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 habitat diversity

Answer 6

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 7

genetic diversity

Answer 7

the range of genetic material present in a population of species

Question 8

why is quantification of biodiversity important?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

example of a diversity indicies

Answer 9

simpsons diversity index

Question 10

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

Answer 10

• comparison is possible
• essential in identifying areas that should be protected against damaging human activity

Question 11

Explain the impact of biodiversity on the resilience of an ecosystem [3 marks maximum].

Exam-style question

Answer 11

• Resilience is the ability of an ecosystem to recover after a disturbance.
• Higher levels of biodiversity lead to greater resilience in ecosystems.
• Ecosystems with high biodiversity are better able to recover after a disturbance or disaster (like a fire) because there are more species that can return and re-establish the area.