4A: biodiversity

Question 1

what does biodiversity mean

Answer 1

the variety of all living and non living organisms with a ecosystem

Question 2

what does endemism mean

Answer 2

when a species is found in only one specific geographical area
- unique to one environment

Question 3

what is species richness

Answer 3

quantity of different species in an area/habitat/ecosystem

Question 4

what is genetic diversity

Answer 4

the variation of alleles in a species/population

Question 5

what human activities are reducing biodiversity

Answer 5

farming & deforestation

Question 6

what is conservation

Answer 6

a process used to help maintain biodiversity and protect vulnerable to extinction species

Question 7

how to measure biodiversity through genetic diversity

Answer 7

using the heterozygosity index

number of heterozygotes/ no. of individuals in population

Question 8

what is a niche

Answer 8

the species specific role within its habitat portrayed by its interaction with other living and non-living organisms

Question 9

what are the adaptations organisms can have due to their environment

Answer 9

physiological
behavioural
anatomical

Question 10

what are behavioural adaptations

Answer 10

ways an organism will act to increase its chances of survival
ie play dead when they feel threatened by a predator

Question 11

what are physiological adaptations

Answer 11

processes inside an organisms body that increases their chance of survival
ie lowering metabolism to conserve energy therefore less food/hunting needed

Question 12

what are anatomical adaptations

Answer 12

structural features of an organisms body that increase its chances of survival
ie polar bear white fur to camouflage

Question 13

how does natural selection contribute to adaptations and evolution

Answer 13

• mutations in alleles cause variation in species
• these organisms with adaptations will have high chances of survival through the selection pressure and will breed with others from their species (NS)
• through several generations, these mutation adaptations become part of the species genes (E)

Question 14

what are the hardy Weinberg equations to calculate allele (genotype & phenotype) frequency

Answer 14

p² + 2pq + q² = 1
p + q = 1.

Question 15

why are allele frequencies calculated

Answer 15

to determine whether a population is increasing or decreasing

Question 16

what is reproductive isolation

Answer 16

prevention of interbreeding between the population of two species

Question 17

how does reproductive isolation lead to accumulation of different genetics in populations

Answer 17

random mutations or geographical isolation can cause different/new alleles to the population

Question 18

how does speciation occur

Answer 18

due to geographical isolation, the population on either side of the physical barrier will have different characteristics become common as adaptations for survival (ie from climate) . These characteristics can become distinct from each other, therefore these 2 groups are now separate species

Question 19

what is classification

Answer 19

the process where living organisms are sorted into groups based on their similarities and differences

Question 20

what was the old seven classification system made by carl linnaeus

Answer 20

kingdom (keep)
phylum (putting)
class (condoms)
order (on)
family (for)
genus (great)
species (s!x)

Question 21

what was the new 3 domain classification system by carl woese

Answer 21

archaea, bacteria & eukarya

Question 22

what lead to the new taxonomic grouping known as the three domain system

Answer 22

evaluation of new data
molecular phylogeny - looking at the DNA and proteins of organisms to identify how closely related they are

• prokaryotae kingdom was reclassified into 2 domains due to being more distant relations than originally thought - archaea & bacteria
• any other organisms from the other 4 kingdoms were placed into the third domain - eukarya

Question 23

how do seed banks help conserve plant biodiversity

Answer 23

stores seeds for different species of plants
- store endangered plant seeds
- these seeds can be used of the plant goes extinct

Question 24

advantages of a Seedbank

Answer 24

• cool & dry storage conditions so seeds can be stored long term
• cheaper than storing the plants
• large no. of sets can be stored bc they take unless space
• can be stored anywhere in the correct conditions
• less likely to be damaged by disease, natural disaster or vandalism

Question 25

disadvantages of seedbank

Answer 25

• viability testing the seeds can be expensive & time consuming
• might be difficult to collect seeds that grow in more remote locations

Question 26

how do captive breeding programmes at zoos help conserve biodiversity

Answer 26

they breed animals in controlled environments
- endangered species that are in the wild can be bred together in captivity to keep their numbers up/ increase their numbers

Question 27

disadvantages of captive breeding programmes

Answer 27

• can be hard to recreate the natural habitat in a zoo
• many think its cruel to keep the animals in captivity

Question 28

what are the risks of reintroduction of organisms into the wild

Answer 28

• can bring new diseases to habitats, harming the organisms that live there
• reintroduced animals may not behave like wild animals, therefore having difficulties with communication and hunting