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Biodiversity and the effect of human interaction on ecosystems
Students learn how human activities reduce biodiversity, how evidence is used in environmental decisions, and how conservation measures can reduce harm to ecosystems.
44
Objectives
10
Flashcards
10
Questions
90 min
Study time
AqaGcseBiologyEcology
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Syllabus checklist
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44 objective pages available
Biodiversity8 objectives
- Define biodiversity as the variety of different species on Earth or within an ecosystem.
- Explain how high biodiversity can increase ecosystem stability.
- Explain that biodiversity can reduce dependence of one species on another for food, shelter, or maintenance of the physical environment.
- Explain why the future of humans depends on maintaining good biodiversity.
- Describe how human activities can reduce biodiversity.
- Explain how waste can affect biodiversity.
- Explain how deforestation can affect biodiversity.
- Explain how global warming can affect biodiversity.
Waste management7 objectives
- Explain how rapid population growth increases resource use and waste production.
- Explain how rising standards of living can increase resource use and waste production.
- Explain why poor handling of waste and chemical materials causes pollution.
- Describe water pollution from sewage, fertiliser, and toxic chemicals.
- Describe air pollution from smoke and acidic gases.
- Describe land pollution from landfill and toxic chemicals.
- Explain how pollution can kill plants and animals and reduce biodiversity.
Land use8 objectives
- Describe how building reduces land available for other animals and plants.
- Describe how quarrying reduces land available for habitats.
- Describe how farming reduces land available for other organisms.
- Describe how dumping waste reduces land available for organisms.
- Explain how destroying peat bogs reduces biodiversity.
- Explain how peat decay or burning releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
- Evaluate the conflict between cheap compost for food production and conserving peat bog habitats.
- Evaluate peat conservation in relation to biodiversity and carbon dioxide emissions.
Deforestation6 objectives
- Describe large-scale deforestation in tropical areas for cattle farming.
- Describe large-scale deforestation in tropical areas for rice fields.
- Describe large-scale deforestation to grow crops for biofuels.
- Evaluate environmental implications of deforestation using supplied information.
- Explain how deforestation can reduce biodiversity through habitat loss.
- Explain how deforestation can contribute to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Global warming5 objectives
- Describe that carbon dioxide and methane levels in the atmosphere are increasing.
- Explain that increasing carbon dioxide and methane contribute to global warming.
- Describe biological consequences of global warming using examples.
- Explain that scientific consensus about global warming and climate change is based on systematic reviews of many peer-reviewed publications.
- Explain why evidence can be uncertain or incomplete in a complex environmental context.
Maintaining biodiversity10 objectives
- Describe positive human interactions in ecosystems and explain their effects on biodiversity.
- Describe negative human interactions in ecosystems and explain their effects on biodiversity.
- Describe breeding programmes for endangered species as a method of maintaining biodiversity.
- Describe protection and regeneration of rare habitats as methods of maintaining biodiversity.
- Describe reintroduction of field margins and hedgerows in agricultural areas.
- Describe reducing deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions as methods of protecting biodiversity.
- Describe recycling resources rather than dumping waste in landfill.
- Evaluate methods used to tackle problems caused by human impacts on the environment.
- Explain conflicting pressures involved in maintaining biodiversity using supplied information.
- Evaluate conflicting pressures involved in maintaining biodiversity using supplied information.
Key terms
biodiversityDefineecosystem stabilitydependenceExplainDescribewastedeforestationglobal warmingpopulation growthincreaseliving
Exam tips
- Biodiversity exam tip 1: Use precise biological vocabulary when you explain how to define biodiversity as the variety of different species on Earth or within an ecosystem..
- Biodiversity exam tip 1: Use precise biological vocabulary when you explain how to explain how high biodiversity can increase ecosystem stability..
Common mistakes
- Biodiversity common mistake 1: Answer by clearly explaining how to define biodiversity as the variety of different species on Earth or within an ecosystem..
- Biodiversity common mistake 1: Answer by clearly explaining how to explain how high biodiversity can increase ecosystem stability..
Practice preview
- Question 1: Which option best matches Biodiversity for this AQA GCSE Biology objective: Define biodiversity as the variety of different species on Earth or within an ecosystem?
- Question 2: Which option best matches Biodiversity for this AQA GCSE Biology objective: Define biodiversity as the variety of different species on Earth or within an ecosystem?
- Question 3: Which option best matches Biodiversity for this AQA GCSE Biology objective: Define biodiversity as the variety of different species on Earth or within an ecosystem?
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