Maintaining Biodiversity

📖 In-Depth Theory

Why we act to protect biodiversity

Human activities — pollution, land use, deforestation and global warming — REDUCE biodiversity.

Scientists and governments have set up PROGRAMMES to reduce these negative effects and help maintain ecosystems and biodiversity.

Maintaining biodiversity protects the ECOSYSTEM SERVICES humans rely on (food, clean water, pollination) as well as the species themselves.

Programmes that maintain biodiversity

Key measures include:

BREEDING PROGRAMMES for endangered species (for example in zoos), to increase their numbers.

PROTECTION and REGENERATION of rare habitats, such as nature reserves and replanting.

Reintroducing FIELD MARGINS and HEDGEROWS on farms that grow only one crop, giving wildlife food and shelter.

Governments REDUCING deforestation and carbon dioxide emissions.

RECYCLING resources rather than dumping waste in landfill.

Conflicts and trade-offs

Protecting biodiversity often CONFLICTS with human needs and pressures:

COST — conservation programmes need money that could be spent elsewhere.

FOOD AND LAND — protecting habitats can limit land available for farming or building.

LOCAL LIVELIHOODS — people may depend on activities (logging, fishing) that damage biodiversity.

So decisions involve balancing the benefits of biodiversity against these human needs — there is not always an easy answer.

⚠️ Common Mistake

'Maintaining biodiversity' is about active human PROGRAMMES (breeding, protecting habitats, hedgerows, recycling, cutting emissions), not just 'stop polluting'. Also be ready to explain the CONFLICT: conservation costs money and land, so it competes with farming, building and jobs.

📌 Key Note

Programmes to maintain biodiversity: breeding programmes for endangered species; protecting and regenerating rare habitats; reintroducing field margins and hedgerows; governments reducing deforestation and CO₂ emissions; recycling instead of landfill. These conflict with human needs (cost, food, land, livelihoods).

🎯 Matching Activity — Conservation Measure or Human Conflict?

Sort each into a measure that maintains biodiversity or a human need that conflicts with it. — drag the symbols on the right to match the component names on the left.

Conservation measure

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Conservation measure

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Conservation measure

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Conflicting human need

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Conflicting human need

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Conflicting human need

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Reintroducing hedgerows and field margins on farms

Local jobs that depend on logging or fishing

Recycling resources instead of using landfill

Money that could be spent on hospitals or schools

Breeding programmes for endangered species

Land needed for farming and housing

🎯 Test Yourself

Question 1 of 2

1. Why might reintroducing hedgerows and field margins on a large single-crop farm increase biodiversity?

2. Conservation programmes often cause conflict. Which is an example of that conflict?

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Why we act to protect biodiversity

Programmes that maintain biodiversity

Conflicts and trade-offs

Mr. Badmus AI