Maintaining Biodiversity Flashcards
What does the term ‘biodiversity’ mean?
The variety of life that exists on Earth. This refers to the many varieties of species and also to the genetic variation of individuals within species.
What happens every time a species becomes extinct?
Information in its genetic code is lost
What do projects like Kew Gardens Millennium Seed Bank Project do?
They prevent genetic codes being lost by collecting and storing seeds from all over the word.
What does extinctions mean?
It means less variety on Earth.
And what does this lack of variety lead to?
Without variety people would start to run out of food crops and medicines.
Why would extinctions affect medicines?
Many medicines are developed from plant or animals. There are potentially many medicines in areas like the Amazon rainforest
Knowing the impacts of our actions what are scientists hoping to do?
Scientists hope to discover ways to use the Earth’s resources in a sustainable way.
