Biology School Report- INCLUDES; biodiversity, palaeontology, megafauna, current research.

1.Explain the importance of the study of past environments in predicting the impact of human activity in present environments.

Situations that occur in today's environment have happened in the past, so a close study of past environments leads to a knowledge of past environments and conditions which allows a better understanding of present-day ecosystems whic helps us to predict the human impact in present environments which leads to harmful practices being recognised and conservation projects.

2.Identify the ways in which palaeontology assists understanding of the factors that may determine distribution of flora and fauna in present and future environments.

FACTORS THAT MAY DETERMINE THE DISTRIBUTION OF FLORA AND FAUNA

vClimate

→Temperature; hot, cold

→Dry. wet

vContinental drift

→Land masses separating

vChange of landscape

→Volcanic

→Flat

→Oceanic

→Mountainous

vWater availability

vAbundance of other species

→Predators

→Too crowded

vFood availability

Palaeontology assists the understanding of these factors by providing evidence as to how much of an impact these factors had in past environments, analysis of this evidence allows a moderately accurate prediction of how they will affect present and future environments.

English: Diprotodon optatum - giant marsupial from...

Aerial view of the museum on Acton Peninsula

Riversleigh, Queensland, Australia

3.Explain the need to maintain biodiversity.

Biodiversity is the sum of all the different species of animals, plants, fungi and microbial organisms living on Earth and the variety of habitats in which they live.

Biodiversity is essential for maintaining the functions of natural systems on Earth.

Without biodiversity there would be;

ûno clean water

ûno clean air

ûno productive soil

ûno food

ûno natural recycling system

ûno humans!

Human activities depend on biodiversity

Eg.

→Agriculture - disease free crops

→Foresting - life, density of forests

→Fisheries - food, concentration of marine life

→Tourism - places for tourists to visit

→Construction - materials

→Textile manufacturing - materials

→Medicine - lifesaving medicine

4. Gather, process and analyse information from secondary...