Biodiversity & Ecosystem Protection Flashcards

Which ecosystem type stores the most carbon per unit area and is critically important for both carbon auditing and biodiversity protection?

Answer: Tropical peatlands

Tropical peatlands store up to 2,000 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare in their organic soils and host unique biodiversity, making their protection a high-priority co-benefit.

A carbon auditor reviewing a blue carbon mangrove project should prioritize verification of which biodiversity metric?

Answer: Fish nursery function and invertebrate species richness in restored areas vs. baseline

Mangrove ecosystems serve as critical fish nurseries, so measuring fish and invertebrate diversity against a pre-project baseline directly validates biodiversity co-benefit claims.

In ecosystem carbon accounting, 'leakage' refers to:

Answer: Displacement of emissions or biodiversity-damaging activities to areas outside the project boundary

Leakage occurs when protecting one area pushes deforestation or harmful land use into nearby unprotected areas, undermining both carbon and biodiversity outcomes.

The concept of 'ecosystem services valuation' in carbon auditing helps auditors to:

Answer: Quantify the economic value of ecological functions like pollination and water purification alongside carbon benefits

Ecosystem services valuation assigns monetary or quantitative value to non-carbon benefits, strengthening the overall case for a project's environmental integrity.

Under the Gold Standard for the Global Goals (GS4GG), carbon projects must align with which Sustainable Development Goals most directly tied to biodiversity?

Answer: SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land)

SDG 14 and SDG 15 directly address marine and terrestrial biodiversity, and Gold Standard projects are required to demonstrate positive contributions to at least three SDGs including these where applicable.

A carbon auditor finds that a wetland restoration project has increased methane (CH₄) emissions from anaerobic decomposition. The correct auditing approach is to:

Answer: Include CH₄ emissions in the net GHG balance calculation using appropriate global warming potential (GWP) factors

Accurate GHG accounting requires that all relevant gases including CH₄ be included using IPCC-approved GWP values to determine true net climate benefit.

Which international certification label specifically combines carbon sequestration with measurable biodiversity and community livelihood outcomes in a single verified standard?

Answer: Plan Vivo Standard

The Plan Vivo Standard was designed for smallholder and community land management projects, explicitly requiring verified co-benefits for biodiversity and local livelihoods alongside carbon outcomes.