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human influences on the environment Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

what does making food production more intensive mean

A

producing food more efficiently with a finite amount of land and resources

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2
Q

what is an agricultural machinery and what has it done

A

tractors, combine harvesters
increased food supply
can harvest much larger fields

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3
Q

what are chemical fertilisers and what have they done

A

fertilisers increase the amount of nutrients in the soil for plants, meaning that they can grow larger and produce more fruit
increased food supply

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4
Q

what are insecticides and herbicides

A

are chemicals that kill off unwanted insects and weed species, meaning that there is less damage done to plants and fruit lost to insects (insecticides), as well as reducing competition from other plant species (herbicides)

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5
Q

what is selective breeding

A

animals and crop plants which produce a large yield are selectively bred to produce breeds that reliably produce high yields

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6
Q

what is monoculture farming?

A

means that on a given area of agricultural land only one type of crop is grown

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7
Q

the disadvantages of monoculture

A

there is very low biodiversity
increase in pest population
reduction in soil fertility

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8
Q

the disadvantages of insecticides

A

harmless insects being killed
pollution by pesticides (persistent chemicals which accumulate in food chains)
pests can become resistant to insecticides

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9
Q

biodiversity definition

A

number of different species that live in a particular area

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10
Q

what is a major cause of a reduction in biodiversity

A

habitat destruction

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11
Q

main reasons for habitat destruction

A

clearing land for farming and houses
extraction of natural resources
marine pollution

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12
Q

what are the downsides of deforestation

A

extinction/loss of biodiversity
soil erosion
flooding
increased carbon dioxide in atmosphere

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13
Q

consequence of soil erosion

A

without trees nutrients and minerals will remain in the soil and will wash away into water bodies by the rain
the loss of soil nutrients are permanent and makes it very hard for forrest trees to regrow

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14
Q

consequence of flooding

A

without trees the topsoil will be loose and can be easily washed away by the water, increasing the chance of flash floods and landslides

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15
Q

consequence of increased co2 in the atmosphere

A

contributing factor to global warming

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16
Q

what can untreated sewage cause in water

A

provides a good breeding ground for bacteria which increase rapidly depleting the oxygen dissolved in the water causing the death of fish
eutrophication

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17
Q

what can chemical waste cause in water

A

do not breakdown and can build up in foodchains poisoning the top carnivores

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18
Q

what can discarded rubbish cause in water

A

animals can eat the waste hindering the food chain

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19
Q

what can fertilizers cause in water

A

more algae which will consume the dissolved oxygen again leading to eutrophication

20
Q

what can insecticides and herbicides cause in water

A

loss of biodiversity, can build up toxic concentrations and harm other animals

21
Q

how does algal bloom affect aquatic plants

A

blocks the sunlight, preventing it from reaching the plants and hence they die

22
Q

what are the negative effects of plastic pollution on land

A

As it breaks down, it releases toxins into the surrounding soil and as such the land is no good for growing crops or grazing animals.

23
Q

how is acid rain formed

A

Combustion of fossil fuels that contain sulfur impurities creates sulfur dioxide
mixes with oxygen in air to form sulfur trioxide
sulfur trioxide dissolves in water droplets in clouds to form acid rain

24
Q

what are the effects of acid rain

A

damage to leaves, killing plants
acidification of leaves, killing animals
increased risk of asthma attacks and bronchitis in humans
lowers ph of lakes when dissolved in them and kills fish

25
Q

process of eutrophication of water

A
  • increased availability of nitrate and other
    ions
  • increased growth of producers
  • increased decomposition after death of
    producers
  • increased aerobic respiration by decomposers
  • reduction in dissolved oxygen
  • death of organisms requiring dissolved
    oxygen in water
26
Q

what is a sustainable resource

A

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

27
Q

which resources can be conserved and maintained sustainably

A

forests and fish stocks

28
Q

how does methane and carbon dioxide emission pollute our atmosphere

A

methane and carbon dioxide act as a blanket around the atmosphere and trap gasses insulating the earth
causes global warming and climate change
polar/ice caps are melting

29
Q

what is sustainable development defined as

A

development providing for the needs of an increasing human population without harming the environment

30
Q

why have some organisms become endangered or have gone extinct

A

climate change, habitat destruction, hunting, overharvesting, pollution
and introduced species

31
Q

how can endangered species be conserved

A

monitoring and protecting species and habitats
education
captive breeding programmes
seed banks

32
Q

what are seed banks

A

seeds of endangered plant species are carefully stored so that new plants may be grown in the future

33
Q

when can a species be at risk of extinction

A

if there is not enough genetic variation in the population as random changes in the environment may quickly cause extinction because the remaining organisms are all very similar and may not have the adaptations to survive such changes

34
Q

why are conservation programs important

A

maintaining or increasing biodiversity
reducing extinction
maintaining ecosystem functions

35
Q

what are the uses of Artificial Insemination and IVF

A

Both help maintain biodiversity

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

Artificial insemination: This allows large numbers of offspring to be produced without the need for conventional sexual intercourse between males and females

36
Q

what are the risks to a species

A

If its population size decreases, a species will experience reduced genetic variation

This renders the species more susceptible to environmental change

The species is less resilient and has a greater risk of extinction

37
Q

Describe the negative consequences of letting untreated sewage flow into lake ecosystems

A

eutrophication
-aquatic plants die as sunlight gets blocked
-aerobic respiration of decomposers in the water reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water
-reduced amount of dissolved oxygen kills fish
-food chain gets disrupted, more flies/mosquitos get habitats in or near the lake
-visual pollution
-toxicity caused by toxic or heavy metals polluting the water

38
Q

describe the effect of deforestation on the animals that live in forests

A

habitat destruction
population decreases/migrates
loss of biodiversity
extinction
disruption of food chain

39
Q

what causes populations to increase exponentially

A

birth rate greater than death rate
no limiting factors
few predators
plenty of food

40
Q

Explain what happens to the energy that is absorbed by the vegetables but is not transferred
to humans.

A

some plants are inedible
eating by pests
plants lose energy by respiration

41
Q

explain the likely consequences of an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere

A

global warming
increase in rate of photosynthesis
causes an increase in plant growth/crop yield / vegetation
reduced biodiversity

42
Q

how can sewage water be treated before entering a stream

A

screen
sediment
use microorganisms
flocculate to make particles clump together and easier to separate
chlorinate

43
Q

explain how can fish stocks can be conserved by restocking

A

captive breeding programmes
release into protected areas
monitoring no of fish
limited fishing

44
Q

State the names of three natural processes involving bacteria that are important to ecosystems.

A

nitrogen fixing
denitrifying
fermentation

45
Q

explain the roles of bacteria in the filtration of water

A

secrete enzymes
breakdown of insoluble substances to soluble substances
breakdown of proteins to amino acids
break down of glucose to starch
break down fat to fatty acids and glycerol
aerobic respiration using oxygen and carbon dioxide released

bio (29 decks)

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