Sustainability

Starter –
1. What are the 3 levels of biodiversity?
2. Name one way that genetic biodiversity can increase
3. Name 2 ways that genetic biodiversity can decrease
4. What is meant by polymorphic genes?
5. Describe (briefly) the following processes which all decrease biodiversity
1. Deforestation
2. Agriculture
3. Climate change
6. State the three main reasons that we want to maintain biodiversity
7. What is the difference between preservation and conservation?
8. What is the difference between in-situ and ex-situ conservation
9. Which do the following conservation methods fall under: controlled grazing, seed banks,
culling invasive species, captive breeding
Starter
1. Habitat, species, genetic
2. Mutations, interbreeding (between populations)
3. Selective breeding, captive breeding, rare breeds, artificial cloning, natural selection, genetic bottlenecks, the
founder effect, genetic drift
4. Genes which have multiple alleles present in the population
5. Describe (briefly) the following ways that humans can reduce biodiversity
1. Deforestation – permanent removal of large areas of forest. Destroys habitats and kills animals
2. Agriculture – removal of hedge rows, monoculture, use of chemicals to kill pests
3. Climate change – increased GHG emissions leading to enhanced green house effect = an increase in global
mean temperature
6. Economic, aesthetic, ecological
7. Conservation is actively managing an environment to improve or maintain it whereas preservation is protecting
an area by banning human intervention
8. In-situ is when it is done within the natural habitat, ex-situ is when it is out of the natural habitat
9. Which do the following conservation methods fall under: controlled grazing – in-situ, seed banks – ex-situ,
culling invasive species – in-situ, captive breeding – ex-situ
Population growth – pair discussion

How could you

describe the trends
in this graph?

Now explain the

trends – what has
caused it?

Are there any

problems with it?

From there, discuss a

list of resources that
humans need for
survival
Sustainability
The ability of an ecosystem to maintain biodiversity and provide humans with the
resources we need long-term.

A sustainable resource is one which can be economically exploited in a way that it will
not run out.

The aims of setting up sustainable ecosystems are to:

• Ensure resources are available for future generations to live comfortably
• Enable less economically developed countries (LEDC) to develop by exploiting
their natural resources
• Create a more even balance in resource consumption between LEDCs and MEDCs
• Preserve the environment – maintain biodiversity
Examples of sustainability – commercial fishing
Examples of sustainability – commercial fishing
Watch the video to get an insight into the issue of over fishing in the world
https://sanddollarwallet.com/education/overfishing-facts-you-ought-to-know-and-how-to-help/
(also an interesting article for further reading)

Fishing – the issues

• Fish is a nutritious and very popular food source for much of the human population
• Technological and fishing practice advances have lead to gross over fishing
• Many species/populations are now vastly reduced

Fishing has become unsustainable!

Examples of sustainability – commercial fishing - solutions

5. Allowing fishing only at certain times

1. Common Fisheries Policy sets fishing
of year to protect breeding season.
quotas to limit fish caught in an area. Or in certain areas

2. Nets with different sized mesh – reduce 4. Fish farming to maintain supply of
the number of unwanted fish caught. protein but reducing loss of wild
Immature fish can escape and breed. species.

3. Banning certain practices e.g. gillnets

or trawling

A problem with all of these things is that the areas we are referring to are very large, so its very expensive to
monitor and often requires international cooperation

The weather and seasons also makes safe monitoring difficult, but if only relying on reports – they could be
false!
1 1972 (1)
2 Too few adult cod were left to breed and maintain cod numbers (1)
3 Number of fish allowed to be caught in an area limited (1); maintains fish stocks at a level (that
allows sufficient breeding to occur) to ensure new fish are produced at same rate as those which
are removed from the sea.
4 Immature fish grow and reproduce, allowing the population to recover (1).
5
• Scientists monitor population sizes of specific fish species in different areas (1);
• if the population of a species becomes too low to become sustainable action is suggested (1);
• governmental organisations use scientific data to inform decision making (1);
• examples of actions which may be taken include the introduction of fishing quotas (1);
• bans on catching specific species (1);
• limits on fishing times (1); o
• r bans on landing immature fish are introduced (1);
• this allows time for a fish population to recover to sustainable levels (1);
• it is important that decisions are only taken on the basis of accurate, impartial scientific
evidence. Through the use of such data, fish populations are able to be maintained and hence
continue to meet the human demand for food (1) (max 6).
Examples of sustainability – timber production
Why is it necessary to think about sustainable timber production?
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/deforestation

Coppicing Small scale solutions

Pollarding
• Tree trunk cut close to the ground • Tree trunk cut 2-3m above ground
• New shoots form from the surface and mature • Mature trunk stays in place
• Area of woodland in rotation – split in to • Similar benefits to coppicing but new shoots
sections so continuous supply each year. less likely to be eaten by herbivores
• Maintain biodiversity species can survive –
Maintains habitats for species.
• More light for smaller trees/shrubs
• Maintaining roots to help reduce soil erosion
• No need for large machinery
• New stems grow more quickly than saplings
Examples of sustainability – timber production
Large scale solutions
Clear felling – often confers (fast growing)
Based around felling large areas of woodland – felled trees do NOT re-grow (could be very
unsustainable).
So companies must:
1. Selectively cut – remove largest trees
2. Replant trees and allow to FULLY re-grow
3. Plant trees optimal distance apart to reduce competition
4. Manage pests/pathogens

BUT...
Habitats can be destroyed
Soil mineral content reduced
Soil susceptible to erosion
Task: summary Q’s before PPQ
1 A renewable resource – one which is being economically exploited in a way that it will not diminish or
run out (1).
2 Any two from: To preserve the environment (1);
to conserve / make available resources for future generations (1);
to maintain biodiversity in an area (1);
to allow LEDCs to develop by exploiting their natural resources (1);
to create a more even balance in the consumption of resources between LEDCs and MEDCs (1).
3 Any two from: Selective cutting is used, so only the largest trees are felled thus maintaining a forest’s
biodiversity (1);
felled trees are replaced to maintain tree stocks / biodiversity / soil minerals / nutrient cycles (1);
new trees are planted an optimal distance apart to reduce competition (for light / space / nutrients) (1);
pest pathogens are treated / prevented to reduce plant loss (1); any other relevant suggestion, explained
(1).
4 In one area trees cut close to ground (1);
timber is used for fuel / fencing / building / other appropriate use (1);
new shoots appear which are allowed to grow (1);
another area of land is then coppiced (1);
when initial trees reach a certain height they are then coppiced and cycle begins again (1).
HW – A3 broadsheet