11.1 - Biodiversity Flashcards
Define biodiversity
The variety of living organisms present in an area
What is the importance of biodiversity?
- All species are interconnected and dependant on one another.
- Maintains a balanced ecosystem
- (all the living and interacting organisms and the non-living conditions in an area.)
- Maintains a balanced ecosystem
- Animals eat plants > plants need fertile soil, growth; Fungi decomposes dead plants/animals.
- If there is reduced biodiversity, these links may not all be present, thus harming the species in an ecosystem.
What are the different levels at which biodiversity is studied?
(Give definitions for each)
Habitat biodiversity - number of different habitats in an area
Species biodiversity - 2 components (species richness, species evenness)
Genetic biodiversity - Variety of genes that make up a species. E.g. 25,000 in humans
Give different examples of habitats around the world, and explain why habitat biodiversity varies.
Since each habitat can support a different number of species, the greater the habitat biodiversity, the greater the biodiversity.
Examples of UK habitat types: Meadow, woodland, stream, sand dunes > high habitat biodiversity
Examples of Antarctic habitat types: Just an ice sheet > low habitat biodiversity
Examples of Countryside habitat types: Rivers, woodlands, hedgerows, wild grassland > habitat rich
Define the 2 components of species biodiversity.
Species richness – number of species living in an area
Species evenness – comparison of numbers of individual species living in a community (all the populations of living organisms in a habitat)
What are the benefits of high genetic biodiversity?
- Genetic biodiversity leads to different characteristics exhibited. E.g. in dogs, all dogs will have some genes that are the same, the alleles will determine the breed.
- Greater genetic biodiversity = better adaptation to changing environment – results in organisms that are more resistant.
