3.1 An Introduction to Biodiversity

Question 1

define biodiversity

Answer 1

it is a broad concept encompassing total diversity, including species diversity, habitat diversity and genetic diversity per unit area

Question 2

define species diversity

Answer 2

the variety of species per unit area, including the number of species in an area and their relative abundance

Question 3

relationship between species diversity and complexity of an ecosystem

Answer 3

the higher the species diversity of a community/ecosystem, the greater the complexity.

higher survival rate because the alleles that exist will help the species against any issue in the enviornment

Question 4

species richness

Answer 4

number of species in an area

Question 5

species evenness

Answer 5

relative abundance of each species

Question 6

define species

Answer 6

a group of organisms that interbreed and are capable of producing fertile offspring

Question 7

define habitat diversity

Answer 7

the range of different habitats in an ecosystem or biome. conservation of habitat diversity usually leads to the conservation of species and genetic diverstiy

• variety of ecological niches

Question 8

genetic diversity

Answer 8

the range of genetic material present in a population of species

Question 9

why is quantification of biodiversity important?

Answer 9

to conservation efforts so that areas of high biodiversity may be identified, explored, and appropriate conservation put in place where possible

Question 10

what are diversity indices used for (impact of human development)

Answer 10

to assess whether the impact of human development on ecosystems is sustainable or not

Question 11

example of a diversity indicies

Answer 11

simpsons diversity index

Question 12

usefullness of providing numerical values of species diversity to understanding the biological communities and the conservation of biodiversity

Answer 12

It is important to conservation efforts so that areas of high biodiversity are identified, explored, and appropriate conservation practices put in place where possible.

The measurements of biodiversity are essential in identifying areas that should be protected against damaging human activities.

Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example, A larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops. Greater species diversity ensures