Pressures On Grassland Ecosystems Flashcards
Fragmentation: Some animals may be unable to
Survive if the size of their habitat is reduced below certain limits.
Main pressures: (4)
Urbanisation,
Agriculture,
Hunting,
Fragmentation.
Fragmentation: Increased gaps between
Ecosystems may make dispersal for breeding, recolonisation or migration difficult or impossible.
Hunting:
Poaching of native animals threatens some species with extinction.
Agriculture: The biodiversity of grasslands
Decreases as the intensity of production or exploitation by humans increases.
Agriculture: Nature vegetation has been
Replaced with cereal crops and domestic livestock have replaced native herbivores.
Agriculture: Hedgerows are important
Wildlife habitats, however these have been removed to make room for larger machinery.
Agriculture: Fertilizer leads to the loss of
Stress tolerators plants and an increase in competitor species of plants. This usually leads to a reduction in species diversity.