10. Biodiversity

Question 1

what does the index of diversity look at?

Answer 1

the number of species and the abundance of each species in a community.

Question 2

how is diversity index calculated?

Answer 2

N(N-1) div SumOf n(n-1)

Question 3

how do farming techniques affect biodiversity?

Answer 3

reduce

Question 4

give three methods that can be done to help achieve a balance between food production and conservation?

Answer 4

plant hedges between fields instead of using fences.
leave margins around fields for wild flowers to grow.
reduce the use of pesticides and inorganic fertilisers
introduce crop rotation and leave fields unplanted occasionally.

Question 5

name the ways in which it is possible to measure genetic diversity within or between a species?

Answer 5

genome sequencing, comparing amino acid sequences, immunological comparisons

Question 6

what is the best way to eliminate sampling bias?

Answer 6

random sampling method

Question 7

how do you calculate species diversity index?

Answer 7

index of diversity = total number of organisms of all species x total number of organisms of all species - 1
divided by the sum of the total number of organisms of each species x the total number of organisms of each species - 1
d = N(N-1) / sum of n(n-1)

Question 8

what human activities can reduce species diversity in an agricultural setting?

Answer 8

absence of crop rotations
draining wetland
overgrazing
removal of hedgerow/woodland
monoculture
pesticides
polluting water sources

Question 9

what processes can be used to maintain/improve species diversity in an agricultural setting?

Answer 9

nitrogen fixing crops
maintain and grow wetland
rotate fields used for grazing
maintenance of hedgerows/woodland
use of hedges as land boundaries 
plant young trees
grow more than one type of crop
natural meadows
organic/biological manure etc...

Question 10

define phylogenetic group

Answer 10

based upon evolutionary relationships, species are arranged into a hierarchy of groups