Urbanisation is the increase in the number of people living in towns and cities (urban areas).

Deforestation is the removal of trees; often to use for timber or fuel or to repurpose land for houses or farming.

Biodiversity is the range of different living organisms (species) that live in a place.

Greenhouse gases are gases that are responsible for the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation and trapping ‘heat’ in the atmosphere.

Climate change is a long term shift in weather patterns.

Negative human interactions with ecosystems and impacts on biodiversity

Biology

Transfers of biomass between trophic levels

Examples of human interactions with ecosystems, including use of peat

Benefits and challenges of maintaining biodiversity

Climate change and biodiversity: changes in the distribution of organisms

Factors affecting human food security, and possible solutions

Climate change and biodiversity: forests and oceans

Pupils learned about biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem, measuring population size, interdependence and competition in ecosystems, how changes in biotic and abiotic factors affect communities, the cycling of carbon and water, and the role of microorganisms in cycling materials through ecosystems.

This unit explores trophic levels, biomass pyramids, and the efficiency of biomass transfers in ecosystems. It examines human impacts on biodiversity, factors affecting food security, and biotechnological solutions. Emphasis is on evaluating environmental changes and ethical considerations.

Maintaining biodiversity and human impacts

The number of different species in an area is known as {{}}.

Which of the following gases found in the atmosphere is **not** a greenhouse gas?

Humans moving to live in the countryside.

Increasing numbers of humans living in towns and cities.

Creating nature reserves to increase biodiversity in built up areas. 

Creating more space for landfill and processing of waste.

Decreasing numbers of humans living in towns and cities.

destroys habitats and stops carbon dioxide being taken up by producers

increases the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Listed below are some human activities. Match the activities with the impact they have on the ecosystem.

Increased rainfall in some areas as more water is evaporated from the seas.

Habitat loss for some animals as a result of climate change.

Increased speed of fossil fuels being regenerated.

Changes in the pattern/times of year of migration of birds.

Which of the following is **not** a consequence of continued global warming?

What term can be used to describe the mass of biological material in an ecosystem?

The number of individual organisms in a specific area.

The number of different species in a specific area.

The number of food webs in a specific area.

The non-living factors in a specific area.

To create more land for crops and livestock.

To reduce the number of harmful animals (e.g. pests).

To have better access to other areas of forest.

Which of the following is a main reason that humans carry out deforestation?

In which of the following habitats is there likely to be the greatest biodiversity?

Clearing habitats to process human waste materials.

Which of these is a way of increasing biodiversity?

Burning trees that have been chopped down as part of deforestation will release which gas into the atmosphere?

Negative human interactions with ecosystems and impacts on biodiversity

Lesson outcome