3.3 biodiversity Flashcards
why is biodiversity important
- 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.
what are the two things that need to be assessed when measuring biodiversity
- species richness, the number of species in an area
- the evenness of distributions of different species
what does it mean if a species is labelled ‘endemic’
it is only found in one location and nowhere else
why can it be difficult to choose which locations to prioritise conservation in
- sometimes areas of the greatest biodiversity aren’t necessarily are not always the areas with the biggest number of endemic species
what is species abundance
- the absolute number of species and there is relative species abundance which is the relative number of different types of organisms
what is the formula for diversity index and what do each of the signs mean
- 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
how do you measure biodiversity in a habitat in comparison to within a species
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
explain the features of a place of high biodiversity
- 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
how does a new species evolve by a mutation
- 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
why is genetic diversity important, how do we measure it
- 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
what are the ethical reasons for maintaining biodiversity
- 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
what are ecosystem services
- services provided by the natural environment that are of benefit to people
what are the types of ecosystem services
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
define conservation
- keeping and protecting a living and changing environment
what are the two ways of conserving animals and plants
Ex-situ conservation - takes place outside of their natural habitat
In-situ conservation - takes place inside their natural habitat
what are the principles of ex-situ conservations
- 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
ex-situ conservation of plants
- 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
ex-situ conservation of animals
- 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
what are the problems with captive breeding and re introduction
- 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
name a form of in-situ conservation
- national parks
problems surrounding In-situ conservations
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