GREAT MARLOW SCHOOL
Geography Department
Biodiversity Under Threat
Booklet: Topic outline and past paper exam questions
LessonLearning objectives and outcomes
Lesson 1
What is Biodiversity?
1. What is meant by the term WILDERNESS?
1. What is meant by the term BIODIVERSITY?
Reading focus: Madagascar
Lesson 2
Should ANWR be developed?
1. What are the arguments that ANWR should be developed?
1. What are the arguments that ANWR should not be developed?
Reading focus and case study: ANWR
Lesson 3
Where is all the biodiversity?
1. What are biomes?
1. What are hotspots?
1. What factors influence biodiversity?
1. Why is biodiversity important?
Lesson 4
Biodiversity under THREAT
1. To what extent is biodiversity threatened?
1. Who is causing the threat?
1. Action required?
Reading focus and case study: Galapagos
Lesson 5
Ecosystem Services
1. Where is Daintree?
1. What makes Daintree so special?
Reading focus and case study: Daintree Forest
Lesson 6
The threats to Daintree
1. The tourism dilemma
1. The issue with WORLD HERITAGE status
Reading focus and case study: Daintree Forest
Lesson 7
Management of Daintree
1. How would you manage the Daintree?
1. What are the barriers to management?
1. Does management of the Daintree require a local or global approach?
1. Ecosystem SERVICES What do you think is happening to the value of these in the Daintree?
Reading focus and case study: Daintree Forest
Lesson 8
Biodiversity Mangrove ecosystems
1. To identify the specific importance of MANGROVE ecosystems
1. To assess the services provided by MANGROVE ecosystems
Lesson 9
THREATS TO THE MANGROVE ECOSYSTEM
1. What are the threats to this unique ecosystem?
1. How does energy flow in the ecosystem?
Lesson 10
The GLOBAL responses to BIODIVERSITY
1. What are the ways forward?
1. Do we need local actions?
1. Who is responsible for conserving species?
1. Why do we need to preserve species diversity?
1. Are GLOBAL responses just media friendly and headline grabbing responses?
1. Look in the mirror! Do you have a role to play?
Reading focus: Convention of Biological Diversity, Galapagos
January 2010
Biodiversity Under Threat.
3 Study Figure 3.
(a) Explain how human activities have contributed to the condition of ecosystem goods and services.(10)
(b) Using named examples, evaluate the success of global actions designed to protect biodiversity. (15)
June 2010
Biodiversity under Threat
6 (a) Explain why the Pacific SIDS (Small Island Developing States) have such high biodiversity. (10)
(b) Evaluate the relative importance of the threats facing biodiversity in the region. (16)
(c) Examine the actions shown in Figure 7. Assess the contribution these might make to a more sustainable future for the Pacific SIDS. (14)
January 2011
Biodiversity Under Threat
2 Study Figure 2.
(a) Suggest reasons for variations in the percentage of protected terrestrial and marine areas. (10)
(b) Using examples, assess the relative importance of human and physical factors in influencing levels of biodiversity. (15)
June 2011
Biodiversity under Threat
3 Study Figure 3.
(a) Explain how the three scenarios shown could have very different consequences for biodiversity. (10)
(b) Using named examples, assess the advantages and disadvantages of two contrasting strategies for managing biodiversity. (15)
January 2012
Biodiversity under Threat
3 Study Figure 3.
(a) Explain how physical factors influence the distribution of biodiversity shown. (10)
(b) With reference to a named global ecosystem, assess the global and local value of its goods and services. (15)
June 2012
Biodiversity under Threat
2 Study Figure 2.
(a) Suggest reasons for the trends in the health of the four groups shown. (10)
(b) Using named examples, examine the relationship between levels of economic development and attitudes towards conservation of ecosystems. (15)
January 2013
Biodiversity under Threat
2 Study Figure 2.
(a) Using Figure 2, explain why a spectrum of strategies is used to help conserve biodiversity. (10)
(b) Using named examples, assess the severity of global and local threats to biodiversity. (15)
June 2013
Biodiversity under Threat
3 Study Figure 3.
(a) Using Figure 3, explain how the three threats shown can affect physical processes within ecosystems.
(10)
(b) To what extent are local, small scale conservation schemes likely to protect biodiversity more successfully than global initiatives? (15)
June 2014
Biodiversity Under Threat
3 Study Figure 3.
(a) Using Figure 3, explain the physical and human factors that could influence the number of endemic species found in particular locations. (10)
(b) Using named examples, evaluate the economic, cultural and environmental value of a named global ecosystem. (15)
