4.2.1 - Biodiversity Flashcards
What is biodiversity?
The variety of living organism in an area
What are the different levels biodiversity can be studied at?
- habitat biodiversity
- species biodiversity
- genetic biodiversity
What is habitat biodiversity?
- the number of different habitats found within an area
- each habitat can support a variety of species
- in general, the higher the habitat biodiversity, the greater the species biodiversity will be in that area
Eg sand dunes, woodland, meadows, stream
What is species biodiversity?
2 different components:
•species richness - the number of different species living in a particular area
•species evenness - the proportions of each species living in a community
Therefore biodiversity can differ even if 2 locations have the same species richness
What is genetic biodiversity?
The variety of genes that make up a species
More alleles of a gene leads to greater variation
Genetic biodiversity can lead to very different characteristics - eg some genes are the same for all dogs, defining the organism, but some genes have alleles, leading to a variety of breeds
What are some advantages to having greater genetic variation?
- greater genetic variation allows for better adaptation to a changing environment
- is more likely to result in individuals who are resistant to disease
What is a sample?
Taking measurements of a limited number of individual organisms present in a particular area
Why do we sample?
- to estimate the number of organism in an area without having to count them all
- can be used to measure a particular characteristic of an organism without having to measure every individual
What is random sampling?
Each individual has equal chance of being selected
To decide which organism to study, random number tables or computers can be used
What is non-random sampling?
Alternative sampling method where the sample isn’t chosen at random
