This memory aid covers Memory Aid within Biodiversity and Human Impacts for GCSE Biology. Topic 5: Biodiversity and Human Impacts on Ecosystems It is section 12 of 16 in this topic. Use it for quick recall, then test yourself straight afterwards so the memory aid becomes usable in an answer.
🧠 Memory Aid
Human causes of biodiversity loss — "WILD" mnemonic:
- Waste and pollution (water, land, air)
- Intensive land use (farming, building, quarrying)
- Loss of forests (deforestation)
- Destruction of peat bogs
Conservation methods — "BRP + SHR" (Breeding, Replanting, Protected areas + Seed banks, Hedgerows, Recycling):
- Breeding programmes for endangered species
- Reforestation — planting trees to restore habitats
- Protected areas — SSSIs, national parks, nature reserves
- Seed banks — frozen insurance for plant diversity
- Hedgerow and field margin restoration
- Recycling — reduces waste going to landfill
The peat bog cycle: "PEAT protects — Preserve it!" Peat bogs Preserve organic carbon by keeping it Enclosed in Anaerobic, waterlogged conditions and locked away for Thousands of years. Drain them and that carbon escapes as CO₂.
Practice questions for Biodiversity and Human Impacts
What is the best definition of biodiversity?
Explain why deforestation leads to a reduction in biodiversity.