Memory Anchor:

• Super Challenge:

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  Challenge:

Key Questions:

1. What is the definition of biodiversity?
   • Biodiversity is the variety of all the different species of organisms on earth, or within an ecosystem.
2. How do humans reduce the amount of land available for other animals?
   • Humans reduce the amount of land available for other animals and plants by building, quarrying, farming and dumping waste.
3. What is the benefit of having a great biodiversity?
   • A great biodiversity ensures the stability of ecosystems by reducing the dependence of one species on another for food, shelter and the maintenance of the physical environment.
4. How does the destruction of peat bogs affect biodiversity?
   • The destruction of peat bogs, and other areas of peat to produce garden compost, reduces the area of this habitat and thus the variety of different plant, animal and microorganism species that live there (biodiversity).
5. Why is it so important to maintain biodiversity?
   • The future of the human species on Earth relies on us maintaining a good level of biodiversity.
6. What does the decay or burning of peat lead to?
   • The decay or burning of the peat releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
7. What effect to human activities have on biodiversity in general?
   • Many human activities are reducing biodiversity and only recently have measures been taken to try to stop this reduction.
8. Why is there conflict of opinion when it comes to the peat industry?
   • There is a need for cheap available compost to increase food production and the need to conserve peat bogs and peatlands as habitats for biodiversity and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
9. What effect do waste, deforestation and global warming have on biodiversity?
   • Deforestation destroys the habitats of many species and therefore reduces their numbers within an environment. This reduces biodiversity drastically. Waste can have toxic effects on many species and therefore reduces numbers. In other cases, such as with algae, certain wastes can increase the numbers of certain species meaning they have a detrimental effect on the others around them. Global warming is causing the Earth's temperature to increase. This is having an effect on many species as it is changing their environment and therefore causing them problems such as lack of food or habitat.
10. What two main reasons are there for large-scale deforestation in tropical areas?
    • Large-scale deforestation in tropical areas has occurred due to: - providing land for cattle and rice fields - growing crops for biofuels.
11. What is the impact of both positive and negative human interactions in an ecosystem?
    • Positive impact increases population levels of certain species in a food chain. Negative impacts decrease population levels of certain species.