Questions regarding Biodiversity

Below follow questions which help gain an understanding of the concepts in this overview. Stars (★) are an indication of the level of difficulty of the question or concepts.

Note that translations form Dutch into English have been done by ChatGPT, there may be errors. 

Some themes have suggestions for sources, however, they usually won't provide complete information.

Levels

Sources

• https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/biodiversity/intro

• https://www.omnicalculator.com/ecology/shannon-index

What does the concept of biodiversity mean? ★ ★ ★

The concept of biodiversity is described and determined on three different levels.

The degree of diversity is determined on the genetic level, the level of species, and the level of ecosystems. Explain what these levels mean.

Indicate why these levels are distinguished in this way and give some examples.

How can you determine the biodiversity of species? ★ ★

Find a simple definition of the concept of "species." Summarize what you have found, including what is meant by the biodiversity of species in a particular area. Explain how you can quantify biodiversity using the Shannon diversity index.

What is genetic variation and its importance for a population? ★ ★

How can a plague affect the resilience of a population (negatively)?

Explain how an event such as a plague can cause a genetic bottleneck and why such a bottleneck can negatively affect the resilience of a population.

What is an ecosystem, and why are ecosystems so sensitive? ★ ★ ★

The term "ecosystem" is often used haphazardly, and there are quite a few terms and concepts related to an ecosystem. What is a comprehensive definition of the concept of an ecosystem?

Provide a comprehensive definition of the concept of an ecosystem and describe what the terms habitat, niche, food web, and cycle mean and how they are recognizable in a self-chosen ecosystem. Explain with examples.

Some ecosystems/nature reserves suffer greatly from nitrogen deposition regarding biodiversity. Explain how an increase in nitrogen results in the displacement of plant species. Give examples of organisms that suffer and explain why they no longer occur.

For many people, it is difficult to understand why nitrogen has such a devastating effect on nature since the air consists of 70% nitrogen. In layman's terms, explain why the deposition of ammonia (from intensive livestock farming) on the ground has a devastating effect on biodiversity.

Ecosystem services

Sources

• https://www.wur.nl/en/dossiers/file/ecosystem-services.htm

What is an ecosystem service? ★ ★ ★

Explain the concept of ecosystem services and give four categories of ecosystem services. Provide examples for each category.

What is an example of a product provided by nature? ★ ★

Provide a chain of successive steps that lead to the production of a physical product that humans benefit from. Explain the relationship between the process and the level of biodiversity. Explain with an example how a higher level of biodiversity can actually contribute to a decrease in the positive impact of a service.

What is meant by the regulating function of an ecosystem? ★ ★

What is an example of a regulating function of a natural environment that we have in the Netherlands? What can be said about the economic value of such a service?

How can an ecosystem contribute to our society culturally? ★

Culture is not only found in theaters or museums. Tourism is also culture and is an important source of our thriving economy. People recreate best in a more colorful and diverse environment than in a monoculture area such as the Flevopolder.

List aspects of a municipal plan for the development of an area where residents can recreate positively.

What can be said about the importance of recreation for human well-being?

Global Change

Sources:

• https://www.greenfacts.org/en/biodiversity/biodiversity-foldout.pdf

What causes, leading to global changes, exist in relation to biodiversity? ★ ★ ★

Cause and effect are always closely related. In the bar below, several causes are mentioned that have been described in the literature and all have a relationship with the diversity of organisms in the world.

Read the terms aloud with a group. Write on an A4 what the terms mean, why they are present as such, and how a change in them in the coming years (more or less or in a different way) could have a positive contribution to biodiversity. Summarize the whole in a table.

What are the consequences of global changes on biodiversity? ★ ★ ★

The effects of the terms listed in small text below have been widely described in the literature. A general effect is that they do not adhere to national borders. Many different effects resulting from changes in the average global temperature have been described, ranging from large and visible effects to microscopic effects. An example of the latter is that certain species of zooplankton from the North Sea and southwest of the British Isles have migrated over 1000 km further north, or that pesticides on a field have an effect on life in ditches and ponds. Work together in a group and brainstorm a few effects for each of the terms listed.

Nature Management

What does the Netherlands (or: a country of your preference) do to preserve nature? ★ ★

Nature conservation has been practiced for over 100 years. The oldest national parks in the US are an example of this. In the Netherlands, the Naardermeer was designated as a nature reserve many years ago, thanks to the initiative of, among others, teacher Jac P Thijsse.

Provide descriptions of ways to conserve nature and how, by not significantly altering nature, it can still be a service to us.

Why is nature restoration so important? ★ ★ ★

Nature restoration is being done in various ways. In the Netherlands, decades ago, work began to restore the riverbanks of rivers to their natural form. The construction of ecoducts has also had a significant positive impact on the restoration of the natural environment. Give a description of two such projects. Discuss the work carried out and the results achieved. Choose one project that is small and local, and one that is more oriented towards a larger area. Also, mention the benefits that these actions have on, for example, climate, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.

What is meant by the actors involved in nature management? ★ ★

Different actors can contribute to the conservation and restoration of ecosystems. Look at the actors in the list: citizen, consumer, politics, companies, NGOs, and give an example of how each actor can contribute. Put this in a table and compare it with the table of another group. Collect information from the other group(s) and expand your own table.