4A: biodiversity Flashcards
what does biodiversity mean
the variety of all living and non living organisms with a ecosystem
what does endemism mean
when a species is found in only one specific geographical area
- unique to one environment
what is species richness
quantity of different species in an area/habitat/ecosystem
what is genetic diversity
the variation of alleles in a species/population
what human activities are reducing biodiversity
farming & deforestation
what is conservation
a process used to help maintain biodiversity and protect vulnerable to extinction species
how to measure biodiversity through genetic diversity
using the heterozygosity index
number of heterozygotes/ no. of individuals in population
what is a niche
the species specific role within its habitat portrayed by its interaction with other living and non-living organisms
what are the adaptations organisms can have due to their environment
physiological
behavioural
anatomical
what are behavioural adaptations
ways an organism will act to increase its chances of survival
ie play dead when they feel threatened by a predator
what are physiological adaptations
processes inside an organisms body that increases their chance of survival
ie lowering metabolism to conserve energy therefore less food/hunting needed
what are anatomical adaptations
structural features of an organisms body that increase its chances of survival
ie polar bear white fur to camouflage
how does natural selection contribute to adaptations and evolution
- 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)
what are the hardy Weinberg equations to calculate allele (genotype & phenotype) frequency
p² + 2pq + q² = 1
p + q = 1.
why are allele frequencies calculated
to determine whether a population is increasing or decreasing
what is reproductive isolation
prevention of interbreeding between the population of two species
how does reproductive isolation lead to accumulation of different genetics in populations
random mutations or geographical isolation can cause different/new alleles to the population
how does speciation occur
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
what is classification
the process where living organisms are sorted into groups based on their similarities and differences
what was the old seven classification system made by carl linnaeus
kingdom (keep)
phylum (putting)
class (condoms)
order (on)
family (for)
genus (great)
species (s!x)
what was the new 3 domain classification system by carl woese
archaea, bacteria & eukarya
what lead to the new taxonomic grouping known as the three domain system
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
how do seed banks help conserve plant biodiversity
stores seeds for different species of plants
- store endangered plant seeds
- these seeds can be used of the plant goes extinct
advantages of a Seedbank
- 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
disadvantages of seedbank
- viability testing the seeds can be expensive & time consuming
- might be difficult to collect seeds that grow in more remote locations
how do captive breeding programmes at zoos help conserve biodiversity
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
disadvantages of captive breeding programmes
- can be hard to recreate the natural habitat in a zoo
- many think its cruel to keep the animals in captivity
what are the risks of reintroduction of organisms into the wild
- 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
