4.5-6 Species, Taxonomy and Biodiversity Flashcards
What is a species?
A group of organisms with similar characteristics
That can interbreed to produce fertile offspring
Why is courtship generally important?
Reproduction to survive
DNA is passed on to the next generation
Females only produce eggs at a certain time
So mating is successful
Why do animals carryout courtship before mating?
Species recognition - so they can produce fertile offspring
Mating compatibility - sexually mature, fertile
Pair bond formation
Synchronised mating - when she is ovulating
What is sign stimulus?
It will trigger a response in the partner that is visual
Aimed at furthering courtship behaviour
What is innate behaviour?
Genetically inherited and unlearnt behaviour
What is a releaser mechanism?
A nerve pathway that results in the right stimulus response allowing for innate behaviour to take place
What is ecological niche?
The role of an organism in the ecosystem combination of its habitat and food type
What is the stimulus chain response?
Stimulus - male carries out an action
Response - she responds with a specific action
Chain - proceeds to a chain of stimuli and responses
What could be a cause of the stimulus-response chain braking in courtship?
She’s the wrong species
Not sexually mature
Not in her breeding cycle
What is classification?
The organisation of living things into groups
What is taxonomy?
The study of the theory behind classification and the formation of classification
What is phylogeny?
The evolutionary relationships between organisms
What is artificial and phylogenetic classification?
Artificial - pick common characteristics to put them into groups
Phylogenetic - based on evolutionary relationships
How do more common features relate?
The more features they have in common the more recently they have evolved from a common ancestor
Classifications are hierarchal - what does that mean?
They are groups contained within groups
And they are non-overlapping
What is the modern classification system based on?
Three domains:
Bacteria
Archaea
Eukaryota
Which have some biochemical differences
What is a mnemonic for the taxa of classification?
Delicious King Prawn Curry Over Fat Greasy Sausages
What are the actual taxa for classification?
Domain Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species
What are some eukaryota kingdoms?
Protista
Fungi
Plantae
Animalia
What is a common phylum?
Chordata
How does the nomenclature work for naming a species?
The first name is the genus
The second name is the species
The first is a capital
The second is lowercase
What do phylogenetic tree diagrams show?
Evolutionary relationships between organisms
And the relative time since the divergence from a common ancestor
The closer the branches are the more features the organisms will share
What is a community?
All of the individuals of all species in a given habitat
What is a population?
All of the individuals of one species in a particular habitat
What is an ecosystem?
A particular area with specific community and environmental conditions
What is species richness?
A measure of the number of different species in a community
What is genetic diversity?
The variety of genes and alleles passed on by the individuals that makes up any one species
What is ecosystem diversity?
The range of different habitats within a particular area
What is species diversity?
The number of different species and the number of individuals of each species within a community
What is a hostile environment?
A place you wouldn’t want to live
Extreme conditions
What are some features of a hostile environment?
Lower diversity of organisms
Less stable ecosystem
Abotic factors dominate
Eg - desert
What are some features of a less hostile environment?
Higher diversity of organisms
More stable ecosystem
Biotic factors dominate
Eg - rainforest
What are the three categories of biodiversity?
Species
Genetic
Ecosystem
How is index of diversity calculated?
d = N(N-1)
———
Σ n(n-1)
Where
N - total number of all species
n - total number of each species (do every on in the table)
What are the factors for reducing diversity in an ecosystem?
Deforestation Monoculture Removal of hedgerows Road building Use of agrochemicals
How is an ecosystem affected by deforestation?
Done for: road building, timber, farming, housing and land
Less competition for space
Destroys habitat
Food sources are removed
How does monoculture affect an ecosystem?
Means there is only one species growing
Less competition for your required species
Reduced species diversity
Low genetic diversity from selective breeding
How does removal of hedgerows affect an ecosystem?
Reduces competition as species richness is great in hedges
Makes more space for larger machinery
Removes many habitats
How does road building affect an ecosystem?
Allows for vegetation to be transported
Allows larger vehicles to be used
Removes habitats
It can lead to speciation (if separated by the road)
How does use of agrochemicals affect an ecosystem?
Fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides are used
Reduces species richness, diversity and competition
