1. Impact of human activities on biodiversity Starter: Recap GCSE Draw images to illustrate how people affect the planet

2. What affects population numbers? People now live longer Drought can cause crops to fail and lead to famine and starvation Disasters like earthquakes and the Tsunami can kill thousands of people HIV-AIDS is spreading rapidly in some countries Better medical care means more babies survive at birth Contraception is now available in many countries New technology means farmers can now grow more food on their land People are now vaccinated against many diseases

3. How many people are alive on Earth now? More or less than 100 years ago? In 100 years will there be more or less people alive on the Earth? What is the pattern?

4. Effects of the population explosion

5. As more people arrive at the party,,,, Less drinks Less space More rubbish Less (fresh) air

6. Can’t see the wood for the trees Woods are not just trees!!!! YouTube - More Than Just Timber - State of the Forest Episode 1YouTube - More Than Just Timber - State of the Forest Episode 1

7. Stark statistics Tropical rainforests cover 7% of the Earth’s surface but account for 50% of all its species Present rate of species extinction is between 100 and 1000 times greater than at any point before

8. Context: conflicting needs/desires A study in 1989 (obviously the figures will be much different now) of an Amazon rainforest in Peru showed that each hectare of the forest produces fruit and latex (rubber) with an annual market value of $700. If, however, the trees are cut down, the total value of their wood is $1000. Now, trees can only be felled once, but fruit and latex can be harvest every year. This study into sustainable management can allow governments to be persuaded that more money can be made from rainforests by exploiting them on a sustainable basis than by destroying them, therefore it may be worth their while to preserve them.

9. Deforestation exam question Although rainforests now cover less then 4% of the land surface of the Earth, they account for more than 20% of the planet’s net carbon fixation. By comparison, temperate forests are about half as productive (per unit area), while boreal forests (forests of northern latitudes) and grasslands are only a quarter as productive. A 13 km2 rainforest preserve in Costa Rica has 450 species of trees, more than 1000 other plant species, 400 species of birds, 58 species of bats and 130 species of amphibians and reptiles. In this question, one mark is available for the quality of use and organisation of scientific terms.Making use of the information in the passage and the figure, describe the important features of tropical rainforests and explain why their disappearance is a cause of considerable concern (9 marks).

10. (b)1high, biodiversity / species diversity ; 2deforestation, causes extinction / reduces biodiversity ; 3decrease in, size of gene pool / genetic diversity ; 4act as carbon, reservoirs / sinks ;R carbon fixation 5remove carbon dioxide from atmosphere ; 6release of carbon dioxide when wood is burnt ; 7less photosynthesis also means less oxygen production ; 8transpiration contributes to atmospheric water content ; 9destruction of rainforests disrupts water cycle ; 10rainforests can be used to supply sustainable crops ; 11example of crop ; e.g nuts / rubber / fruits / plant oils 12drugs / other useful compounds (may await discovery), that only occur in rainforests ; 13soils are nutrient deficient and cannot sustain agriculture ; 14increased risk of soil erosion ; 15moral responsibility to conserve for later generations ; 16ref to indigenous populations / tribes ; 17AVP ;e.g. provision of habitats

11. QWC – clear, well organised using specialist terms ;1 award the QWC mark if four of the following are used in correct context biodiversitytranspiration deforestationwater cycle carbon reservoirs / sinkssustainable photosynthesisnutrient deficient

12. Why are the Galapagos islands important? They are sometimes called ‘evolution’s workshop’ Galapagos Workshop - Biodiversity Photography: Documenting the Diversity of Life with Stock & Fine-art Images and Video#1070274276_RPKQL #1070274276_RPKQL

13. What are the issues? YouTube - Tourist killers - BBC Environment YouTube - Alien invasion on the islands - BBC EnvironmentYouTube - Alien invasion on the islands - BBC Environment YouTube - Managing tourism in the Galapagos islandsYouTube - Managing tourism in the Galapagos islands YouTube - The Galapagos Conservation Fund YouTube - Galapagos Conservation Trust talk about holidays to the Galapagos IslandsYouTube - Galapagos Conservation Trust talk about holidays to the Galapagos Islands

14. What do you think? 1.The Galapagos is an important tourist site 2.Tourism to the Galapagos should be banned 3.Conservation should be prioritised over tourism 4.Tourism is the only problem the Galapagos Islands face