Chapter 3.2 : human impact on biodiversity

what is an example of a human environmental disaster?

an oil spill

habitat

the environment in which a species lives

what is habitats important to the maintenance of biodiversity

the stability and variety of habitats is important because habitat loss leads to a loss of biodiversity due to human activities

what does habitat loss cover

habitat destruction, degradation and fragmentation

maximum sustainable yield (MSY)

the maximum harvest we can sustainably take each year and still allow replacement by natural population growth

what is the impact of introducing non-native/exotic/alien species into an environment?

non#native species can upset a natural ecosystem, humans have done this through colonisation

example of alien species

grey squirrels were introduced to the UK and competed with the native red squirrels for habitat leading to the extension of red squirrels

what can decrease biodiversity

spread of disease, introduction of alien species, poaching

what’s an example of a vulnerable species on th IUCN red list?

koala

how many koalas r left

32,000-58,000

where do koalas stay

eastern and southern australia

what are some threats for koalas

habitat loss due to deforestation, bushfires, disease, climate change impacting eucalyptus, controls eucalyptus growth

what is an example of an endangered species on the IUCN red list

African penguin

where is the african penguin located

coastal south africa and namibia

what’s the estimated population of the african penguin

10,000 breeding pairs

threats for the african penguin

overfishing, oil spills polluting coastal waters, climate change impacting food supply, helps maintain population balance

what is a critically endangered on the IUCN red list

angelshark

what’s the population of angelsharks

almost extinct in many areas

what are threats of the angekshark

habitat destruction, slow reproduction rate and top predators of the sea floor

IUCN red list

à bla-bla lost that categorises species based on their risk of extinction, ranging from vulnerable to extinct