Biodiversity and Waste Management

• Biodiversity


  The variety of different species of organisms on Earth, or within an ecosystem
• High biodiversity


  • Makes ecosystems stable because different species depend on each other for things like shelter and food
  • Different species can help maintain the right physical environment for each other (e.g. the acidity of the soil)
• Biodiversity for human survival


  It's important that a good level of biodiversity is maintained
• Human actions


  Reducing biodiversity (e.g. waste production, deforestation, global warming)
• It's only recently that we've started taking measures to stop the reduction of biodiversity from continuing
• The population of the world is currently rising very quickly, and it's not slowing down
• This is mostly due to modern medicine and farming methods, which have reduced the number of people dying from disease and hunger
• This is great for all of us humans, but it means we're having a bigger effect on the environment we live in
• Increasing population


  • Puts pressure on the environment as we take the resources we need to survive
• Increasing demand for higher standard of living


  • Demands more raw materials (e.g. oil to make plastics)
  • Uses more energy for manufacturing processes
• Many raw materials are being used up quicker than they're being replaced
• If we carry on like we are, one day we're going to run out
• Waste production


  • Affects water, land and air
  • Kills plants and animals, reducing biodiversity
• Pollution


  • Sewage and toxic chemicals from industry can pollute lakes, rivers and oceans
  • Chemicals used on land (e.g. fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides) can be washed into water
  • Toxic chemicals for farming (e.g. pesticides and herbicides)
  • Nuclear waste buried underground
  • Household waste in landfill sites
  • Smoke and acidic gases released into the atmosphere can pollute the air (e.g. sulfur dioxide can cause acid rain)