b6.1 - monitoring and maintaining the environment

what is sampling

taking observations or measurements from a small area which is representative of a larger area

how do you use pooters

suck on mouthpiece to draw insects into holding chamber. a filter stops organisms entering mouth

how do you use sweep nets

sweep a large net through the air to catch flying insects or those in long grass

how do you perform kick sampling

kick a river bank/bed to disturb mud or vegetation. hold a net downstream to capture organisms released into the flowing water

tree beating

stretch a white cloth under a tree then shake or beat the tree to dislodge invertebrates that will fall onto the cloth

how do you setup a pitfall trap

dig a hole in the ground which crawling invertebrates fall into and cover the hole with a roof so it doesn’t fill with rainwater

how do you do the capture-recapture technique

1. capture organisms from a sample area

2. mark organisms and release

3. recapture organisms at a later date

4. record number of marked and unmarked organisms

5. estimate population size

what is the formula to estimate population size

estimated population size = (first sample size x second sample size) / number of recaptured individuals

what is random sampling

use a random number generator to get coordinates to prevent bias

what is non-random sampling

when samples are taken along a transect at regular intervals

what is biodiversity

the variety of different organisms within a habitat

what is deforestation

the permanent removal of large areas of forest

why is deforestation done

for wood for building and fuel

to make space for agriculture, buildings and roads

what three ways does agriculture lead to the loss of biodiversity

removing hedgerows and using herbicides or pesticides leads to a loss of food source or shelter for other organisms

what four ways are biodiversity lost

deforestation, agriculture, overfishing, pollution

what are the six methods of conservation

legal protection

protected habitats

artificial ecosystems

seed banks

captive breeding

education

what is conservation

protecting a natural environment to ensure that habitats or species are not lost

how do nature reserves maintain biodiversity (4)

controlled grazing

restricting human access

feeding animals

reintroducing species

what is captive breeding

breeding animals in a human controlled environment

2 disadvantages of captive breeding

captive bred animals may not be suited for wild environments

maintaining genetic diversity is difficult

what are the 2 aims of captive breeding

create a stable population of the species

reintroduce the species to its natural habitat

what are seed banks

a way of conserving plants by storing seeds so plants may be grown in the future

what is the red list

a list that details endangered animals and what conservation attempts are being made for them

what is ecotourism and how is it achieved

making tourism more eco-friendly for example by restricting human access to certain areas

how does tourism impact the ecosystem

litter and soil erosion

what are indicator species

organisms that can be used to measure environmental quality

what can lichens help show and how

a lack of lichens indicates high air pollution as pollutants in rainwater can kill them

what is water pollution caused by

the discharge of harmful substances into bodies of water

the higher the pollution level in water …

the lower the level of dissolved oxygen

what indicates the following:

clean water

low pollution

high pollution

very high pollution

mayfly larva

freshwater shrimp

water louse

sludgeworm

what is an example, effect and cause of one type of air pollution

sulfur dioxide which is released from the combustion of some fossil fuels leading to acid rain, causing the deaths of plants and fish