Benefits and challenges of maintaining biodiversity
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe benefits of maintaining biodiversity, and ways in which humans can work to conserve biodiversity.
Key learning points
- Benefits of high biodiversity, including ecosystem services and food security.
- Humans can interact positively with ecosystems to prevent and reduce biodiversity loss.
- Resources can be used sustainably (e.g. at a rate at which they can be replaced).
- A range of conservation measures can be taken to protect biodiversity at the species, ecosystem and genetic levels.
- Conservation efforts range from very local actions to international ones.
Keywords
Biodiversity - the range of different living organisms that live in a place
Ecosystem services - the benefits that nature provides to human wellbeing and quality of life
Food security - having enough food to feed the human population
Sustainability - when a resource is produced as quickly as it is removed from the environment so that it does not run out
Conservation - the process of protecting biodiversity and the environment
Common misconception
The conservation of biodiversity can only happen on a large scale, e.g. through protecting large areas of habitat.
Biodiversity conservation can take place on a small scale, for example, by providing habitats in gardens and in urban areas.
Teacher tip
There are lots of examples of conservation in action that pupils can research as an independent project. Lots of zoos also provide information about how they contribute to conservation projects as part of their work. Examples can include ecosystem, species and genetic conservation efforts.
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following factors does not affect the rate of decomposition within an ecosystem?
Q2.Many habitats such as peat bogs are being destroyed. It is important to stop habitat destruction to maintain...
Q3.Which definition below explains what a community is?
Q4.How does human land use for building new homes and roads reduce biodiversity levels?
Q5.How does deforestation impact climate change?
Q6.How do fish farmers help to ensure that fish grow quickly so that they can sell them as food for the population?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Ecosystem services are how nature helps humans to...
Q2.What does high biodiversity mean?
Q3.What term is used to describe how organisms of different species rely on each other?
Q4.The ability for a resource to be maintained at the same rate that it is used up is known as...
Q5.Food security is about having...
Q6.Genetic biodiversity can be conserved using which of the following?
To help you plan your 11 combined science lesson on: Benefits and challenges of maintaining biodiversity, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 combined science lesson on: Benefits and challenges of maintaining biodiversity, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 combined science lessons from the Maintaining biodiversity and human impacts unit, dive into the full secondary combined science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.