GCSE Biology B18 - Biodiversity and Ecosystems

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What is biodiveristy?
The variety of all the different species of an organism on Earth or within an ecosystem.
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What are the benefits of a high biodiveristy?
reduces the deoendance of one species on another for food, shelter and the maintenance of the physical environment.
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Why are more resources being used and more waste being produced?
As there has been rapid growth in the human population.
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Where can pollution occur?
Both on land, in landfill and from toxic chemicals like pesticides and off land from sewage or fertilisers.
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What is the problem with pollution?
Kills plants and animals which reduces biodiversity.
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How does acid rain form?
Fossil fuels often contain sulfur, which reacts with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides also dissolve in water and react with oxygen to form dilute sulfuric acid and nitri acid which produce acid rain.
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What are the effects of acid rain?
Causes rivers and lakes to become slightly acidic and often no longer able to support life, can soak into soil and destroy the roots and are carried in winds to other neighbouring countries..
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What is smoke pollution?
Increases the number of particulates in the air which reflect sunlight so less light hits the Earth's surface and this causes a dimming effect.
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What is smog?
Forms a haze of small particles and acidic gases that can be seen in the air over major cities around the world.
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What are the main reasons for deforestation?
To grow staple foods like rice, to rear more cattle and to grow crops that can be made into biofuels based on ethanol.
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What are peat bogs?
Peat is made of plant material that cannot completely decay because of conditions which are very acidic and lack oxygen. They are a massive carbon store.
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Why is peat being detsroyed?
As it is burned asa fuel and often used by gardeners to imrove soil quality and therefore help to increase food production.
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What will happen as peat bogs are destroyed?
The detsruction of organisms that depend on them and therefore loss in biodiversity.
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What is the greenhouse effect?
When the sun's energy reaches the earth's atmosphere some of it is reflected back to space and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases and the absored energy warms the atmosphere and earth's surface.
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What are the biological consequences of climate change and rising sea levels?
Loss of habitat to flooding on low lying land, changes in distrubuton, changes in migration patterns and reduces biodiversity.
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What are some seasonal changes?
Temperature, amount of rainfall and levels of dissolved gases in the water.
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What are some geographical changes?
Soil structure/pH, altitude and availibility of water.
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What are some positive environmental changes as a result of human interaction?
Maintaining rainforests, reducing water pollution and restricting access to sites of special scientific interest.
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What are some negative environmental changes as a result of human interaction?
Global warming and pollution from farms and factories .
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What programmes have been put in place to reduce negative effects of humans on ecosystems and bidiveristy?
Breeding programmes for endangered species, protection and regeneration of rare habitats. recycling resources and reduction of deforestation/co2 emissions.
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What are trophic levels 1-4?
Producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers.
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What are apex predators?
Carnivores with no predators.
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What are decomposers?
Break down dead plant and animal matter by secreting enzymes into the environment. small soluble molcules then diffuse into the microorganism.
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What are pyramids of biomass?
They represent the relative amount of biomass at each level of the food chain.
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Wh is the amount of biomass at each trophc level less than it was at the previpus level?
As not all organisms are eaten by the stage above, some of the biomass is taken and lost in waste and large amounts of biomass taken in at each trohic level are used in respiration to transfer energy to the organism.
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Why do losses of biomass occur?
Not all the ingested material is absorbed, some is lost in waste products, such as co2 and water in rspiration and water and urea in urine, and large amounts of glucose are used in respiration.
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What is food security?
Having enough food to feed a population.
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What factors affect food security?
Increasing birth rates, new diseases affecting crops and conflicts affecting access to water or food.
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How can we produce food sustainably?
Maintainig soil quality so plants grow well year on year, producing food more efficently and taking care of fish tocks in our oceans so that they don't run out.
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How can the efficiency of food production be improved?
By restricting eneergy transfer from food animals to the environment. This can be done by limiting their movement and controlling the temperature of their surroudings.
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Why do farmers sometimes feed animals to animals?
As the high-protein food increases the growth rate.
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What is happening to fish stocks in the oceans?
They are declining. Breeding needs to continue otherwise certain species may disappear altogether.
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How are fish stocks being conserved?
By controlling net size and introducing fishing quotas.
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What is Fusarium?
A fungus which is useful for producing mycoprotein, a protein rich food suitable for vegetarians. The fungus is grown on glucose syrup aerobically and the biomass is harvested and purified.
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How is insulin produced on a global scale?
Through the use of genetically modified bacteria.
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What are the benefits of genetically modified crops?
They could provide more food or food with an improved nutritional value.
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What do modern biotechnology techniques enable us to do?
mak large quantities of microorganisms to be cultured for food.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What are the benefits of a high biodiveristy?

Back

reduces the deoendance of one species on another for food, shelter and the maintenance of the physical environment.

Card 3

Front

Why are more resources being used and more waste being produced?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Where can pollution occur?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What is the problem with pollution?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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