3.4.6 Biodiversity

Question 1

What is biodiversity?

Answer 1

Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms.

Question 2

What is species richness?

Answer 2

Species richness is a measure of the number of different species in a community.

Question 3

What does an index of diversity describe?

Answer 3

Describes the relationship between the number of species in a community and the number of individuals in each species.

Question 4

Define community.

Answer 4

All the different species that live in one area and interact with each other

Question 5

What impact does agriculture have on species diversity?

Answer 5

Decreases species richness

• Monoculture
• Use of pesticide/herbicide

Question 6

What impact does agriculture have on genetic diversity?

Answer 6

Decreases genetic diversity

- farmers select for specific characteristics which reduces the number of different allleles in the population

Question 7

How can biodiversity be increased in areas of agriculture?

Answer 7

• use hedgerows instead of fences
• Grow different crops in the same area/rotate crops around after every season.
• limit use of pesticides/herbicides