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BIOLOGY OCR A > 4.2 BIODIVERSITY > Flashcards

4.2 BIODIVERSITY Flashcards

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1
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms present in an area.

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2
Q

What is the importance of biodiversity?

A

Importance of biodiversity:
- fundamental to sustainable life
- essential in maintaining a balanced ecosystem for all organisms due to interdependence
- human activity has an impact on biodiversity

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3
Q

What are the levels of biodiversity?

A

Levels of biodiversity:
- habitat
- species
- genetic

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4
Q

What is habitat biodiversity?

A

Habitat biodiversity is the number of different habitats found within an area. Each habitat can support multiple different species.
- farmland has a smaller habitat biodiversity because it is a monoculture. this means only one type of crop is grown, reducing habitats available for species

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5
Q

What is species biodiversity?

A

Species biodiversity is composed of species richness and species evenness.
Species richness is the number of different species found within an area.
Species evenness is a comparison of the numbers of individuals of each species living in a community.

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6
Q

What is genetic biodiversity?

A

Genetic biodiversity is the variety of genes that make up a species.
- many genes will be the same for individuals within a species
- different alleles increase the genetic biodiversity of a species
- greater genetic biodiversity within a species allows for better adaptation to a changing environment and is more likely to lead to individuals who are resistant to a disease
- plants require more genes so they can carry out their day to day functions by being stood still

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7
Q

Why do we need to measure biodiversity?

A

Why we need to measure biodiversity:
- provides a baseline for the diversity in an area
- conservation
- allows the affect of any changes in the environment to be measured
- to know what species are present

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8
Q

What are the environmental impact assessments?

A

The environments impact assessments (EIA) are assessments undertaken before a major project is carried out (e.g a new road) to predict the positive and negative effects of a project on the biodiversity in that area.

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9
Q

What do EIA’s look at?

A

EIA’s look at:
- environmental changes within ecosystems and habitats
- potential gains/losses in
= the variety of species
= the variety and abundance within species
= the space available for ecosystem and habitat
= the physical connectedness between ecosystems and habitats

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10
Q

What is a habitat?

A

A habitat is the part of an ecosystem where a particular organism lives.

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11
Q

What is an ecosystem?

A

An ecosystem is the interaction between all organisms and their environment in a particular area.

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12
Q

What is an abiotic factor?

A

An abiotic factor is the non-living physical and chemical factors in an ecosystem that affect a populations distribution and abundance.

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13
Q

What is a population?

A

A population is a group of organisms of the same species living in the same place at the same time who can interbreed.

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14
Q

What is a niche?

A

A niche is the role of an organisms within an ecosystem, the effects it has on other components of the ecosystem and the effects they have on it.

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15
Q

What a biotic factor?

A

A biotic factor is an environmental factor caused by other living organisms that affect a populations distribution and abundance.

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16
Q

What is a community?

A

A community is the sum total of all living organisms of all species living in the same place at the same time.

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17
Q

What is a species?

A

A species is a group of organisms that are able to breed together to make fertile offspring and have the same morphology, anatomy, physiology and behaviour.

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18
Q

What is sampling?

A

Sampling:
- takes measurements of a limited number of organisms within a particular area
- allows us to
= estimate abundance of organisms
= measure a particular characteristic
= assess human impact on habitats and biodiversity

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19
Q

Why sample?

A

Why sample:
- can be used to measure biodiversity of a habitat
- observe all species present
- identify all species
- count how many individuals are in each species

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20
Q

What is random sampling?

A

Random sampling is used in areas with uniform or patchy distributions. It removes bias and ensures the sample is representative.

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21
Q

What are the characteristics of random sampling?

A

Characteristics of random sampling:
- selects area/individuals by chance
- uses a grid and generates random coordinates

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22
Q

What is non-random sampling?

A

Non-random sampling is made up of three types; stratified, opportunistic and systematic.

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23
Q

What is opportunistic sampling?

A

Opportunistic sampling is used because it is easy (e.g only sampling animal species on one side of the road).

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24
Q

What are the characteristics of opportunistic sampling?

A

Characteristics of opportunistic sampling:
- chooses samples that are conveniently available
- weakest form of sampling

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25
Q

What is stratified sampling?

A

Stratified sampling is used to calculate populations for individual strata (sub-groups) and total population and can produce precise results for the strata in each population.

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26
Q

What are the characteristics of stratified sampling?

A

Characteristics of stratified sampling:
- splits populations based on characteristics
- each strata is sampled

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27
Q

What is systematic sampling?

A

Systematic sampling is used to see changes in populations over a given stretch of habitat (e.g change in plant species as you get further away from the sea).

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28
Q

What are the characteristics of systematic sampling?

A

Characteristics of systematic sampling:
- sampling different areas within a habitat
- often uses a line or belt transect over an environmental gradient

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29
Q

What is the reliability of sampling?

A

Reliability of sampling:
1. sampling bias - selection process may be biased = can be reduced by random sampling
2. chance - organisms selected may not be representative of the whole population = can be minimised by using a larger sample

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30
Q

What is the reliability of sampling?

A

Reliability of sampling:
1. sampling bias - selection process may be biased = can be reduced by random sampling
2. chance - organisms selected may not be representative of the whole population = can be minimised by using a larger sample

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31
Q

What is the method for plant sampling?

A

To measure plant sampling, frame quadrats to measure density, frequency and percentage cover.

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32
Q

What are the methods for animal sampling?

A

Methods for animal sampling:
- capture-mark-release-recapture
= capture as many animals as possible
= mark each individual - release back into sample area, give enough time for redistribution
= recapture as many animals as possible
= record number of marked and unmarked
= work out population size = (n1 x n2)/n3

33
Q

Why is it important to measure abiotic factors?

A

Measuring abiotic factors:
- abiotic factors have a direct effect on the living organisms of an area
- to enable scientists to draw conclusions about the organisms present in an area, it is important to measure the abiotic conditions at every sample profit

34
Q

What are examples of abiotic factors and how are they measured?

A

Abiotic factors:
- wind speed, measured in m/s by an anemometer
- light intensity, measured in lx by a light meter
- relative humidity, measured in mg/dm3 by a humidity sensor
- pH, measured in pH by a pH probe
- temperature, measured in degrees C by a temperature probe
- o2 content in h2o, measured in mg/dm3 by a dissolved o2 probe

35
Q

How can a pooter be used to collect small insects?

A

A pooter can be used to collect small insects by sucking on a mouthpiece so insects are drawn into the holding chamber via the inlet tube. There is a filter on the mouthpiece to prevent insects being sucked into the mouth.

36
Q

When a sweep net be useful?

A

A sweep net would be useful to catch insects in areas of long grass.

37
Q

How would a pitfall trap be used to sample invertebrates?

A

A pitfall trap would be used by digging a hole in the ground that insects fall into. The hole is covered with a roof structure so it does not fill with rainwater and insects don’t drown. The traps are left so nocturnal species may also be sampled.

38
Q

How can tree beating be used to sample invertebrates?

A

Tree beating can be used by stretching out a large, white cloth under a tree and then shaking/beating the tree to dislodge invertebrates to be collected.

39
Q

How can kick sampling be used to study organisms living in a river?

A

Kick sampling can be used by kicking the river bank or bed for a period of time to disturb the substrate and a net will be held downstream to catch organisms released into flowing water after substrate disturbed.

40
Q

How do you use a point quadrat?

A

To use a point quadrat, set intervals along the bar, long pins can be pushed through the bar to reach the ground. Each species of plant the pin touches is then recorded.

41
Q

How do you use a frame quadrat?

A

To use a frame quadrat, use a grid with equal sections and record each type and number of species within sections. Used with random sampling.

42
Q

How do you calculate the density of plants in a field?

A

To calculate the density of plants, use a frame quadrat, count the number of a specific plant species (e.g thistle) and record the number, count number in 1m by 1m square quadrat.

43
Q

How do you calculate the frequency of plants in a field?

A

To calculate the frequency of plants, use small grids within quadrat and count the number of squares the species of plant is in. If the plant is in 65 out of 100 squares, the frequency is 65%.

44
Q

How would you calculate the species evenness of an area?

A

To calculate species evenness, measure the density of each species and compare the number of each species to see which is distributed more evenly.

45
Q

Why is it advantageous to measure abiotic factors using sensors?

A

Advantageous to measure abiotic factors using sensors:
- rapid changes can be detected
- human error in taking a reading is reduced
- high degree of precision can often be achieved
- data can be stored and tracked on computer

46
Q

Why is it often difficult to accurately determine the size of animal populations?

A

It is difficult to determine the size of animal populations because animals are constantly moving or could be hidden.

47
Q

Why measure species biodiversity?

A

Measuring species biodiversity:
- the greater the species diversity the greater the stability of a community
- the most stable communities have large numbers of evenly distributed species in large populations

48
Q

What is Simpson’s index of diversity?

A

Simpson’s index:
- takes into account species richness and evenness
D = 1-the sum of (n/N)2
n =total number of organisms for specific species
N= total number of organisms of all species

49
Q

What does the number of Simpson’s index mean?

A

Simpson’s index of 0 = no biodiversity in area
Simpson’s index of 1 = lots of biodiversity in area

50
Q

How do you calculate Simpson’s index?

A

To calculate Simpson’s index:
1. collect results
2. calculate total number of organisms (N)
3. calculate (n/N)2 for each organism
4. sum of (n/N)2 for all organisms
5. calculate 1-sum of (n/N)2
species | number | (n/N)2

51
Q

Why is genetic biodiversity beneficial?

A

Genetic biodiversity is beneficial for a species as species that are as genetically diverse as possible are more likely to be able to adapt to changes in the environment and are therefore less susceptible to extinction.

52
Q

What factors increase genetic biodiversity?

A

Factors that increase genetic biodiversity:
1. mutations - a change in the genetic material of an organism can give rise to new alleles that may be passed on to offspring
2. interbreeding between populations - when an individual migrates from one population and breeds with a member of another population, alleles are transferred between the populations (gene flow)

53
Q

What factors decrease genetic biodiversity?

A

Factors that decrease genetic biodiversity:
1. selective breeding - individuals within a population are selected based on desirable characteristics and bred, offspring therefore possess the desirable characteristics they have been bred for
2. captive breeding - populations important in maintaining species at risk of extinction in the wild, but have little variation
3. rare breeds - when only a small number of individuals of a breed remain and are available for breeding, and all of these animals have been selected for the specific breed traits, the genetic biodiversity will be low
4. artificial cloning - asexual reproduction (e.g taking a cutting from a plant) produces clones which contain the same genetic material as the parent organism
5. natural selection - species will evolve to contain primarily the alleles which code for advantageous characteristics, over time alleles coding for less advantageous characteristics will be lost, or only remain in few individuals
6. genetic bottlenecks - where few individuals in a population survive an event or change (e.g diseases, habitat destruction or environmental change), thus reducing the gene pool
7. flounder effect - where a small number of individuals create a new colony, geographically isolated from the original. the gene pool for this new population is small
8. genetic drift - due to the random nature of alleles being passed from parents to their offspring, the frequency of an allele will vary, in some cases the existence of an allele can disappear from a population all together

54
Q

How is genetic biodiversity measured?

A

Measuring genetic biodiversity:
- can be quantified by measuring polymorphism (multiple alleles, e.g blood type)
proportion of polymorphic gene loci (%) = no/ polymorphic gene loci/total no/ loci x100
- the greater the proportion of polymorphic gene loci, the greater the genetic biodiversity within the population

55
Q

What is a polymorphic gene?

A

A polymorphic gene is when more than one allele occupies that genes locus within a population.

56
Q

What is a keystone species?

A

A keystone species is a species which are essential for maintaining biodiversity - they have a disproportionally large effect on their environment relative to their abundance.

57
Q

What are the human influences on biodiversity?

A

Human influences on biodiversity:
- growing human population = greater demand for space
- deforestation
- agriculture
- climate change

58
Q

What is the effect of deforestation on biodiversity?

A

Effects of deforestation:
- leads to reduction in the number of trees in an area and can be direct or indirect (acid rain)
- reduces species diversity of plants
- destroys habitats and size of animal populations
- animals may migrate

59
Q

What is the effect of agriculture on biodiversity?

A

Effect of agriculture:
- land often requires deforestation of previously existing habitat
- removal of hedge grows destroys habitats and reduces species biodiversity
- use of pesticides and herbicides further reduce species biodiversity
- monoculture (growth of a single crop)

60
Q

What is the effect of climate change on biodiversity?

A

Effect of climate change:
- melting ice caps has led to mass habitat reduction for many species
- rising sea levels has led to flooding and an increase in the salinity of rivers, reducing the frequency of freshwater habitats
- higher temperatures and less rainfall
- changes in insect life cycles

61
Q

What are the reasons for maintaining biodiversity?

A

Reasons for maintaining biodiversity:
- beneficial natural resources
- crops/food/fuel
- feeling of joy and wellbeing
- inspiration to creative industries
- interdependence of organisms
- maintaining a genetic resource (e.g disease resistant genes)
- maintaining soil fertility
- medicine
- moral duty to protect species
- no right cause to extinction
- nutrient cycling
- patients recovery time boosted by biodiversity
- pollination
- protecting keystone species
- protecting landscapes
- reduced soil erosion and desertification
- regulation of atmosphere and climate
- selling timber
- technological ideas
- the right to live
- toursism

62
Q

What is the decade on biodiversity for?

A

The decade on biodiversity represents the international effort to prevent species loss and decreases in ecosystems.

63
Q

How many times faster are species disappearing at the moment compared to the natural rate?

A

Compared to the natural rate, species at the moment are disappearing 1000x faster.

64
Q

What is conservation?

A

Conservation is the preservation and careful management of the environment and its natural resources. It is split into in-situ and ex-situ.

65
Q

What is in-situ conservation?

A

In-situ conservation is the act of conserving a species in its natural environment, which may involve protecting the environment from other people and animals.

66
Q

What is ex-situ conservation?

A

Ex-situ conservation is the act of conserving a species by taking it outside of it’s natural environment.

67
Q

In-situ conservation.

A

In-situ:
- ideal scenario
- maintains evolutionary adaptations the species gains from living in natural habitat
- preserves interdependence
- cheaper
- will impact other species in the same habitat

68
Q

What are in-situ marine conservation zones?

A

In-situ marine conservation zones:
- marine protected area that has legal protection against fishing or development
- a large area is often required due to the large habitats of marine species
- e.g Lundy Island

69
Q

What is in-situ legislation?

A

In-situ legislation:
- countries can pass laws against harmful activities such as hunting and logging
- unfortunately some countries may not want to and so it can be difficult enforcing laws

70
Q

What are in-situ conservation wildlife reserves?

A

In-situ wildlife reserves:
- an area of land that is protected and managed in order to preserve a particular type of habitat and its flora and fauna
- nature reserves, national parks and conservation areas are all types of wildlife reserve

71
Q

What are in-situ conservation parks?

A

In-situ conservation parks:
- national parks (e.g Yellowstone)
- chosen carefully
- conserves plants and animals in natural environment, conserving biodiversity and ecosystems
- often studied
- sustainable use (e.g safari)
- actively managed

72
Q

What is the active management schemes?

A

Active management schemes:
-controlled grazing
=maintains certain habitats
=prevents growth of certain fauna
=replicates tole of larger herbivores
- reducing succession
- restricting human access
- controlling poaching
- supplementary feeding
= negatives = unhealthy diets, non-edible consumption, behavioural
changes, ‘animal urbanisation’, vehicle collisions, traffic build up
- culling of invasive species
- reintroduction of species

73
Q

What is the IUCN?

A

IUCN:
- international union for conservation of nature
- publishes red list (current conservation status of animals) annually
- countries can work together to conserve species

74
Q

What is the CSS?

A

CSS:
- countryside stewardship scheme
- sustaining beauty and diversity of landscape, improving, extending and creating wildlife habitats, restoring neglected land and conserving archaeological and historical features, improving opportunities for countryside enjoyment
- sets up local level conservation schemes

75
Q

What is the CBD (Rio conservation)?

A

CBD:
- convention on biological diversity
- requires countries to develop national strategies for sustainable development

76
Q

What is the UNFCC (Rio conservation)?

A

UNFCC:
- united nations framework convention on climate change
- an agreement between nations to take steps to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations within the atmosphere

77
Q

What is the UNCCD (Rio conservation)?

A

UNCCD:
- united nation convention to combat desertification
- aims to prevent the transformation of fertile land into desert and reduce the effects of drought through programmes of international cooperation

78
Q

What is CITES?

A

CITES:
- the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna
- aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten thee survival of the species
- over 40,000 species are protected by CITES
- international so allows countries to work together to protect global biodiversity

BIOLOGY OCR A (25 decks)

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