GCSE Biology · AQA 8461 · Topic 4.7.3
Biodiversity and human effects on ecosystems
Key points
- Biodiversity is the variety of all species in an area. High biodiversity makes ecosystems more stable.
- A growing human population uses more resources and makes more waste, polluting land (landfill, toxic chemicals), water (sewage, fertiliser) and air (smoke, acidic gases).
- Peat bogs are destroyed for compost and deforestation clears land for cattle, rice and biofuels; both release CO and reduce biodiversity.
- Rising CO and methane cause global warming, leading to habitat change, species migration and loss.
- Protection: breeding programmes, protecting rare habitats, field margins and hedgerows, reducing deforestation and carbon emissions, and recycling.
- There are conflicting pressures: protecting biodiversity versus jobs, food and development.
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Biodiversity is the variety of all the different species of organisms on Earth, or within an ecosystem. Human activities are reducing it, and this sub-topic explains how, why it matters and what can be done.
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