Adaptations and Diversity Flashcards

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1
Q

What is Biodiversity?

A

The variety of all living organisms on Earth

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2
Q

What is Species diversity?

A

Variety of organisms living in a particular habitat or region.

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3
Q

What is Genetic diversity?

A

Variety of genes or the number of different inherited characteristics present in a species.

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4
Q

What is Ecosystem diversity?

A

Variety of physical environments in which organisms live and interact.

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5
Q

How does Genetic diversity occur?

A

Genetic diversity is created when mutations, or changes, arise in the DNA during meiosis in sexually reproducing organisms or during mitosis in asexually reproducing organisms.

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6
Q

What is the importance of Genetic diversity?

A

– increases species survival following environmental change
– increases the number of individuals that can survive and reproduce
– increases biodiversity in ecosystems
– means natural selection can act, as there are many alleles to select from.

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7
Q

What is an Adaptation?

A

An adaptation is a genetically controlled structural, behavioural or physiological feature that enhances the survival of an organism in particular environmental
conditions.

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8
Q

What is the Tolerance Range?

A

The particular environmental conditions in which a

particular species can successfully live and reproduce

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9
Q

What is a Limiting Factor?

A

Any condition that approaches or exceeds the limits of tolerance

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10
Q

What are Biotic Factors?

A

Environmental Factors that are Living

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11
Q

What are Abiotic Factors?

A

Non-Living Factors e.g. Wind, Temperature etc.

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12
Q

What is a Community?

A

A biological unit consisting of all the populations living in a specific area at a specific time

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13
Q

What is a Population?

A

Members of one species living in one region at a particular time

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14
Q

What is Diversity?

A

A measure of ‘species richness’ or the number of different species in a community

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15
Q

What 2 factors do ecologists consider when measuring diversity?

A
  1. The richness or the number of different species present in the sample of the community (species diversity)
  2. The evenness or the relative abundance of the different species in the sample.
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16
Q

What factors affect species diversity?

A
  1. The physical area in which the community lives.
  2. The latitude (or distance, north or south, from the
    equator) .
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17
Q

What are Producers?

A

Autotrophs - Transform the radiant energy of sunlight into the chemical energy stored in organic matter through the process of photosynthesis

18
Q

What is the chemical equation of Photosynthesis?

A

Light
Carbon dioxide + water -> glucose + oxygen
6CO2 6H2O C6H12O6 6O2
Chlorophyll

19
Q

What are Consumers?

A

Heterotrophs - They eat other organisms.

20
Q

What are Herbivores?

A

Are organisms that eat plants (the producer)

21
Q

What are Carnivores?

A

Are organisms that eat other organisms.

22
Q

What are Omnivores?

A

Are organisms that eat both plants and animals.

23
Q

What are Decomposers?

A

Are organisms that eat decomposing organic matter.

24
Q

What are examples of Decomposers?

A

Fungi and Bacteria

25
Q

What is a Keystone Species?

A

Species whose presence in an ecosystem is essential
for the maintenance of that ecosystem
e.g. Elephants, Starfish and Cassowaries

26
Q

What interactions occur in Ecosystems?

A
  • between the living community and its abiotic surroundings
  • within the abiotic surroundings
  • within the living community
27
Q

What is Intra-Specific Competition?

A

Competition between members of the same species for resources.

28
Q

What is Inter-Specific Competition?

A

When members of a population of one species also compete with members of populations of other species and this is termed.

29
Q

What is Amensalism?

A

Any relationship between organisms of different species in which one organism is inhibited or destroyed, while the other organism gains no specific benefit and remains unaffected in any significant way.

30
Q

What are Predator–prey relationships?

A

A predator–prey relationship is one in which one species (the predator) kills and eats another living animal (the prey).

31
Q

What are some ways Prey can escape Predators?

A
Structural features - 
- Camouflage
- Mimicry
Behavioural features - 
- Stay still
- Keep a lookout
- Schooling
Biochemical features - 
- Produce repellent or distasteful chemicals
32
Q

What are Herbivore–Plant Relationships?

A

Plants protect themselves from damage by herbivores by physical means, such as thorns, spines and stinging hairs

Various plant species also produce allelochemicals that either protect the plant from attack by herbivores or limit the damage done by them.

33
Q

What are Parasite–host relationships in animals?

A

One kind of organism (the parasite) lives on or in another kind (the host) and feeds on it, typically without killing it, but the host suffers various negative effects in this relationship and only the parasite benefits.

34
Q

What are Exoparasites?

A

Parasites that live on their host - ‘Exo-skeleton’

35
Q

What are Endoparasites?

A

Parasites that live in their host

36
Q

What are Parasitoids?

A

Parasitoids are a varied group of organisms, mainly small wasps and flies, that are like parasites. Parasitoids kill their hosts that are usually another kind of insect

37
Q

What is Holo-Parasitism?

A

Where the parasite is totally dependent on the host plant for all its nutrients

38
Q

What is Hemi-Parasitism?

A

Where the parasite obtains some nutrients, such as water and minerals, from its host but makes some of its own food through photosynthesis.

39
Q

What is Mutualism?

A

Mutualism is a prolonged association of two different
species in which both partners gain some benefit.
e.g. fungi and algae that form lichens

40
Q

What is Commensialism?

A

Refers to the situation in which one member gains benefit and the other member neither suffers harm nor gains apparent benefit. Eg. Clownfish and sea anemone

41
Q

Distributions of Populations?

A

Distribution refers to the spread of members of a population over space. Populations may have identical densities but their distributions can differ.
Most common = Clumped