Biodiversity & the effect of human interaction on ecosystems

• Biodiversity is a measure of how many different species live in an ecosystem.
• Human activities like changing land use, deforestation and peat bog destruction reduce biodiversity.
• Biodiversity is specifically the number of different species in an area.
• An area with large populations of few species is not biodiverse.
• If the numbers of one species are affected, there are almost always knock-on consequences.
• A simple food chain is: algae → zooplankton → sand eel → puffin → arctic skua.
• If the numbers of zooplankton are reduced by pollution, such as plastic waste, then more algae will grow and the population of other consumers will fall.
• Ecosystems with higher biodiversity have fewer species that depend on just one other for food, shelter and maintaining their environment.
• Ecosystems with higher biodiversity are more stable as they can easily adjust to changes.
• The future of our species on Earth depends on maintaining high biodiversity.
• Activities that create air and water pollution, are reducing biodiversity in many ecosystems.
• Conservation of species and habitats by charities, governments and individuals helps to maintain the range of biodiversity.
• Biodiversity is a measure of how many different species live in an ecosystem.
• Human activities like changing land use, deforestation and peat bog destruction reduce biodiversity.
• The human population has exceeded seven billion for the first time and is increasing at a rate of about 75 million people per year.
• This increase in the human population can be clearly seen in a graph of human population, which is shaped like an exponential curve.
• The increase in the human population can be seen in many populations of living organisms with sufficient resources.
• There are many reasons for the increase in the human population, including better health care, new medicines, increased food production, and religions that do not permit the use of contraception.
• Scientists are unsure whether the current population increase will continue for ever.
• Some think that humans will be able to solve any problems that come their way.
• Others think that humans will run out of food, fresh water or other resources and the earth's population will stop increasing, but remain high.
• Still others think that the population will reduce significantly, this is called a crash.
• Past plagues have caused a rapid decline in the population, and this could be a possible explanation for a rapid decline in the population in the future.
• As the population grows, the pollution we produce also increases, which may cause significant issues.
• Biodiversity is a measure of how many different species live in an ecosystem.
• Human activities like changing land use, deforestation and peat bog destruction reduce biodiversity.
• The human population increase, the volume of waste and pollution also increases.
• Polluting an ecosystem means harming or killing the organisms that live within it.
• Modern society is more consumable, which means humans manufacture more products and replace them more often.
• Consumption is not sustainable if it consumes or destroys resources or the environment.
• Many natural materials, including fossil fuels, will soon run out and scientists argue that there is already too much waste.
• In some parts of the world, open sewers can lead into water courses, such as streams and rivers, which can cause serious illness in humans that may drink the contaminated water.
• Some of the world's major cities, like Delhi in India and Karachi in Pakistan, have dangerously high levels of air pollution.
• Fossil fuels and other fuels release carbon dioxide, contributing to the greenhouse effect and leading to global warming.
• Deforestation is an example of land clearing for human uses, reducing biodiversity and often contributing to climate change.
• Land pollution occurs when rubbish is not recycled, often leading to landfill sites.
• Land use becomes increasingly important as the human population grows, requiring more land for housing, resources, food production, and waste disposal, often reducing available space and resources for other animals and plants.
• Air pollution can be caused by fossil fuels and other fuels, as well as by tiny particulates from smoke, leading to smog.
• Biodiversity is significantly reduced when land is cleared for human uses, such as building, quarrying, farming, and waste disposal.
• Some farmers use too many fertilisers, which can run off fields during heavy rain.