1
ECOL111 Questions with Answers (100% Correct
Answers)
What is biodiversity? Answer: Variability among organisms and the
ecological complexes they are part of. This includes diversity between
species, within species, and between ecosystems.
Why does biodiversity matter? Answer: - Ecosystem stability
- Key resources for humans
- Inspiration and quality of life
How do we track trends in biodiversity? Answer: Using the IUCN Red
list - this is the worlds most comprehensive database on animal groups
and other parts of ecosystems across the world. This captures info
about the distribution, population size, ecology, and threats of
ecosystems around the world.
What are the five major threats to biodiversity across terrestrial,
freshwater and marine environments? Answer: - Land use changes
- Exploitation
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- Climate change
- Pollution
- Invasive species
Explain how land use changes act as a driver for loss of biodiversity.
Use an example. Answer: - Conversion of land cover (deforestation,
mining)
- Changes in management (agricultural intensification)
- Changes in spatial configuration (habitat fragmentation)
New Zealand as an example
Prior to humans, most of NZ was forest, so when humans arrived,
through agriculture, intensive grazing, introduced plants etc there was
mass forest loss throughout the country.
Explain how exploitation acts as a driver for loss of biodiversity. Use
an example. Answer: Key exploited species are marine fish,
invertebrates, trees, tropical vertebrates. A large example of
exploitation is overfishing, where we are leading many species to
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,3
extinction and also causing shifts in size distribution due to forcing
this selection pressure of fish that are favourable due to surviving
against fishing.
Explain how climate change acts as a driver for loss of biodiversity.
Use an example. Answer: - Has impact on ecosystem functioning (e.g
bush fires causing wipeout of Australian galaxiids due to sediment run
off from fires)
-Impacts migration
-May threaten 1/6 of species globally, especially marine (warming
oceans, acidification)
Explain how pollution acts as a driver for loss of biodiversity. Answer:
-Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (burning fossil fuels etc) mean
that there is an increase in nutrients which change the growth rates of
plants etc in ecosystems, sometimes we don't want these increases.
-Nitrogen-phosphorus fertiliser
-Microplastics (we don't know a lot about them as it is an emerging
threat)
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, 4
Why do we look at the effects of pollution in relation to loss in
biodiversity in relation to how pollutants move through food webs
and rainfall? Answer: So we can see how it moves through
environments and which areas are threatened by accumulation of
pollutants.
Explain how invasive species act as a driver for loss of biodiversity.
Use an example. Answer: Invasive species disrupt ecological
functioning of natural ecosystems as they either out-compete or prey
on native species.
An example of invasive species causing loss in biodiversity is the
predation of rodents and cats on New Zealand's native birds.
How far can we go as scientists in terms of conservation of
biodiversity? Answer: As scientists we can say that 'this is what will
happen if nothing is done' about a situation, but it is up to cultural,
social, and economic context to decide what will happen in terms of
policy making.
© 2025 All rights reserved
ECOL111 Questions with Answers (100% Correct
Answers)
What is biodiversity? Answer: Variability among organisms and the
ecological complexes they are part of. This includes diversity between
species, within species, and between ecosystems.
Why does biodiversity matter? Answer: - Ecosystem stability
- Key resources for humans
- Inspiration and quality of life
How do we track trends in biodiversity? Answer: Using the IUCN Red
list - this is the worlds most comprehensive database on animal groups
and other parts of ecosystems across the world. This captures info
about the distribution, population size, ecology, and threats of
ecosystems around the world.
What are the five major threats to biodiversity across terrestrial,
freshwater and marine environments? Answer: - Land use changes
- Exploitation
© 2025 All rights reserved
,2
- Climate change
- Pollution
- Invasive species
Explain how land use changes act as a driver for loss of biodiversity.
Use an example. Answer: - Conversion of land cover (deforestation,
mining)
- Changes in management (agricultural intensification)
- Changes in spatial configuration (habitat fragmentation)
New Zealand as an example
Prior to humans, most of NZ was forest, so when humans arrived,
through agriculture, intensive grazing, introduced plants etc there was
mass forest loss throughout the country.
Explain how exploitation acts as a driver for loss of biodiversity. Use
an example. Answer: Key exploited species are marine fish,
invertebrates, trees, tropical vertebrates. A large example of
exploitation is overfishing, where we are leading many species to
© 2025 All rights reserved
,3
extinction and also causing shifts in size distribution due to forcing
this selection pressure of fish that are favourable due to surviving
against fishing.
Explain how climate change acts as a driver for loss of biodiversity.
Use an example. Answer: - Has impact on ecosystem functioning (e.g
bush fires causing wipeout of Australian galaxiids due to sediment run
off from fires)
-Impacts migration
-May threaten 1/6 of species globally, especially marine (warming
oceans, acidification)
Explain how pollution acts as a driver for loss of biodiversity. Answer:
-Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (burning fossil fuels etc) mean
that there is an increase in nutrients which change the growth rates of
plants etc in ecosystems, sometimes we don't want these increases.
-Nitrogen-phosphorus fertiliser
-Microplastics (we don't know a lot about them as it is an emerging
threat)
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 4
Why do we look at the effects of pollution in relation to loss in
biodiversity in relation to how pollutants move through food webs
and rainfall? Answer: So we can see how it moves through
environments and which areas are threatened by accumulation of
pollutants.
Explain how invasive species act as a driver for loss of biodiversity.
Use an example. Answer: Invasive species disrupt ecological
functioning of natural ecosystems as they either out-compete or prey
on native species.
An example of invasive species causing loss in biodiversity is the
predation of rodents and cats on New Zealand's native birds.
How far can we go as scientists in terms of conservation of
biodiversity? Answer: As scientists we can say that 'this is what will
happen if nothing is done' about a situation, but it is up to cultural,
social, and economic context to decide what will happen in terms of
policy making.
© 2025 All rights reserved
