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Biology mod 4 Biodiversity, evolution and disease > 4.2.1 Biodiversity > Flashcards

4.2.1 Biodiversity Flashcards

1
Q

What are the three types of biodiversity?

A

Species
Habitat
Genetic

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1
Q

Define biodiversity.

A

The study of all variation that exists between all forms of life.

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2
Q

Define habitat diversity.

A

The range of different ecosystems or habitats within a particular area or region.

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3
Q

If there are a large number of different habitats within an area, will it be classed as having high or low biodiversity?

A

High

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4
Q

If there are only one or two habitats within an area, is the area likely to have high or low biodiversity?

A

Low

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5
Q

What does species diversity mean?.

A

An ecosystem that has a high number of different species would be described as being species-rich.

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6
Q

Explain species diversity.

A

The greater the number of species in an ecosystem, and the more evenly distributed the number of individuals from each species, the greater the species diversity.

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7
Q

Define genetic diversity.

A

The diversity of the alleles and genes in the genome of a species.

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8
Q

Why is it difficult to measure the levels of biodiversity in an ecosystem?

A

This requires the identification and cataloguing of all organisms which is possible for smaller areas however for larger and more complex ecosystems, it is impossible to find, identify and count every organism that lives there.

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9
Q

What does sampling measure?

A

The abundance and distribution of species and populations.

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10
Q

What are the two types of sampling?

A

Random
Non-random

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11
Q

When would we use random sampling?

A

Ecosystems are very complex with large numbers of different species of different sizes so random sampling if often used to estimate the distribution and abundance of species.

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12
Q

Define species distribution.

A

How the spcies is spread throughout the ecosystem.

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13
Q

Define abundance.

A

The number of individuals in that species.

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14
Q

Benefit of random sampling.

A

The position of the sampling points is completely random so there will be no bias by the person who is taking the sample.

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15
Q

What is a quadrat?

A

Square frame of wood or wire that can be a variety of sizes, they are placed on the ground and organisms within them are recorded.

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16
Q

Why would you use a quadrat?

A

They can be used to measure the distribution and abundance of plants or slow-moving organisms.

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17
Q

List some examples of random sampling methods that can be used for mobile animals.

A

-Sweeping nets
-Pitfall traps
-Pooters
-Tullgren funnels
-Kick-sampling

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18
Q

What are sweeping nets

A

A sweeping net is a large, string net which is used to catch flying insects or insects that live in long grass. It works by sweeping the net back and forth.

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19
Q

What is a pitfall trap?

A

A pitfall trp is a can or jar which is buried into the ground and used to catch ground-dwelling insects as they fall into the trap.

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20
Q

What is a pooter?

A

A pooter is a small plastic or glass container with two tubes sticking out that are used to suck up small insects.
One tube is placed over the insect and the second is used by the scientist to create suction.

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21
Q

What is a tullgren funnel?

A

These are funnels with a light bulb above and a container below that are used to collect invertbrates that live in soil. The soil is placed into the funnel and the light and heat force it to move down and drop into the container.

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22
Q

What is kick-sampling?

A

The scientist uses their foot to churn up the stream bed and the invertebrates are carried into the net.

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23
Q

When is kick-sampling used?

A

This technique is used to catch freshwater invertebrates living in streams or rivers.

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24
Q

What is non-random sampling?

A

The positions of sampling points are chosen.

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25
Q

Limitation of non-random sampling.

A

Bias could be shown- individuals may deliberately place quadrats in areas with the least species as they will be easier to count.

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26
Q

What are the three main types of non-random sampling.

A

Opportunist
Stratified
Systematic.

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27
Q

What is opportunist sampling?

A

This involves picking and choosing sampling locations based on many non-random factors.
E.g on a school trip children may be asked to take samples only from areas that are safe.

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28
Q

What is stratified sampling?

A

This involves matching the number of sampling locations with the proportion of area that habitat covers in the whole area being studied.

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29
Q

What is systematic sampling?

A

Different areas of a habitat are identified or sampled separately.

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30
Q

Why would we use a transect?

A

Helps to show how species distribution changes with changing physical conditions.

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31
Q

Two types of transect.

A

Belt
Line

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32
Q

What is a line transect?

A

Lay out a measuring tape in a straight line across the sample area and at equal distances along the tape record the identity of the organisms which touch the line.

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33
Q

What type of data does a line transect produce?

A

Qualitative

34
Q

What is a transect?

A

A line represented by a measuring tape along which samples are taken.

35
Q

What is a belt transect?

A

Lay out a measuring tape and place quadrants at several intervals along the tape and record the abundance or percentage cover of each species within each quadrant.

36
Q

What type of data does a belt transect produce?

A

Quatitative

37
Q

What is species richness?

A

A measure of the number of different species in a given area.

38
Q

What is species eveness?

A

A measure of the quantity of each species in a given area.

39
Q

Why is using only species richness to determine biodiversity misleading?

A

Species richness does not taken into account how many individuals are in each species in an area. An area could have a high species richness but a low species evenness.

40
Q

Why do conservationists favour using Simpsons Index of Biodiversity?

A

It takes into account both species richness and species eveness.

41
Q

What is a polymorphic gene?

A

A gene that has more than 1 allele.

42
Q

What is a monomorphic gene?

A

A gene that has only one allele.

43
Q

List some factors affecting biodiversity.

A

-Human population growth
-Habitat destruction
-Overexploitation
-Hunting
-Agriculture
-Climate change
-Global warming

44
Q

How does human population growth affect biodviersity?

A

Humans use many resources from earth such as land, wood, water, fossil fuels etc. As the human population increases, our requirement for these natural resources increases. This has a harmful effect on many aspects of the environment. The damage to these ecosystems negatively impacts the species and habitats contained within them.

45
Q

How does habitat destruction affect biodiversity?

A

When land is cleared for agriculture, industry, transport, leisure, waste disposal etc this results in habitat loss and habitat fragmentation.

Deforestation is one of the most damaging forms of habitat destruction, as forest habitats often have the highest levels of biodiversity.

Marine habitats are also being destroyed such as coral reefs and sea beds.

46
Q

Define habitat fragmentation

A

Habitat fragmentation is when habitats are divided into smaller areas.

47
Q

How does overexploitation affect biodiversity?

A

Many of the natural resources exploited by humans are being over exploited (they are being used up faster than they can be replaced).

48
Q

Give an example of overexploitation.

A

Deforestation as trees are being chopped down but not as many are being planted back again. Even if they are replanted, they do not grow back for many many years.

49
Q

How does hunting affect biodiversity.

A

Leads to the death of many wild species reducing biodiversity.

50
Q

How does agriculture affect biodiversity.

A

Food is being produced at a quicker rate than before and so modern farming practices have begun.
-The use of pesticides and fertilisers has massively increased.
-Fields are being made bigger to accommodate machinery.
-Farms become more specialised and only grow one crop or raise one type of livestock.
-Most of the modern farming techniques have had a major negative impact on the level of biodiversity present in farming areas.

51
Q

Define eutrophication

A

When fertilisers leach into waterways which can lead to the death of many aquatic invertebrates and fish species.

52
Q

Problems with farmers using pesticides.

A

Pesticides kill insect-like pests but also kill many non-target species including important pollinators like bees.
Bumblebees are essential pollinators.
Bumblebees require habitats with a large number of flowering plants to ensure a supply of pollen and nectar however the extensive farming of crops and the use of pesticides are contributing to this decline.

53
Q

How does climate change affect biodiversity?

A

Human caused climate change is causing weather patterns to change and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, typhoons, floods and droughts.
It is feared that climate change is now occurring too fast for many species to able to adapt to these changes which could result in species extinction and a decline in biodiversity.

54
Q

What is global warming a result of?

A

A result of cliamte change.

55
Q

How does global warming affect biodiversity?

A

This causes many species to move towards the poles or to higher altitudes however these species may not be able to compete with the species already present in these habitats which leads to reduced biodiversity.
Some species such as plants may not be able to move or change their distributions fast enough and may just go extinct.

56
Q

How does global warming affect marine biodiversity?

A

increasing atmospheric CO2 leads to more CO2 dissolving in seawater which reduces its pH and this negatively affects the organisms that require calcium carbonate for shells as the increased acidity of the water breaks down their shells.

57
Q

What are the 7 main reasons for maintaining biodiversity?

A

Ecological reasons
Economic reasons
Aesthetic reasons
Social reasons
Ethical reasons
Environmental reasons
Agricultural reasons

58
Q

What are ecological reasons for maintaining biodiversity?

A

Biodiveristy has a major effect on the stability of an ecosystem as a more diverse ecosystem can adapt to environmental changes and threats and survive. For example, if the temperature of a species rich-lake rises due to global warming some species of fish in the ecosystem are unable to cope with this change but because the ecosystem is biodiverse there are species of fish that will be able to cope, survive,reproduce and keep contributing to the ecosystem.

59
Q

What is a keystone species?

A

Species which have a larger impact on the ecosystem than others. When these species are lost there are several knock on effects.

60
Q

What are some economic reasons for maintaining biodiversity?

A

-Ecosystems have a large amount of economic value.
-Many of the medicines used today have originated from plants, fungi and bacteria.
-Due to the large amount of drugs already sourced from nature it is reasonable to assume that there are other non-discovered drugs out there that could be used in the future.
-Ecotourism is a major source of income for many countries. Many tourists travel to and spend money in national parks so they can see wildlife and this money contributes to the economy and provide jobs.

61
Q

What are some aesthetic reasons for maintaining biodiversity?

A

-Humans find great joy and pleasure from the beauty of nature.
-This provides inspiration for people such as photographers, poets, musicians and artists.

62
Q

What are some social reasons for maintaining biodiversity?

A

-Many people enjoy spending time in the natural environment.
-There are many activities that people enjoy in nature e,g birdwatching, walking, climbing

63
Q

What are some ethical reasons for maintaining biodiversity.

A

-Many people believe that humans have a moral obligation to prevent the loss of biodiversity that results from human activities.
-Humans share the planet with millions of species and have no right to cause the extinction of other species.

64
Q

What are some environmental reasons for maintaining biodiversity?

A

-Humans need diverse ecosystems due to the essential environmental services they provide.
-Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and help to reduce the greenhouse effect and climate change.
-Microorganisms digest and break down organic waste that is produced by large organisms.
-Thanks to the transpiration of plants we have the water cycle.
-Different fungi and bacteria are essential to the nutrient cycle.
-Plants are producers in food webs and are an indirect and direct energy source for humans through fruit, vegetables and meat.

65
Q

What are some agricultural reasons for maintaining biodiversity?

A

-Most if the crops that humans grow are uniform with low diversity.
-The wild relatives of crops can produce a source of genetic diversity to rescue crops that are affected by disease and other disasters.

66
Q

What is in situ conservation?

A

Conservation carried out within an organisms natural habitat.

67
Q

Example of in situ conservation.

A

A national park.

68
Q

Example of ex situ conservation.

A

A zoo

69
Q

What is ex-situ conservation?

A

When animals are placed in captivity away from their natural habitats.

70
Q

How do conserved areas such as national parks and marine parks help to maintain biodivesity.

A

The government control these areas and pass legislation to ensure the protection of species.
These laws such as:
-Hunting is prohibited
-Agriculture is tighly resitricted
help to conserve endangered species so maintain biodiversity.
National and marine parks can attract thousands of tourists each year which increases money and awareness. Some of the profits named from the parks can be used to improve the health and education standards in nearby communities.

71
Q

Explain how zoos contribute to the conservation of endangered animal species.

A

Captive breeding occurs in zoos which increases species populations in the hope that they can be later released into their natural habitats again.

72
Q

Explain some problems with zoos.

A

-Captive breeding of small species populations can reduce genetic diversity (inbreeding could occur.)
-Not all zoos can proide adequate habitats for animals with specific needs.
-Certain animals will not breed in captivity.

73
Q

What is a botanic garden? Explain how botanic gardens contribute to the conservation of endangered plant species.

A

A botanic garden is the plant equivalent of a zoo which uses cuttings and seeds collected from the wild to establish a population of the endangered species in captivity.
Methods of tissue culturing and cloning can also be used to obtain large numbers of plants which increases the population of the sepecies.

74
Q

How does legislation around the galapagos islands maintain biodiversity?

A

A large proportion of the land and water surrounding the Galápagos Islands is protected. Humans are not allowed to travel to many of these islands and management of these areas is shared between locals and conservation experts.
Since it was established 50 years ago, there have been strong efforts made to remove invasive species and incense native species.

75
Q

If a species becomes extinct in the wild is it still possible to conserve it?

A

Yes, frozen zoos store material from animals (e.g sperm, eggs, tissue samples etc) so that it can be kept for a long time and future technological developments could be used to re-introduce the animal back into the wild.

A seed bank is a facility that conserves plant diversity by drying and storing seeds in a temperature controlled environment.

If a plant species goes extinct then seeds could be used from the seed bank to re introduce it again.

76
Q

What is a seed bank?

A

A facility that conserves plant diversity by drying and storing seeds in a temperature controlled environment.

77
Q

What is CBD and what were its aims?

A

The convention on Biological Diversity.
-Aimed to conserve biological diversity.
-Supported the sustainable use of biological resources.
-The fair and equitable sharing of belifs and ideas arising from genetic resources.

78
Q

What is CITES and what are its aims?

A

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Spcecies of wild Fauna and Flora.
A global agreement which has been signed by over 150 countries.
Its aim is to control the trade of endangered species and their products.

79
Q

What is appendix 1 of the CITES agreement and explain legislation on trading in appendix 1.

A

Species in appendix I are species that are endangered and face the greatest risk of extinction. E.g red panda.
All trade of species and their associated products in appendix 1 is banned.

80
Q

What is appendix II of the CITES agreement and explain legislation on trading in appendix II?

A

Species in appendix II are not currently endangered however they will be if trade is not controlled.
In order to trade these species or their products you must have an export permit.

81
Q

What is appendix III of the CITES agreement and explain legislation on trading in appendix III.

A

Species in appendix III are nominated by countries in the agreement and act as essentially a notification that a species is under threat.
Trading in appendix III requires a permit.

82
Q

What was the CSS?

A

The Countrywide Stewardship Scheme was a scheme dating back to the 1980s that provided funding to farmers and private landowners who used environmental management strategies to protect and increase biodiversity on their land.

83
Q

What was the CSS replaced with in 2005?

A

the Environmental Stewardship Scheme in 2005.

Biology mod 4 Biodiversity, evolution and disease (3 decks)

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