Biodiversity

Human Interaction

The way that humans interact within the ecosystem can have both a positive and negative impact on biodiversity. Biodiversity is when there is a variety of living organisms living in a specific habitat.__ __

Biodiversity, figure 1

Local and Global Biodiversity

Local biodiversity is promoted within countries as specific countries try to maintain and encourage the growth of species that they have.

Some countries will have specific types of species that are unique to them due to their environment being suitable for that specific type of species.

Global biodiversity is an increasingly popular focus as countries are working together to maintain and encourage biodiversity.

This is to ensure that species do not become extinct, and we can benefit from the living organisms (e.g. medication that can be found in the plants within the rainforest).

  1. Animals are conserved through breeding programmes. For example, pandas are an endangered species, and there are breeding programmes to protect them.
  2. There is also a development of endangered habitats that are suitable for the endangered species to thrive in.
  3. By replanting hedgerows, this will encourage biodiversity as it encourages the growth of plants and living organisms that can be found in the plants.
  4. By maintaining the number of plants, it reduces deforestation, which would in turn benefit the world as there is a smaller production of greenhouse gases.



Biodiversity, figure 1

Food Security

The following are biological factors that can affect the levels of __food security __(the measure of the availability and suitability of food that is required to support individuals within a specific area)



  1. increasing human population will decrease the level of food security as birth rates increase, people need more food
  2. increasing animal farming and the increased meat and fish consumption will decrease the level of food security as there is more demand than supply of the food that is consumed
  3. the impact of new pests and pathogens will decrease levels of food security as it may wipe out a specific type of food
  4. environmental change caused by human activity will decrease levels of food security as the food may not be suitable to grow in those conditions
  5. sustainability issues, e.g. use of land for biofuel production and the cost of agricultural inputs will decrease the levels of food security as they cannot produce as much food as they used to due to the rise in cost
How will new pests and pathogens have an impact on food security levels?
Decrease food security levels as it may wipe out a specific type of food
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is when there is a variety of living organisms living in a specific habitat.
What is the point of breeding programmes?
Your answer should include: Protecting endangered species / increasing number of endangered species