Maintaining Biodiversity
Practise Maintaining Biodiversity for GCSE Biology with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style questions with worked answers for AQA, Edexcel and OCR. Programmes such as breeding endangered species, protecting habitats and replanting forests all help to maintain biodiversity.
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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.
Topic overview
Scientists and concerned citizens have put in place programmes to reduce the negative effects of humans on ecosystems and biodiversity.
Measures include breeding programmes for endangered species, protection and regeneration of rare habitats, and reintroducing field margins and hedgerows in fields where farmers grow only one crop. Reducing deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions by some governments also helps, as does recycling rather than dumping waste in landfill.
There are conflicting pressures. Protecting biodiversity costs money and may conflict with the need for food, housing and jobs, so decisions often involve balancing environmental benefit against economic and social need.
Revision notes
Measures taken
Breeding programmes for endangered species, so numbers can recover.
Protection and regeneration of rare habitats. Reintroduction of field margins and hedgerows in fields where only one crop is grown, providing habitats for a range of species.
Broader measures
Reduction of deforestation and of carbon dioxide emissions by some governments.
Recycling resources rather than dumping waste in landfill, which reduces both land use and the extraction of raw materials.
Conflicting pressures
Protecting biodiversity costs money, and land protected for wildlife cannot be used for housing or farming.
Decisions therefore involve balancing environmental benefit against the economic and social needs of the local human population.
Key points
- Breeding programmes help endangered species recover.
- Rare habitats are protected and regenerated.
- Field margins and hedgerows provide habitats on farmland.
- Reducing deforestation protects biodiversity.
- Recycling reduces landfill and resource extraction.
- Protecting biodiversity conflicts with economic pressures.
Worked examples
Example 1
Give three ways biodiversity can be maintained. [3 marks]
Model answer
Breeding programmes for endangered species (1 mark). Protection and regeneration of rare habitats (1 mark). Reintroduction of field margins and hedgerows on farmland (1 mark).
Example 2
Explain how reintroducing hedgerows helps maintain biodiversity. [2 marks]
Model answer
Hedgerows provide habitats and food for a wide range of species (1 mark), which would otherwise have nowhere to live in a field growing a single crop (1 mark).
Example 3
Explain why programmes to maintain biodiversity are not always carried out. [2 marks]
Model answer
They cost money and require land that could otherwise be used for housing, farming or industry (1 mark), so there are conflicting pressures between environmental protection and the economic needs of the local population (1 mark)).
Common mistakes
Giving only one measure when several are asked for.
Breeding programmes, habitat protection, hedgerows, deforestation reduction and recycling are all valid.
Forgetting the conflicting pressures.
Evaluation questions require the economic and social side too.
Saying recycling only helps with landfill.
It also reduces the extraction of raw materials.
Not explaining how a measure works.
Say what habitat or benefit it provides, not just what it is.
Exam tips
- Learn several maintenance measures as a list.
- Explain how each measure actually helps.
- Mention conflicting economic pressures when evaluating.
- Link field margins and hedgerows to monoculture farming.
Key terms
- Endangered species
- A species at risk of extinction.
- Breeding programme
- A scheme to increase numbers of an endangered species.
- Field margin
- A strip at the edge of a field left for wildlife.
- Regeneration
- Restoring a habitat to its former condition.
Related topics
Written and reviewed against the current AQA, Edexcel and OCR specifications. Spotted an error? Let us know.