Biodiversity and the Effect of Human Interaction

• What is biodiversity?

  The variety of different species on earth or within an ecosystem  
• What is the importance of biodiversity?

  Maintain the stability of an ecosystem  
• How does biodiversity ensure the stability of an ecosystem?  

  Reduces the depedence on a particular species for food and shelter, so if one species is removed other species can survive.       
• Why have humans' consumption of resources and waste production increased?

  Rapid rise in human population

  Increase standard of living 
• Where does pollution occur?

  Air

  Land

  Water   
• State examples of water pollutants 

  Sewage

  Fertiliser

  Chemicals  
• How does eutrophication occur? 

  Fertiliser from farms pollute the water causing excessive algae growth depleting oxygen in water causing other plants and animals to die.

  Dead plants decomposed by bacteria causes oxygen levels to decreases further
• State an example of air pollutants.

  Smoke

  Acidic gases 
• State examples of land pollutants 

  Landfill waste

  Chemicals
• Which human activites reduce the land available for animals and plants?

  Building

  Farming

  Quarrying

  Disposing of waste
• Why have peat bogs been destroyed?

  Produce compost to increase food production.
• Why does the destruction if peat bogs greatly contribute greenhouse effect?

  Peat bogs are stores of carbon and burning them releases a large volume of carbon dioxide into the environment.
• Why have large-scale deforestation activites occured?

  To provide land for cattle and rice fields

  Grow crops to produce biofuels
• What are harmful effects of deforestation?

  Destruction of animals' habitats

  Releases large amounts of greenhouse gases
• Steps to maintain biodiversity? 

  -Breeding programmes for endangered species

  -Protection and rebuilding habitats

  -Replanting field margins and hedgerows

  -Reduce deforestation

  Reduce carbon dioxide emission

  -Recycle rather than disposing in landfills.  
• What is the purpose of replanting hedgerows and field margins?

  Higher biodiversity in margins than the fields that they surround.