Biology - Maintaining Biodiversity

What is biodiversity?

The variety of living organisms in the area.

Why is biodiversity important for humans?

It keeps food chains stable, provides food, materials, and medicines, and helps humans survive long-term.

What is local biodiversity?

Local biodiversity is the variety of species in a small area, like a national park or single country.

What are the benefits of local biodiversity?

Local biodiversity helps:

• Maintain the human food supply

• Keep food chains and webs intact

• Provide materials for humans, like wood or medicines

What are the challenges of maintaining local biodiversity?

Challenges include:

• Land used for biodiversity may reduce space for farming or housing

• Local residents may have lower incomes (e.g., bans on fishing or hunting)

• Too much ecotourism can damage habitats

Why is global biodiversity important?

Global biodiversity is important because:

• Animals and plants move across countries (e.g., migratory birds, fish, whales)

• Removing a species can collapse a food chain

• International cooperation is needed to protect species beyond human borders

Why is global biodiversity important?

Global biodiversity is important because:

• Animals and plants move across countries (e.g., migratory birds, fish, whales)

• Removing a species can collapse a food chain

• International cooperation is needed to protect species beyond human borders

What is the difference between a local and global approach to biodiversity?

• Local biodiversity: in a small area (e.g., a park or country). Managed with laws, local schemes, or corridors.

• Global biodiversity: covers species that move across countries. Requires international cooperation.

• Both aim to protect species and maintain ecosystems, but global is harder due to conflicts or cultural differences.

What is fish farming and how does it help biodiversity?

• Fish farming is raising lots of fish in tanks or cages instead of catching them from the wild.

• It protects wild fish by reducing overfishing.

• Fish are fed, kept safe, and watched for disease.

• Helps keep natural ecosystems balanced.

How can fish farms negatively affect biodiversity?

• Predators may get caught in nets.

• Diseases can spread quickly inside the farm or to wild fish.

• Escaped fish can harm native species.

• Waste can cause eutrophication (too many nutrients in water, harming plants and animals).

What is eutrophication?

Eutrophication is when too many nutrients, usually from waste or fertilizers, get into water, causing algae to grow too much, which uses up oxygen and kills plants and animals.

What is a non-indigenous species?

A non-indigenous species is a species not native to an area, introduced on purpose or by accident, which can harm local species by competing for food, spreading disease, or disrupting the food chain.

How can a non-indigenous species affect competition?

It can compete with native species for food, water, or space, which may reduce or eliminate the native species.
Example: Grey squirrels in the UK outcompete red squirrels and carry deadly viruses.

How can a non-indigenous species impact the food chain?

It can add a new predator or prey, which disrupts the balance of the food web and changes the populations of other species.
Example: Cane toads in Australia poisoned predators and affected many species in the food web.

How can diseases from a non-indigenous species affect biodiversity?

New diseases can kill native species or make them unhealthy, sometimes wiping out large populations.