Reasons to maintain biodiversity Flashcards
How are organisms interdependent on each other?
They feed off of each other with predator and prey or mutual relationships.E.g Fox and rabbits
What is a keystone species?
One that has a disproportionate effect upon the environment relative to its abundance
What would a keystone species becoming extinct or endangered have on an ecosystem?
It could cause a change in the number of certain organisms by either increasing or decreasing them
Why is having a wide genetic diversity important with food plants?
So that we can use it to increase our own crop biodiversity, and use it to overcome our own problems with pests or diseases in the area, and using genetic engineering we could make our crops resistant to the pests or disease to increase crop yield
Why is having a wide genetic diversity important with medicine?
So that we can use more of nature to try to find medicine and vaccines for diseases so that the right chemical can be taken and replicated to help endure human safety
What are economic reasons to maintain biodiversity?
- Regulation of the atmosphere and climate
- Purification and retention of fresh water
- Formation and fertilisation of soil
- Recycling of nutrients
- Detoxification and recycling of wastes
- Crop pollination
- Growth of timber, food and fuel
- Discovery of molecules with potential as medicines
- Ecotourism
What is the most immediate signs of a lack of biodiversity?
Food production decreases because the soil is depleted because of the use of monocultures that take out all the soils nutrients.
What are aesthetic reasons to maintain biodiversity with our health?
Patients that are exposed to nice and beautiful scenery are more likely to recover faster and be less stressed so it is useful for our physical, intellectual and emotional health.
How is deforestation connected to floods?
The lack of trees means that the soils protection decreases, less water is soaked up, and the rainfall drains quicker and the soil is deposited where the water flow is reduced, reducing drainage that can increase the chance of a flood.
