basic biodiversity Flashcards
morphological species
Smallest natural populations permanently separated from each other by a distinct discontinuity in heritable characteristics.
biological species
interbreeding natural population that do not successfully mate/reproduce with other groups.
evolutionary species
single lineage of ancestor-descendent populations distinct from other such lineages and which has its own evolutionary tendencies and historical fate.
OUTs
operational taxonomic units
rough species count
est 13.6 million
most animals are
insects
Aristotle- 384-322 B.C.E
enquires into animals
Theophrastus- 370-286 B.C.E
enquires into animals
carl linnaeus
hierarchical classification of life
darwin
evolution- introduction of relationships
Whittaker 1960s
5 kingdom approach
Woese 1970s
classification based on molecules (DNA/RNA)
number of described species
1.74 million
species-area relationship
as size of geological area increases so does the number of species it contains
SEA Biodiversity (plants)
Very few, large photosynthetic organisms – mainly short lived, microscopic algae.
LAND Biodiversity (plants)
Dominated by persistant long-lived ‘large’ flowering plants.
SEA biodiversity (animals)
Dominant herbivores – micro (copepods).
Majority of large animals carnivorous.
LAND Biodiversity (animals)
dominant herbivores can be large
SEA Biodiversity (grazing)
Grazing – ingestion of entire autotroph.
LAND Biodiversity (grazing)
Grazing – rarely removes significant amounts of communities (indigestible, e.g. wood).
MARINE Food chain
average 5 links
LAND Food chain
average 3 links
which depth zone has the most distribution of marine biodiversity
Abyssal zone
which depth zone has the least distribution of marine biodiversity
halal zone
Biogeographic region with the greatest biodiversity
Neotropics
local-regional size
local species richness tends to be an increasing function of regional richness
species richness with latitude
species (or genera or family) richness increases from high (temperate) to low (tropical) latitudes.
planktonic diversity
all three domains of life
overall decline towards the poles
driven by decreasing water temperatures
shallow water diversity
Coastal marine fish/bacteria- increase in species richness towards the equator
Coral reef fish- no pattern
Amphipods/isopods/bivalves- highest before reach equator
deep sea diversity
Increase in species richness towards the equator for a number of taxa bivalves, gastropods and isopods… but not all
Foraminiferans- highest before reach equator
pelagic diversity
Increase in species richness towards the equator- ostrapods, euphausiids (krill), shrimp, fish (N-Hemisphere), bacteria, most pelagic taxa?
earliest animals
charcteristics/features
Strange shapes
Sheet/leaf like
Soft bodies
(most) no mouth or gut
Must contain photosynthetic algae
Adapted to ‘low level O2 levels? (I.e 7-10% present day)
Cambrian explosion
550mya- all major animal groups appeared
arthropod/trilobites, graptolite (Hemichchordata), mollusc, brachiopod, chordate
diversification now causes
continents breaking up- increased area of continental shelf- appearance of shallow seas
climate- warmer/ critical oxygen level?
developmental genetics and origin of major phyla- huge mrphologial change
C.Post Cambrian
pattern and events
patterns- huge radiation major groups appear
End: stabilization of many of the new groups
Appearance of all the major groups including jawless fish and marine ‘plants’
Pattern-
ORDOVICIAN (O)- PERMIAN (P)
Huge increase in biodiversity
Then ‘stable’ for ¼ billion years
Little ecological specialization in sea
ordovician
appearance of jawed fish (cartiliginous and bony)
Silurian
first land plants
Devonian
‘age of fish’
first amphibians
earliest insects
carboniferous
hge terrestrial forests dominate
first reptiles
Paleozoic/Permian period
patterns and effects
EVENTS-
Appearance of mammal-like reptiles
Extinction of trilobites
Permian (P)-
Ended with largest biodiversity crash known
End of paleozoic (early life)
mezozoic period
triassic, jurassic , cretaceous periods
Ended with largest Biodiversity crash known.
Beginning of Mesozoic (‘middle life’).
Rebirth of marine Biodiversity but with very different forms that increases (with blips) to the present day
EVENTS-
Triassic (T)-
Marine: Expansion of shell breaking predators
disruptive sediment movers
Beginning of the ‘rule’ of 10 cm
marine reptiles
Terrestrial:
beginning of the ruling reptiles
(and dinosaurs)
Jurassic (J):
Age of the ruling reptiles
Cretaceous (K):
Extinction of ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, mesosaurs and ammonites
Extinction of dinosaurs and flying reptiles
mezozoic period
triassic, jurassic , cretaceous periods
Ended with largest Biodiversity crash known.
Beginning of Mesozoic (‘middle life’).
Rebirth of marine Biodiversity but with very different forms that increases (with blips) to the present day
EVENTS-
Triassic (T)-
Marine: Expansion of shell breaking predators
disruptive sediment movers
Beginning of the ‘rule’ of 10 cm
marine reptiles
Terrestrial:
beginning of the ruling reptiles
(and dinosaurs)
Jurassic (J):
Age of the ruling reptiles
Cretaceous (K):
Extinction of ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, mesosaurs and ammonites
Extinction of dinosaurs and flying reptiles
triassic period
expansions of shell breaking predators
sediment movers (disruptive)
‘rule’ or 10cm
rbirth of marine biodiversity
terrestrial period
beginning of ruling reptiles and dinosaurs
jurassic period
age of ruling reptiles
Cretaceous period
extimction of ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, mesosaurs and ammonites
extinction of dinosaurs and flying reptiles
post cambrian- CENOZOIC
Biodiversity continues to increase exponentially
Paleogene (PG)-
Beginning of the age of mammals and flowering plants (angiosperms) on land
Neogene (N) & Quaternary (Q)-
Age of insects, molluscs, fish (again) and one particular mammal
direct-use for biodiversity
6 uses
food,medicine, biological control, industrial materials, recreational harvesting, ecotourism
number of flowering plant species
370,000
12,500 considered edible
what % of medicine is derived from natural products
35%
($385 billion. y-1)
Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) medical use
contains taxol- anti-cancer drug
(breast/ovarian)
medical use for venom (Tropical reef cone snails)/block ion channels
wide diversity of peptides
what natural enemies are used to control problem species
successful 30% weed biocontrol,
40% insect biocontrol
examples of biomimichy
termite mounds- air con systems
burdock seeds- velcro
examples of recreational harvesting
hunting/fishing
personal gardens
value of aquarium industry
$1 billion
how many zoos globally?
825 zoos
15k species
number of urban visitors to countryside
650 million day visits
indirect ecosystem services
Atmospheric regulation
Climatic regulation
Hydrological regulation
Nutrient cycling
Pest control
Photosynthesis
Pollination
Soil formation/maintenance
world gross national product
$17 TRILLION
Relationship between species richness, species redundancy and resiliences
Seems that greater species richness increases -species redundancy.
-resilience of ecosystem function through time (insurance effect) and so reliability of function.
principal causes for extinction
overexploitation
habitat loss
introduced species
extinction cascades
objectives of CBD
- Conservation of biological diversity
- Sustainable use of its components
- Equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources.
when was the UK Biodiversity Action Plan launched?
1994
what article led countries to develop National Biodiversity strategies
Article 6
how many articles are in the CBD
42
Issues with *in situ *conservation
- most areas too smal
- protected areas biased
- designated YES-protected NO (PAPER PARKS)
- overall extent of existing conservation network improving but still too small
