Balancing Human Need & Conservation

Humans use many resources from the Earth such as land (for settlements, industry and agriculture), water, wood and fossil fuels
As the human population increases and countries become more economically developed, our requirement for these natural resources also increases
This is having a harmful effect on many aspects of the environment, including aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and our atmosphere and climate
The damage to these ecosystems is negatively impacting the species and habitats contained within them
This means that a conflict exists between human needs and conservation
- Conservation is the protection and management of species and habitats (i.e. ecosystems) in a sustainable way
- Sustainable use of ecosystems (and the resources they provide us with) means using these resources in a way that meets the needs of humans alive now, without reducing the ability of future humans to meet their own needs
- However, not everyone agrees with conservation and sustainable practices, as this may appear to limit them in certain ways (e.g. financially) in the short-term
- Careful management of natural resources is required to ensure humans use them sustainably but in a way that still fulfils their current needs

After World War II there was a massive change in how food was produced
There was a need to produce more food, at a quicker rate
- In other words, farmers needed to produce a higher yield
It was then that modern farming practices began:
- Farms became more specialised so they grew only one crop or raised one type of livestock (monoculture)
- There was a switch to growing cereal crops rather than vegetables
- Fields were made bigger to accommodate large machinery by the removal of hedgerows and stone walls
- More land was turned to arable use by draining wetland and filling in ponds
- The use of pesticides and fertilizers increased massively

Biodiversity looks at the range and variety of genes, species and habitats within a particular region
In relation to farming the biodiversity of insect, animal and plant species is often measured and studied
Some modern farming techniques have had a major negative impact on the level of biodiversity present in farming areas
Conservationists have made strong efforts to try and maintain or improve biodiversity around farmlands
- They have rewilded areas by removing all human interference and reintroducing native species
- Organic farming has been largely promoted and encouraged
- Re-establishment of hedgerows
- Planting of wildflower field margins

Nutritious, fast-growing grass is essential for raising healthy livestock
- A dairy cow is capable of eating almost 20kg of dry biomass in one day
A mixture of ryegrass and white clover species provides the highest quality grazing pasture. These species only grow on drained, fertilised land
Farmers deliberately fertilise and drain the land and sow the seeds of these two plant species
As a result, other plant species are either outcompeted or the changes to the land mean it is no longer a suitable habitat for them - there is low species richness
Natural grazing land that hasn’t been interfered with has a large variety of plant species present which can support a much greater range and number of insect species and bird species
Wet grasslands have declined steeply in the last 100 years and are now regarded as biodiversity hotspots

For farmland bird species the ploughing of fields and the harvesting of crops are the two points in the year when food is plentiful
- Ploughing brings invertebrates to the surface
- Harvesting provides spilt grain from the crops and seeds from weeds, as well as making invertebrates more accessible by removing their cover
Traditionally crops were sowed in the spring
- The soil was ploughed in March
- Grains were sown in late April
- Harvest took place in September
- The gap between harvesting and ploughing was significant - five or six months
Modern farming has switched to sowing crops in the autumn
- The soil is ploughed in August
- Grains are sown in September
- Harvest takes place in July
- The gap between harvesting and ploughing is very short - one or two weeks
The smaller gap between harvesting and ploughing means there is a very short period of time during the year when food is plentiful for birds however there is less time where the soil is redundant for the farmer
Scientists believe that this switch from spring to autumn sowing will greatly reduce the diversity of farmland birds in the future

Many people favour the produce from organic farms as the food produced is free from harmful chemicals
- The use of pesticides and inorganic fertilizers is highly restricted on organic farms
The reduction in the use of these chemicals is also thought to boost biodiversity in and around organic farms
This is a common viewpoint however there is currently very little scientific evidence that backs these claims
Organic farming is, however, less productive than intensive farming, though more sustainable

Bumblebees are essential pollinators that pollinate wildflowers and valued crops such as oilseed rape and peas
Almost a quarter of the European bumblebee species are threatened with extinction
There has been a very rapid decline in bumblebee numbers in recent years
Bumblebees require habitats with a large number of flowering plants to ensure a supply of pollen and nectar all year round. Examples of this are hedgerows, field margins and grasslands
It has been suggested that the intensive farming of crops and the use of pesticides are contributing to this decline
- The monoculture of crops reduces plant diversity for bumblebee habitats
- Although they are not the target species, pesticides can have a negative effect on bumblebees
There is still inconclusive evidence as to whether these modern farming methods are the overriding cause of the bees' falling numbers

A high yield and profit are two factors that make farming economically viable
Farming practices that maintain or increase biodiversity can be expensive, labour intensive, time-intensive. They can also reduce the yield of crops and livestock
- For example, if a farmer stops using pesticides on crops, the number of bumblebees will increase but the number of pest species that destroy crops will also increase which will reduce crop yield and profit
- This means that the farmer will have to charge more for his produce, in what is a very competitive market
It is difficult to find the balance between conservation and farming due to these knock-on effects
The EU has several grant schemes set up to encourage farmers to use more environmentally friendly farming techniques. The money provided by the grants can offset any profit lost due to lower yields

Balancing Human Need & Conservation (OCR A Level Biology)