3.3 Flashcards
biodiversity
define biodiversity
a measure of the variety of living organisms and their genetic differences
why is biodiversity important
because organisms are interdependent
allows large scale ecosystems to function and self-regulate
the air and water is purified by a wide range of organisms
plants reduce flooding
what is the species richness
refers to the number of different species in an area
what is the evenness of distribution of species
the relative abundance of the different types of organisms that make up the species richness
what is relative species abundance
the relative numbers of species in an area
how do you calculate diversity index
D=N(N-1)/{n(n-1)
N- total number of organisms
n- number of organisms of each individual species
{ - sum of
how do certain areas gain high biodiversity
stable ecosystem allows complex relationships to form
high level of productivity (photosynthesis) can support more niches
organisms can grow and reproduce rapidly so can exploit more niches
why may an area have low biodiversity
extreme environmental conditions
has a number of unfilled niches
environment very susceptible to change
define gene pool
all of the alleles of all of the genes in a population
what is genetic diversity
a measure of the level of difference in the genetic make-up of a population
why is genetic diversity important
without it a population are more vulnerable to changes in their environment
state some ethical reasons for maintaining biodiversity
denying future generations the opportunity to see and utilize these natural resources
should be protected and maintained
unique combinations of DNA are lost
potential to cause mass extinction through global warming
what are ecosystem services
services provided by the natural environment which benefit people
what are provisioning services provided by the ecosystem
resources provided by the ecosystem such as food, fuel, water, medicines
what are the regulating services provided by the ecosystem
regulate our environment in water purification, air quality, disease regulation, pollination
what are the supporting services provided by the ecosystem
provide support for other ecosystems in soil formation & nutrient cycling necessary for our food
what are the cultural services provided by the ecosystem
important in human health and well-being as well as economies depending on wildlife attractions
define conservation
maintaining and protecting a living changing environment
what is ex-situ conservation
conservation takes place outside of their natural habitat e.g. zoos
what is in-situ conservation
conservation takes place in the natural habitat of the organism e.g. national park
what are the advantages and disadvantages of ex-situ conservation of plants
+/ good if there is not time to conserve their habitat
genetic material is conserved
collected without damaging natural population
-/ not all seeds store well especially crop plants
take up a lot of space
what are the advantages and disadvantages of ex-situ conservation of animals
+/ help to save endangered species
promote breeding
can be re-introduced back into the wild
the gene pool can be widened by zoos analysing DNA and swapping sperm
-/ not helpful if reasons why they came to extinction aren’t addressed
difficult to provide the right conditions for breeding
reintroduction may be unsuccessful
expensive
time consuming
not enough space or sufficient resources
how many national parks are there in the uk
15
state some global national parks
great barrier reef marine park
volcanos national park
New forest national park (UK)
what are the advantages and disadvantages of in-situ conservation for animals
+/ helps maintain habitats
promotes sustainable use of biological resources
recovery of endangered species
-/ takes up a lot of space as entire ecosystems must be protected
expensive to maintain and conserve the area
land is needed for other uses
what is sustainable forestry
instead of slash and burn trees are harvested selectively and replanted for the future
How can farming be made more sustainable
using organic fertilizers
using biological pest control
maintaining hedgerows and planting in rotation to not exhaust the soil
