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ESS > T3 (Biodiversity) Case Studies > Flashcards

T3 (Biodiversity) Case Studies Flashcards

1
Q

Hotspot Example

A

Madagascar

  • only home of lemurs
  • of over 40 lemur species, most endangered or at risk of becoming so
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2
Q

Darwin’s Natural Selection: Worms

A

Natural selection for Noctural worms (eat at night)
Natural selection against Diurnal worms (eat at day)
1. Population variation = 2 types worm
2. Variations favourable = Nocturnal as birds eat during day so eat only diurnal
3. More offspring produced then survive - 100/500 survive and reproduce
4. Survivors have favourable traits - more nocturnal survive and reproduce
5. Gradual population change = nocturnal population increases, diurnal decreases

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3
Q

Darwin’s Natural Selection: Polar Bears

A

Natural selection for Thick coats polar bears (kept warm in harsh winter conditions)
Natural Selection against thin coats polar bears
1. Population Variation = thick, think and medium coats
2. Variations favourable = thick coats
3. More offspring produced then survive = 1/2 cubs survive due to extreme temps
4. Survivors have favourable traits = more thick coats survive and reproduce
5. Gradual population change = thick coats population increase, thin decrease

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4
Q

Darwin’s Natural Selection: Ostriches

A

Natural selection for fast runners ostriches
Natural selection against slow runners
1. Population variation = slow and fast runners
2. Some variations favourable = fast (reach 40mph) can outrun predators (Jackals reach 35-40mph)
3. More offspring produced then survive = 10 eggs but rodents break into eggs and eat fetus before hatched
4. Survivors have favourable traits = fast ostriches survive and reproduce
5. Gradual population change = fast increase, slow decrease

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5
Q

Darwin’s Natural Selection: Rabbits

A

Natural Selection against berry/flower eaters rabbits
Natural Selection for grass eaters rabbits
1. Population Variations = grass-eaters and berry/flower-eaters
2. Some variations favourable = grass-eaters have food and survive (drought = plants can’t produce extras (berries/flowers) only keep green)
3. More offspring then survive = rabbits have babies all year but eaten by foxes/hawks and die from starvation due to drought
4. Survivors have favourable traits = grass-eaters survive and reproduce
5. Gradual population change = grass increase, berry/flower decrease

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6
Q

Isolation causing Speciation

A

Islands of Galapagos = separated & different environmental & biological conditions
Populations of animal/plant from mainland South America e.g. ancestral population of mockingbirds spread onto different islands = geographically isolated. They evolve differently according to island conditions

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7
Q

Speciation

A

Spotted Owl North America

  • geographically isolated = 2 varieties (Northern Spotted Owl and Mexican Spotted Owl)
  • time and isolation eventually = unable to interbreed and produce fertile offspring therefore 2 different species
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8
Q

Plate Tectonics and Evolution: movement of plates apart

A

Separation of Australia = preservation of distinct flora + fauna e.g. Kangaroos

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9
Q

Movement of plates through different climatic zones = new habitats

A

Northward movement of Australian plate and subsequent drying of much of the continent = changes in the selective forces on species = evolution of drought-tolerant species

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10
Q

Subduction (oceanic under continental) = new island arcs

A

New Zealand = pacific plate being subjected under Indian/Australian plate

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11
Q

Subduction (oceanic under continental) = mountain areas and volcanic action

A

Andes of South America

Cascade Range North West USA

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12
Q

Subduction (oceanic under oceanic) = new islands

A

Formed this way:

Japan, Philippines

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13
Q

Continental Plates Colliding = mountain ranges

A

Himalayas - Indian plate being pushed against large Asian plate

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14
Q

Continental plates moving apart = rift valleys and lakes // new land from rising magma

A

Lake Victoria in East African rift valley
//
Iceland

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15
Q

Hotspots caused by movement of plates over areas where magma rises = chains of islands

A

Galapagos Islands

Hawaii

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16
Q

Mass Extinction 5 (most recent)

A

Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction

  • 65mn yrs ago
  • likely causes = asteroid impact, volcanic eruptions of India’s Deccan Traps, Tectonic Plate Movements
  • 76% species killed
17
Q

Mass Extinction 4 (2nd youngest)

A

The End Triassic Extinction

  • 199-214mn yrs ago
  • likely cause = floods of lava from Atlantic Ocean opening
  • 80% species killed
18
Q

Mass Extinction 3 (middle)

A

The Permian-Triassic Extinction

  • 251mn yrs ago
  • likely causes = comet/asteroid impact, flood volcanism from Siberian traps, Plate Movement
  • 96% species killed
19
Q

Mass Extinction 2 (second oldest)

A

The Late Devonian Extinction

  • 364mn yrs ago
  • likely cause = global cooling
  • 75% species killed
20
Q

Mass Extinction 1 (oldest)

A

The Ordovician-Silurian Extinction

  • 439mn yrs ago
  • likely cause = sea level drop or rise
  • 86% species killed
21
Q

Threats to Biodiversity: Habitat Destruction Examples

A
  • 13mn hectares forest cleared annually
  • 50% global wetlands lost since 1900
  • Giant Panda reduced to far west China: bamboo forests reduced 50%
22
Q

Threats to Biodiversity: Habitat Fragmentation Example

A
  • 50% England/Wales Woodlands now pockets of less than 20 hectares
23
Q

Threats to Biodiversity: Climate Change Examples

A
  • UK flowers second ‘spring’: bluebells moving North to cooler temp
  • polar bears lack ice to hunt seals = not enough fat for winter hibernation / can’t feed cubs
  • Less fish Peru coast due to El nino change
24
Q

Threats to Biodiversity: Over-Exploitation Examples

A
  • 20% human population dependent on fish as main source of protein (over-fishing an issue)
  • Grand Banks area off Newfoundland over-fishing from 1950s with factory trawlers = cod stocks collapsed 1980s, ban cod fishing 1992 = 30,000 jobs lost
  • Over 70% fish species fully exploited or depleted
25
Q

Threats to Biodiversity: Alien Species Examples

A
  • Purple Loosestrife flower of Europe introduced in USA where few insect predators = spread “purple peril”
  • New Zealand brush tail possum introduced (from Australia), no predators = damage (70mn possums eat 21,000 tonnes vegetation a night)
  • Zebra mussel introduced USA = up to 700,000 per square m in freshwater lakes/rivers = damage fish, reduce dam / power plant capacity (no predator)
26
Q

Economic Value of Conserving Biodiversity Example

A
  • Rosy Periwinkle (plant endemic to Madagascar) used in cancer treatment
27
Q

Conservation Organisations: IGOs (Inter-governmental Organisations)

A
  1. UNESCO: encourage international peace and universal respect for human rights by promoting nations collaboration
  2. International Whaling Commission: Conservation and management of whales/whaling (88 member govs)
  3. UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme): 1972, provide sustainable development, monitor global environment, helping authorities formulate/ implement environmental policies, coordinate UN activities on environment, develop environmental sustainability programmes, develop international environmental law
  4. IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): help global societies conserve nature, ensure resource use is equitable and ecologically sustained
28
Q

Conservation Organisations: GOs (Governmental Organisations)

A
  1. United States Environmental Protection Agency: protect americans from human health risks and environment, reduce environmental risk, protect environment and human health with laws, ensure environmental protections place in US policy, ensure info access to all in society, promote diversity in ecosystems, ensure USA leadership role in environmental protection
29
Q

Conservation Organisations: NGOs (Non-governmental Organisations)

A
  1. Wildlife Conservation Society: conserve world’s largest wild places in 16 priority regions and work with organisations to change laws to respect environments they work in, campaign change wildlife protection policies, work with local govs
  2. Sea Shepherd: saving whales to safeguard ocean ecosystem biodiversity, intervene at sea (direct action)
  3. Greenpeace: acts to change attitudes/behaviours, protect environment and promote peace, expose environmental destruction, political lobbying, citizen action and consumer pressure to bring change
  4. WWF (World Wildlife Fund): stop degradation of planet, conserve, use of renewables, pollution and waste reduction, sustainability, conserve important habitat and species (global priority places)
30
Q

International Conventions on Biodiversity (Timeline)

A
  • Stockholm conference (research prompted, and acceptance development + environment linked) to UNEP creation
  • 1987 Montreal Protocol
  • WCS (World Conservation Strategy) 1980: outlined global priorities for action + recommended each country have own national strategy, importance of making users of natural resources their guardians, maintain ecological processes + life support systems, preserve genetic diversity
  • 1991 Caring for the Earth: A strategy for sustainable living: stated benefits sustainable use natural resources and sharing resources equally
  • 1992 Rio Earth Summit: examine progress since Stockholm, elaborate strategies to halt environmental degradation, promote sustainable development, conserve natural resources, equitable sharing of benefits of utilisation of genetic resources
  • Agenda 21: world action plan sustainable development C21st
  • 2000 Millennium Summit = Millennium Development Goals - time-bound + measurable goals (complete by 2015 e.g. environmental sustainability, eradicate extreme poverty + hunger, achieve universal primary education etc.)
  • 2001 EU heads of state agreement: halt biodiversity decline by 2010 FAILED
  • 2005 World Summit, New York: outlined global priorities and recommended national strategies for natural resource conservation
  • Rio +20 2013: how to build green economy
  • Paris Climate Agreement 2015: global action plan to avoid dangerous climate change, limit warming below 2 degrees
31
Q

Conservation Body

A

CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of wild Flora and Fauna)
- Agreement between Govs
- Animals classified based on threat to them by international trade (Appendix 1, 2 + 3 (cannot be traded, strict regulations to trade, included at specific request))
+ protects species, many countries signed, treaty across borders, legally binding, prevents trade threatening extinction, imports/exports through licensing system
- hard to enforce, implementation varies between countries, countries must make own national laws to ensure CITES applied, prioritises animal over habitat protection, voluntary, consequences not severe

32
Q

Conservation: Botanical Gardens + Seed Banks

A
  • Kew Gardens London = largest botanical garden in world, 25,000 plant species
  • Global Seed Vault Svalbard
33
Q

Conservation: Keystone Species

A
  • Beavers (engineers that create habitats)

- Sea Otters (small predators that keep herbivore no. low enough that produces can survive)

34
Q

Successful Reintroduction Programme

A

Black-footed Ferrets

  • Since 1991 state + federal agencies with native American tribes, private landowners, non-profit organisations + north American zoo community reintroduced thousands into the wild
  • 28 reintroduction sites
  • 150-220 ferrets reintroduced a year
  • no. wild born ferrets relocated to other sites to bolster populations
  • monitored by scientists + volunteers: night-time spotlight surveys
  • late summer efforts to locate litters in wild
  • Biologists use live traps + transponder chip readers to identify ferrets
  • Winter snow-tracking surveys conducted to locate ferrets
35
Q

Protected Area

A

Danum Valley Conservation Area (DVCA), Malaysian Borneo
- Yayasan Sabah Forest Management Area of commercial hardwood forest containing protected areas, rehabilitated areas and commercial forestry areas
- DVCA covers 43,800ha of almost entirely hardwood trees
- threat commercial logging
- to east = 30,000ha Innoprise-FACE Foundation Rainforest Rehabilitation Project, west = Innoprise-IKEA Project
- project funding from state foundation Yayasan Sabah + companies e.g. Shell, BP
- High international profile
- Field centre managed by locals, local school nature interest = employment, education, training
- long-term research programme Yayasan Sabah + UK Royal Society = awareness of conservation + scientific info
- Maliau Basin + Imbak Canyon conservation areas linked by commercial forest corridors
- movement of animals as conservation areas within wider forest allows survival e.g. orang-utan
- 1990s hotel established - ecotourism flourishes = revenue + international profile
- June 2013 Sabah State Assembly reclassified forests as protected areas - created largest protected area in Malaysia 500,000ha
Limitations:
- oil palm plantations close to protected area = neg for ecotourism tourists don’t want agriculture close
- people close to protected area = illegal poaching + logging
- DVCA funding raised by logging + land conversion = conflict activities for funds and aims protected area
- currently designated a conservation area, could change in leadership changes

ESS (16 decks)

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