20.4.2

Reasons to Conserve Biodiversity

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Reasons to Conserve Biodiversity

Reduce extinction

Reduce extinction

  • Avoids loss of genetic diversity.
Protect vulnerable environments

Protect vulnerable environments

  • For example incentivising farmers to maintain field margins and hedgerows produces greater biodiversity.
Maintain ecosystem functions

Maintain ecosystem functions

  • Nutrient cycling and resource provision.

Human Impacts

Human activities have contributed to a severe decline in biodiversity. Two examples are deforestation and eutrophication:

Deforestation

Deforestation

  • Deforestation is the cutting, clearing and removal of forests in order to free up land for biofuels (fuels derived from living matter) as well as cattle and rice fields.
Negative consequences of deforestation

Negative consequences of deforestation

  • The burning of trees and decomposition of wood increases the rate of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.
  • As less photosynthesis is taking place, less carbon dioxide can be removed from the atmosphere.
  • Deforestation destroys habitats.
    • This causes biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services to be lost.
  • Forests are often chopped down to be replaced by agriculture, with the purpose of growing rice or farming cattle.
    • These activities produce methane, which is a greenhouse gas.
Eutrophication

Eutrophication

  • Eutrophication is when nutrient levels in a body of water increase.
  • In nutrient-poor environments, this can cause improved growth.
  • But more often, this causes algal blooms (sudden increases in algae) which are toxic to many other species.
Jump to other topics
1

Classification of Living Organisms

2

Organisation of the Organism

3

Movement Into & Out of Cells

4

Biological Molecules

5

Enzymes

6

Plant Nutrition

7

Human Nutrition

8

Transport in Plants

9

Transport in Animals

10

Diseases & Immunity

11

Gas Exchange in Humans

12

Respiration

13

Excretion in Humans

14

Coordination & Response

15

Drugs

16

Reproduction

17

Inheritance

18

Variation & Selection

19

Organisms & Their Environment

20

Human Influence on Ecosystems

21

Biotechnology & Genetic Modification

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