Maintaining biodiversity

Question 1

What are the two groups of methods for maintaining biodiversity?

Answer 1

• We can reduce practices that reduce biodiversity
• We can reduce the impacts that these practices cause and help the ecosystem withstand the impacts

Question 2

How do we use breeding programmes to maintain biodiversity?

Answer 2

• We use breeding programmes to protect endangered species to reduce the chance of them going extinct
• We breed them in captivity to slowly build up their population until we can reintroduce them into the wild
• A problem is that if their natural habitat isn’t safe, the population will just decline again. Therefore, we create protected areas in their habitat

Question 3

How do we reduce the impact of agriculture on biodiversity?

Answer 3

• Monocultures (single crop farms) can only support a low level of biodiversity
• By using hedgegrows (act as a border around the field) and field margins (strip around the crop that allows the growth of any plant) we can support a higher level of biodiversity

Question 4

How do governments help to maintain biodiversity?

Answer 4

• Governments set quotas and limits on how much CO2 a business is allowed to release per year
• Pay businesses for carrying out specific practices

Question 5

Why must we recycle resources to maintain biodiversity?

Answer 5

• Recycling resources reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfill
• Therefore, less space will be used up by landfill and so less habitats are destoryed
• Less waste in landfill also means less toxic chemicals contaminate the soil and less habitats are destroyed

Question 6

What are some restriction with maintaining biodiversity?

Answer 6

• It is very expensive - governments and businesses tend to use their limited money elsewhere
• Damaging the environment is necessary for maintaining our current standard of living (we have to use fertilisers)
• We have to use mines to get raw materials
• Developing countries rely on their environment for food

Question 7

How do field margins and hedgerows in agriculture help increase biodiversity?

Answer 7

• They provide extra habitats and food sources so that a wider range of species can survive