Presentation exam references

Question 1

Point 1 (Paragraph 1)

Answer 1

(Zalasiewicz, et al., 2015)

-Humans evolved by coexisting within the terrestrial ecosystem
-Broken down, especially since the 20th century, the conceptual start of the Anthropocene

Question 2

Point 2

Answer 2

(WWF, 2022)

-Global wildlife abundance has declined approx 69% since 1970
-Due to increased interactions between humans and wildlife as we encroach and fragment habitats
Figure 1

Question 3

Point 3

Answer 3

(WWF & UNEP, 2021)

-Disproportionally affect people in the global south
-Interactions threaten lives and livelihoods leading to conflict
-Affects 75% of the worlds wild cats, bears, and elephants

Question 4

Figure 1

Answer 4

(WWF, 2022)

-Figure 1. The Living Plant Index with 1970 as the baseline (100%) measures the average decline in globally monitored wildlife populations’

X. Year - 1970 to 2018
Y. LPI - 0% to 100%

Trend curve going from 100% to leaving out around 30%

Question 5

Point 4 (Paragraph 2)

Answer 5

(Decaëns, et al., 2018)

Starting sentence about conflict between wildlife due to expansion and intensification

-Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest through agricultural land use decreases biodiversity
-In the most intensive regions species richness has decreased by an average of 55%

Question 6

Point 5

Answer 6

(Burns, et al., 2023)

-Biodiversity loss is also seen in UK
-Intensification of agricultural management primary cause of the 19% average decrease in species abundance since 1970

Question 7

Point 6

Answer 7

(Decaëns, et al., 2018)

-Mitigation
-If over 40% Brazilian rainforest retained within agricultural regions, biodiversity could be protected and retained at levels close to 100% forest cover

Figure 2

Question 8

Point 7

Answer 8

(Smith, et al., 2021)

-In UK already destroyed all our natural habitats
-Regenerate agricultural areas and reduce fragmentation through management changes to promote biodiversity
-Regenerative farming found to enchance biodiversity on all taxonomic levels

Question 9

Figure 2

Answer 9

(Decaëns, et al., 2018)

Figure 2. Relationship between the synthetic index of species richness (%) and forest cover (%) within the Amazonian region

X. Forest cover - 0% to 100%
Y. Richness Index - 0% to 100%

Curve going from around 27% upto just under 70% at 40% cover and flat till the end

Question 10

Point 8 (Paragraph 3)

Answer 10

(CABI, 2023)

-Natural ecosystem destruction provides opportunities for invasive species to expand their range
Impacts agriculture, forestry, fishing and infrastructure
-Total estimated annual global economic cost of $423 billion

Question 11

Point 9

Answer 11

(Burns, et al., 2023)

-Invasive species such as the grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis and Rhododendron ponticum in UK
-Often outcompete native species
-Decreasing biodiversity

Question 12

Point 10

Answer 12

(Oliver, et al., 2015)

-Detection, monitoring, prevention and eradication are important by highly difficult
-Therefore, schemes such as the reintroduction of native species to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem function proposed, such as the Eurasian Lynx Lynx lynx and European beaver Castro fiber in the UK

Question 13

Point 11

Answer 13

(Stringer & Gaywood, 2016)
-Out of these two, the beaver is the only reintroduction that has been approved
-Native 400 years ago in UK
-Selectively introduced in regions of Scotland and England
-Meta-analysis highlighted 73% positive impacts on biodiversity across a range of terrestrial specie groups
-Main negative being impacts on upstream fish migration

Question 14

Point 12 (Paragraph 4)

Answer 14

(Parkinson & Cottrell, 2022)

-Negative impacts on terrestrial ecosystems through conflicts between our species
-Military activity contributes approximately 5.5% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions annually

Question 15

Point 13

Answer 15

(Vuong, et al., 2024)

-Longterm pollution of soils, air, and water
-Intentional destruction of 1.2 million hectares of tree cove
-This destruction is critical with Ukraine containing 35% of Europe’s biodiversity, with 44% of the most important natural areas currently affected by war

Question 16

Point 14

Answer 16

(Barkham, 2020)

-Huge emissions from reconstruction of settlements with steel and concrete
-Both industries contribute approx 15% of global CO2 emissions

Question 17

Point 15

Answer 17

(Barkam, 2020)

-Major issue for ‘green; infrastructure projects such as HS2
-Predicted to generate more emissions through its construction and operation that reduce over its lifespan

Question 18

Point 16

Answer 18

(The Wildlife Trusts, 2020)

-Anticipated 3446 ha of Local Wildlife Sites will be directly impacted
-46 km of hedgerows lost

Question 19

Point 17 (Paragraph 5)

Answer 19

(Ashley, et al., 2013; Doich, et al., 2014)

Therefore could a greater focus be given to already developed areas through projects such as blue-green infrastructure

-Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) and large parks reduce water runoff and help mitigate against flooding
-Producing a cooling effect reducing urban heat island effect
-Improves both people’s physical and mental health

Question 20

Point 18

Answer 20

(Pugh, et al., 2012; Jeanjean, Monks & Leigh, 2016; Alfredo, et al., 2010)

-Smaller scale projects can also help urbanised areas
-Green walls reduced street-level N02 concentrations and particular matter (PM) deposition by up to 40% and 60% respectively
-Street trees reducing PM2.5 up to 9%
-Green roofs reduce peak discharge by 30-70% compared to conventional roofs

Question 21

Point 19

Answer 21

(Miner, et al., 2022)

Increasing global anthropogenic carbon emissions indirectly threaten terrestrial ecosystems through climate change and a potential run-away positive carbon feedback cycle - Figure 3

-Permafrost thawing due to increasing temperatures
-Releases CO2 and CH4 from a store twice the size of the atmospheric store
-Annual emissions projected of CO2 and CH4 by 2100 from thawing to be 0.6 and 0.8 billion tonnes (CO2 equivalent) respectively

Question 22

Conclusion

Answer 22

-Humans negatively impact global terrestrial ecosystems, biodiversity and wildlife through development, intentional destruction, over-exploitation, anthropogenic climate change, and overall negligence
-Global effort to protect and restore terrestrial habitats with initiates such as species reintroduction, blue-green infrastructure, and attempt to reduce carbon emissions.
-However, current trends not looking hopeful with current business-as-usual likely to prevail where our terrestrial ecosystems will become damaged beyond repair, constantly changing due to an irreversible postive feedback cycle