Edexcel GCSE Biology Your notes

Human Influences on the Environment

Contents
Human Impact on Biodiversity
Assessing Pollution
Benefits of Maintaining Biodiversity

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 Human Impact on Biodiversity
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Fish Farming
Benefits of fish farming
Most fish are still caught in the wild (i.e. in the open ocean or in freshwater rivers and
lakes)
However, overfishing has lead to dramatic declines in many fish populations
Fish farms are ways of raising large numbers of fish in a small space to provide food
(protein) for humans
Fish are bred in large tanks or cages to minimise energy losses and maximise yield

Methods to maximise yield in fish farms

Within fish farms, large numbers of fish are kept in freshwater or seawater enclosures and
are carefully monitored and controlled in different ways (many of which are not possible
with wild-caught fish)
Selective breeding ensures high quality, fast-growing fish
Interspecific predation is prevented using nets and cages
Intraspecific predation is limited by grouping fish according to their age and size
Water quality is carefully controlled by monitoring pH and temperature as well as
removing fish waste or dead fish
Diet is controlled by feeding high protein fish pellets regularly to ensure rapid
growth
Diseases and pests are prevented using antibiotics and pesticides or biological
controls

The effect of fish farms on biodiversity

Fish farms, whilst reducing the pressure of overfishing of wild fish, can have a negative
impact on biodiversity in several ways
Predators may be attracted to the fish farms and may get caught in nets trying to
reach the fish
Diseases can spread quickly in fish farms due to the enclosed space and number of
individuals in close proximity. Diseases can also spread in the water to other species
outside of the fish farm
If any caged fish were to escape, they can cause issues with the native species
nearby (i.e. those that live in the area naturally)
Eutrophication can occur
Fish Farming Methods Table

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 Your notes

Non-Indigenous Species
An indigenous species is one which is native to a particular area
Introducing a non-indigenous species into an area can have negative affects on the
native species
Introduction may be purposeful (for example, as a biological control) or it might be
accidental (for example, if an organism escapes captivity)
Negative effects occur due to competition, impacts on the food chain and disease
This results in a decrease in the biodiversity of the habitat

Competition

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 The non-indigenous species may compete with native species for food, water or
space
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This could result in one or more indigenous species being outcompeted and possibly
being eradicated
For example, the red squirrel is a native species of squirrel in the UK that has declined
in numbers drastically due to the introduction of the North American grey squirrel
The grey squirrel not only carry the deadly parapox virus, which is fatal to red
squirrels, but they also directly compete with red squirrels for food and nesting sites

Impacts on the food chain

A new species in the food chain would disrupt the balance as it would provide a new
food source or a new predator
This would impact the populations of the other organisms in the food web
For example, the Cane toad is a species of poisonous toad that was introduced into
Australia as a biological control to help combat an infestation of beetles, which were
destroying sugar cane.
The toads then went on to infiltrate the local food webs, poisoning predators that
ate them, which had a knock-on effect on other species in the food web

Disease
New species may bring with them new diseases which may be deadly to indigenous
species
This can have minimal impact but can also be devastating for whole populations, either
by total eradication or via long term effects to the health of the species
For example, Chalara Ash dieback (a fungus that grows on ash trees), which was
brought over through imports of ash trees from Asia, is set to wipe out up to 80% of
indigenous Ash in the UK

Eutrophication
Runoff of fertiliser from farmland enters the water and causes increased growth of
algae and water plants
The resulting ‘algal bloom’ blocks sunlight so water plants on the bottom start to die, as
does the algae when competition for nutrients becomes too intense
As water plants and algae die in greater numbers, decomposing bacteria increase in
number and use up the dissolved oxygen whilst respiring aerobically
As a result there is less oxygen dissolved in water, so aquatic organisms such as fish and
insects may be unable to survive
This results in a decrease in biodiversity for the habitat

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 Your notes

Eutrophication can reduce biodiversity in polluted water bodies

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 Assessing Pollution
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Indicator Species
Higher tier only
It is possible to use the presence or absence of particular organisms as an indicator of
pollution
For example, some organisms are particularly sensitive to certain changes in their
environment
This means they can be studied in order to determine the effect of human activities
on a particular habitat or ecosystem
These organisms are known as indicator species
Indicator species can be used to determine the level of:
Water pollution
Air pollution

Water pollution
One form of water pollution occurs when raw sewage or fertilisers (both containing
nitrates) are released into a body of water, such as a stream or pond
This causes microorganisms in the water to increase in number
As these microorganisms respire, they use up the oxygen in the water
Some invertebrate species, such as stonefly larvae and freshwater shrimps, are highly
sensitive to the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water they are living in
This makes them good indicator species for water pollution
For example, the presence of stonefly larvae in a stream or river indicates that the
water is not polluted (i.e. it is clean and has high oxygen levels)
On the other hand, some other invertebrate species are adapted to live in polluted
environments
This also makes them good indicator species for water pollution
For example, the presence of blood worms and sludgeworms in a body of water
indicates a very high level of water pollution

Air pollution
Lichen (that grow on trees and buildings) can be used as an indicator species for air
pollution
This is due to the fact that lichens are highly sensitive to sulfur dioxide concentrations in
their environment

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 Sulfur dioxide is one of the air pollutants released from car exhausts and power
stations (i.e. during the combustion of fossil fuels)
The abundance (number) and type of lichen species growing at a particular location can Your notes
be monitored to determine how clean the air is
For example, a high abundance of lichen indicates clean air
In particular, a high abundance of bushy lichen indicates very clean air (as these
lichens need cleaner air than crusty lichen)
Another indicator species for air pollution is blackspot fungus, which grows on rose
leaves
Like lichen, it is also sensitive to sulphur dioxide concentrations and its presence
indicates clean air
Potential disadvantages of using indicator species
Although using indicator species is a fairly simple and cost-effective method of
determining whether a habitat is polluted or not, it has some drawbacks
For example, it can't give accurate numerical (quantitative) figures for exactly how
much pollution is present
In addition, the presence or absence of indicator species can also be affected by
factors other than pollution (e.g. the presence of predators or disease)
If more detailed information on pollution levels is required, non-living indicators can be
used instead. For example:
Dissolved oxygen meters and chemical tests can be used to very accurately
determine the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water and can be used to
show changes in levels of water pollution over time
Electronic meters and laboratory tests can be used to very accurately determine
the concentration of sulfur dioxide in the air and can be used to show changes in
levels of air pollution over time

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 Benefits of Maintaining Biodiversity
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Benefits of Maintaining Biodiversity
The interactions between organisms in an ecosystem mean that organisms, populations
or whole species may depend on one another
Due to this interdependence, maintaining biodiversity is key in maintaining the stability
of the ecosystem and avoiding disruption which could lead to the loss of species
The loss of one species would have knock-on effects that would impact other species
within the ecosystem (including humans). For example:
Human food supply - some farming methods threaten certain populations which
could have future implications for the availability of that species for the human food
supply e.g. the effect of overfishing on fish stocks
Medicines - some medicines are extracted from plants, these same plants may be
at risk of extinction due to human activities such as deforestation
Jobs - conservation efforts and ecotourism provide jobs to support local
populations
Cultural aspects - many cultures have traditions and symbols which come from
nature, these cultural symbols may be threatened by loss of biodiversity
Ecotourism - human interest in rare or exotic species provides cope for tourism to
admire such species. Although it requires careful control, also provides economic
support for future conservation efforts
Climate change - peatlands and wetlands store lots of carbon so preventing
disruption to these areas is of great importance in trying to reduce the amount of
carbon released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide
Reasons for Maintaining Biodiversity Table

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 Your notes

Conservation
The future of the human species on Earth relies on us maintaining a good level of
biodiversity
The increasing human population and the activities of humans (including waste
production, peat bog destruction, deforestation and our contributions to global
warming) are causing a reduction in global and ecosystem-level biodiversity
These activities are considered as negative human interactions with ecosystems
There are, however, ways in which humans can interact positively with ecosystems

Conservation of species
Working directly with the species under threat can help to support that species to allow
it to recover
Methods might include:
Protected areas or conservation areas - these are areas that are not allowed to be
interfered with, for example, no building work is allowed
Breeding programs - selective breeding of organisms, often in zoo's, to support an
increase in population numbers
Seed banks - seeds of plants species can be collected and stored for many years
under the right conditions to future proof the species

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Reforestation
A conscious effort has been made in recent years to try and counteract the negative Your notes
impact of deforestation
Trees provide important habitats for many species and also help to maintain the
global carbon balance by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for
photosynthesis
Replanting large areas of forest land with a variety of tree species helps to rebuild
the biodiversity of the cleared areas
Methods to Protect Biodiversity Table

There are many conflicting pressures on maintaining biodiversity. Some examples

include:
The cost of programmes:
Protecting biodiversity can be very expensive

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 Eg. the land used for field margins could be used by farmers to grow crops and sell
them – governments sometimes pay farmers a subsidy to make up for the lost
money Your notes
It costs money to check that programmes designed to maintain biodiversity are
actually being followed
Protecting food security:
Land that is protected to maintain biodiversity could instead be used for farming –
this can cause conflict in areas where there are food shortages
Sometimes organisms seen as a threat by farmers (eg. locusts and wolves) are killed
to protect crops and livestock – this can negatively affect food chains / biodiversity
and can cause conflict when species that are already under threat due to hunting or
habitat loss are involved (eg. lions in parts of Africa)
The development of society:
Increasing amounts of land are required to sustain the increasing human
population
Eg. land required for new housing developments or for new agricultural land in
developing countries
This high demand means that land with undisturbed habitats and high biodiversity is
increasingly being used for development

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