Mitigations for Biodiversity Loss

Mitigation: To reduce or lessen the impact of something

In our case ‘mitigation’ includes a range of ways humans can reduce their impact on the

environment…or help it to heal.

Human Population Growth (Urban Sprawl)-Increase availability of contraceptives,

sex education, offer tax breaks for smaller families, and help families to

plan new additions.-Utilize existing buildings

-Build ‘green’ by using responsibly sourced materials, adding gardens to

rooftops, paving with permeable material instead of asphalt.

-Replanting native plants in green space.

-Using alternative energy instead of fossil fuels

Habitat Alteration

Replant native plants

Reintroduce native species

Clean up toxins

Stop the addition of toxins

Restore natural water flow

Habitat Fragmentation

-Create corridors to reconnect fragmented habitats

-This allows safe passage of animals between natural habitats

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzbgurbNnMU

Invasive Species and NonNative Species

-There is currently NO effective way to remove an invasive species once it has established itself in an environment.

-Efforts include: physical removal, chemical treatments, biocontrol (introducing it’s natural predator…this has NEVER ended well).

The BEST method is to be careful when traveling and to not bring in non-natives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF2oRFicHds

Clear-cutting/Deforestation

Selective cutting takes down useful trees, leaving young ones to mature and babies to sprout up.

Replanting of cut trees

Over-harvesting

-Limit how much of any one resource we take from the environment at one time, so that the

resource will be there later.

-Farming sea life for food is called aquaculture and allows pressure to be taken off the wild

individuals.-

-As a consumer, be conscious of where your food comes from and how it is harvested.

http://www.jandh.com/blog/learn-something-new-about-fishing/

http://www.tourdeturtles.org/2012/Mayan.php?page=cause

Write these on the left side of your paper Habitat Alteration Pollution Invasive Species Nonnative Species Overharvesting Human Population Growth

Problems with The Environment

From the list below, on the right hand side of your paper, match the problems to their categories that they would fit underneath Dumping of trash barges from NYC Near extinction of the cod fish Kudzu vine in NC Smoke stack from coal burning factories Low availability of birth control in developing

countries Zebra mussels in the St Lawrence River Overgrazing of cattle in the Midwest US Leaking landfills

Match the Problems with Their Categories

Larger families Smog Deforestation Oils spills from tankers Canadian geese Pythons in Florida Global Warming leads to warmer biomes Improper recycling Stripping of orchards and no new regrowth Peppered moths from Europe Irrigation of deserts to produce more farmland

A. Soil, minerals, grass, and oxygen

B. Carbon Dioxide, worms, beetles, and clouds

C. Water, oceans, lakes, and streams

D. Baboon, boy, beetle, and bunny

Which of these lists contains only biotic factors?

A. Some of the consumers would benefit and none of the producers would benefit

B. None of the consumers would benefit and all of the producers would benefit

C. Some of the consumers and some of the producers would benefit

If there were massive floods over a farm’s lands, which of following would happen to the producers and consumers?

A. An abundant amount of food resources

B. Pleasant living conditions and shelter

C. Invasive species move in creating competition

D. Many males and females in the same area

Which of the situations would lead to a genetic variation that would evolve to benefit the species?

A. There would be less predators to attach us

B. We would miss the fuzzy little creatures that are cute in the world

C. Less bacteria to attack our immune systems

D. We would lose valuable resources

Why would biodiversity loss on even a small scale be such a problem for the human race?

A. Snakes, hawks, and lions

B. Trees, bacteria, and fish

C. Grass, seaweed, and flowers

D. Mice, rabbits, and granola

Which of the following would be found at the bottom of a food web?