A

allows gametes with known alleles to be used in ensuring the next generation remains biodiverse

42
Q

risks of reduced population - reduced genetic variation

A
  • more susceptible to diseases
  • higher extinction risk
  • reduces adaptability
  • expression of harmful recessive traits due to
    inbreeding
  • reduced fertility / reproductive success

Bio (26 decks)

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