Reasons for maintaining biodiversity 11.7

Question 1

What 3 groups can the reasons for maintaining biodiversity be grouped into

Answer 1

• Aesthetic
• economic
• ecological

Question 2

What aesthetic reasons are there for maintaining biodiversity

Answer 2

• There presence of different plants and animals in our environment enriches out lives
• The natural world provides inspiration for people such as musicians and writers, who in turn provide pleasure for many others through music and books
• Studies have shown that patients recover more rapidly from stress and injury when they are supported by plants and a relatively natural environment

Question 3

What economic reasons are there for maintaining biodiveristy

Answer 3

• soil erosion and desertification may occur as a result of deforestation. These reduce a country’s ability to grow crops and feed its people, which can lead to resource and economic dependence on other nations
• it is important to conserve all organisms that we use to make things. Non-sustainable removal of resources, such as hardwood timber, will eventually lead to the collapse of industry in an area.
• large-scale habitat and biodiversity losses mean that species with potential economic importance may become extinct before they are even discovered.

Question 4

what ecological reasons are there for maintaining biodiversity

Answer 4

• All organisms are interdependent on others for their survival. The removal of one species may have a significant effect on others, for example a food source or a place to live may be lost
• Some species play a key role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community (keystone species).
  They have a dispropotionately large effect on their environment relative to their abundance. When a keystone species is removed the habitat is drastically changed. All other species are affected and some may disappear altogether