Living Environment - Human Activities, NatOrgs and Conservation + Conflicts between Stakeholders

• forest fires • earthquakes • volcanic activity • tsunamis • hurricanes

impacts: - result in a loss of habitat - flames kill organisms - allows ecosystems a chance to rebuid lodgewood pine (adaptation): - layer of resin around cone that only poens in high temperatures (forest fires)

• lava flows destroys what it comes into contact with • over 150 years the ecosystem can recover, more diverse than before

• loss of human life and habitats • destoys coral reefs and other marine life • ruins soils fertility due to salination and increases chance of erosion

the clearing of areas of natural forest without replanting impacts: - habitats destroyed - flooding - higher levels of CO2 - decreases ecosystems stability

the presence of a substance that is harmful to organisms, looks unpleasant or damages surroundings impacts: - chemical imbalances - kill individual organisms, and/or species - destroy habitats

social - rising sea levels causes flooding, displacing people - loss of agricultural land due to drought/flood leads to food shortages - water shortages causes conflict - heatwaves kill elderly and those with existing health conditions economic - rising sea level flooding means money is needed to repair damage/build new homes and industry - high costs for sea defences - reduced energy demands due to shorter winters - arctic ports become ice free encouraging more trade environmental - habitat loss - reduction in biodiversity - changes in species distribution - risk of forest fires - more extreme weather - loss of sensitive ecosystems e.g. coral reefs - ice sheets and glaciers melt

to use a resource at a rate that is not sustainable impacts: - distrupt balance in ecosystems - interupts food chains/webs - can lead to the extinction of species

growing a single crop over a wide area positives: - farming is more efficient increasing crop yield negatives: - removal of hedge rows destroys habitats - increases need for agrochemicals

removal of competing plants from the crop growing area positives: - reduces interspecific competition between crop and other species allowing the crop’s improved growth - increases crop yield negatives: - killing of ‘weeds’ reduces the biodiversity of an area

An agrochemical which removes pest species and diseases from crop positives: - increases crop yield by removing pests that are eating or damaging the crop negatives: - insecticides can be toxic and build up through the food chain causing great harm to the top predators (bioaccumulation) - it kills non-target species like bees

a substance which increases the nutrient levels in the soil positives: - increaed nutrients available for the plant will increase growth and therefore crop yeild negatives: - leaching of fertilisers can cause eutrophication (algal bloom)

occurs when the last member of a species dies

conservation aims to protect species from extinction, maintain and restore habitats and protect biodiversity methods: - reintroduction of species - rewilding - captive breeding

Sites of Special Scientific Interest are areas which best represent the natural heritage including diversity of plants, animals, rocks, and landforms

SEPA - Scottish Environment Protection Agency NS - NatureScot

• monitoring environmental quality • advising government, industry, and public on the most sustainable and environmentally friendly practice

• promote and care for natural heritage (care) • help people enjoy nature responsibly (enjoy) • spread awareness and understanding of nature (educate) • promote sustainable use of scotland’s natural heritage (sustain)