3.3 biodiversity Flashcards

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1
Q

why is biodiversity important

A
  • rich biodiversity allows large scale ecosystems to function and self regulate
  • if biodiversity is reduced in one area, the natural balance may be destroyed elsewhere
  • photosynthesis by plants plays an important role in stabilising the atmosphere
  • biodiversity provides genetic variation that allows us to develop the production of crops, livestock, fisheries etc.
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2
Q

what are the two things that need to be assessed when measuring biodiversity

A
  • species richness, the number of species in an area
  • the evenness of distributions of different species
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3
Q

what does it mean if a species is labelled ‘endemic’

A

it is only found in one location and nowhere else

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4
Q

why can it be difficult to choose which locations to prioritise conservation in

A
  • sometimes areas of the greatest biodiversity aren’t necessarily are not always the areas with the biggest number of endemic species
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5
Q

what is species abundance

A
  • the absolute number of species and there is relative species abundance which is the relative number of different types of organisms
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6
Q

what is the formula for diversity index and what do each of the signs mean

A
  • D = N(N-1) / E n(n-1)
    D diversity index
    N total number of all species
    n total number of each individual species
    E (sigma) sum of
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7
Q

how do you measure biodiversity in a habitat in comparison to within a species

A

habitat - use the diversity index formula, measure biodiversity at species level
species - look at the genetic pool by looking at the variety of alleles within a gene pool

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8
Q

explain the features of a place of high biodiversity

A
  • stable ecosystems that allow relationships to develop between animals
  • areas where there are very high levels of productivity (photosynthesis) as this supports niches
  • areas where animals grow and reproduce rapidly, likely that more mutations occur leading to adaptations that allow organisms to explore more niches
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9
Q

how does a new species evolve by a mutation

A
  • increase the gene pool of a population by increasing the number of alleles available
  • mutation may result in advantageous feature, allele will be selected and its frequency will increase in the gene pool due to natural selection
  • the changes in allele frequency due to natural selection may lead to the evolution of a new species
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10
Q

why is genetic diversity important, how do we measure it

A
  • it is an important measure of biological health and well being because without variety, the population is vulnerable
  • we can measure analysing DNA with modern technology and comparing for similarities and differences
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11
Q

what are the ethical reasons for maintaining biodiversity

A
  • destroying biodiversity of an ecosystem denies future generations opportunities to use those renewable natural resources
  • natural world of biodiversity is a source of happiness and pleasure for some people and should be protected
  • if it is lost, species become extinct and unique combinations of DNA are lost due to human activity
  • human activities have the potential to cause mass extinctions through climate change, which reduces biodiversity on a massive scale which is immoral
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12
Q

what are ecosystem services

A
  • services provided by the natural environment that are of benefit to people
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13
Q

what are the types of ecosystem services

A

provisioning services - they provide us with all types of provisions, food, fibres for clothing, fresh water, medicines etc. the greater the BD the more potential these services have
regulating services - ecosystem processes regulate our environment, water purification, sewage treatment, maintaining air quality, maintaining air quality
supporting services - support other services we have, nutrient cycle and soil formation
cultural services - healthy ecosystem is needed for human health and well-being

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14
Q

define conservation

A
  • keeping and protecting a living and changing environment
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15
Q

what are the two ways of conserving animals and plants

A

Ex-situ conservation - takes place outside of their natural habitat
In-situ conservation - takes place inside their natural habitat

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16
Q

what are the principles of ex-situ conservations

A
  • happens when an organism is threatened with extinction and there is not time to conserve their natural habitat
  • at least this enables genetic material to be conserved and at breeding level, then they can be returned to their natural habitat
17
Q

ex-situ conservation of plants

A
  • most plants make huge numbers of seeds which can be stored cheaply and in a small space
  • most plants can be stored in seed banks however some seeds do not store well and may have to be grown naturally
18
Q

ex-situ conservation of animals

A
  • not always possible to conserve animals in the wild, because the conditions contribute to their extinction
  • zoos and wildlife parks
  • captive breeding programmes of endangered species to save them from extinction
19
Q

what are the problems with captive breeding and re introduction

A
  • there isn’t enough space in zoos and programmes for all endangered species
  • sometimes difficult to provide the right conditions for breeding
  • reintroduction to the wild will be unsuccessful unless the original cause of borderline extinction is removed
  • animals that have been bred in captivity will have difficult times adjusting
  • reintroduction programmes can be very expensive and time consuming
20
Q

name a form of in-situ conservation

A
  • national parks
21
Q

problems surrounding In-situ conservations

A

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