Biodiversity and waste

• What is biodiversity?

  The variety of different species on Earth
• Why does a rainforest have higher biodiversity than a field?

  It has a wider range of different species
• What is one benefit of having high biodiversity?

  It makes ecosystems more stable
• How does high biodiversity contribute to ecosystem stability?

  It allows other species to fill ecological roles
• How many species of animals are known to act as pollinators?

  Around 200,000 species
• What percentage of new medical drugs are derived from living organisms?

  More than half
• Why is biodiversity essential for human survival?

  It provides potential medicines and ecosystem services
• What human activity reduces biodiversity?

  Damaging the environment
• What has happened to the human population in the past 1000 years?

  It increased from 300 million to 7.7 billion
• How does individual consumer behavior impact the environment?

  It increases pressure on natural resources
• What happens when natural resources are used faster than they can be replaced?

  We could run out of them
• What species was driven to extinction by poaching?

  The western black rhino
• What is one consequence of clearing natural ecosystems for resources?

  It often leads to deforestation
• What types of pollution can harm ecosystems?

  Sewage, toxic chemicals, and waste
• How can household waste affect the environment?

  It can pollute land, water, and air
• What is a consequence of burning fossil fuels?

  It releases harmful chemicals into the air
• What is the effect of greenhouse gases on global warming?

  They contribute to global warming
• What are the main human impacts on biodiversity?

  • Habitat destruction
  • Pollution
  • Overexploitation of species
  • Climate change
• What are the potential solutions to biodiversity loss?

  • Changes in human attitudes
  • New technologies and techniques
  • Conservation efforts
  • Sustainable resource management