Year 7 - Science
The importance of biodiversity
Ecosystems
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit explores the interdependence of organisms in ecosystems, including food webs and insect-pollinated crops. It examines how organisms interact with their environment and the impact of toxic materials. It also highlights the importance of biodiversity and preserving genetic material.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain why it is important to maintain biodiversity and suggest how we might do this.
Key Notes
- Biodiversity is the number of different species that live in a place.
- Biodiversity is important as it keeps habitats healthy, and provides humans with food, medicines and other resources.
- Humans have a negative impact on biodiversity through habitat destruction and pollution of the environment.
- Humans can take action to help maintain biodiversity, such as through conservation activities.
- Genetic diversity can be conserved through seed banks and other forms of gene banks.
Vocabulary To Learn
- biodiversity: Biodiversity is the range of different living organisms (species) that live in a place.
- species: A species is a group of organisms that are able to reproduce with each other to produce offspring that are also able to reproduce.
- conservation: Conservation is the process of protecting biodiversity and the environment.
- gene bank: A gene bank is a collection of seeds, plants and animals which are stored to preserve genetic material for the future.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Biodiversity conservation can only take place in large natural habitats such as forests.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.
Biodiversity is the number of different species that live in a place. Biodiversity is important as it keeps habitats healthy, and provides humans with food, medicines and other resources.
2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'biodiversity'
Biodiversity is the range of different living organisms (species) that live in a place. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.
3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.
Mistake: Biodiversity conservation can only take place in large natural habitats such as forests. Correction: Biodiversity conservation can take place on a small scale, for example, by providing habitats in gardens and in urban areas.
More Lessons In This Unit
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