Biodiveristy Of Life On Earth Flashcards
What is biodiversity?
The variety of life forms that occur on earth
What is a species diversity?
Variety of species
What is genetic diversity?
Genetic variety within a species
What is ecosystem diversity?
The variety of ecosystems that occur in a specific area
What is the difference between South Africa and Southern Africa?
Southern Africa includes other countries
What countries does Southern Africa include?
South Africa Namibia Zimbabwe Swaziland Botswana Mozambique Lesotho
What is special about SA’s biodiversity?
It is the third highest in the world
Why does South Africa have such a high biodiversity?
It has a high central plateau
It has a warm ocean on the one side (Indian) and a cold ocean on the other (Atlantic)
What are indigenous species?
Species that occur naturally in a particular country or region
What are exotic/alien species?
Opposite to indigenous
They have been brought there from another country or region
What are endemic species?
Special that only occur in one country or region and nowhere else in the world
What is the difference between indigenous and endemic species?
Indigenous species can naturally occur in many different countries or region
Endemic is specific to one
Why can having endemic species be a problem?
They are often endangered or close to extinction
Give some examples of endemic species that can be found in South Africa
Cape sugarbird
Riverine Rabbit
Disa plant
What is a biodiversity hotspot?
An concentrated area that has a high level of biodiversity
