Biodiversity 1: intro

Question 1

What are the 3 types of diversity?

Answer 1

Ecological
Genetic
Organismal

Question 2

What is ecological diversity? + examples

Answer 2

variety of places where organisms live
e.g ecosystems, niches, habitats

Question 3

What is genetic diversity? + examples

Answer 3

variation in genetic codes
e.g populations, chromosomes, genes

Question 4

What is organismal diversity?

Answer 4

variation in whole organisms, organised in taxonomic hierarchy
e.g kingdoms, phyla, classes

Question 5

What is usually the unit of organismal biodiversity

Answer 5

species

Question 6

Give the basic definition of species

Answer 6

organisms that can breed together to produce fertile offspring

Question 7

Describe the general process of evolution (5)

Answer 7

1. Random variation will by chance produce a useful trait
2. Its bearer is more likely to survive and reproduce.
3. It passes that trait on to its offspring.
4. The adaptation spreads through the population
5. Over evolutionary time a new species is formed

Question 8

Which 4 ways are used to infer evolutionary relationships?

Answer 8

Paleontological evidence
Anatomical similarity
Developmental similarity
Molecular similarity

Question 9

What is Paleontological evidence?

Answer 9

Appearance in the fossil record

Question 10

What is anatomical similarity?

Answer 10

Shared, derived homologous structures
Convergent → 2 structures resemble each other e.g bats wings vs birds

Question 11

What is developmental similarity?

Answer 11

Patterns of cell division and embryonic stages

Question 12

What is molecular similarity?

Answer 12

DNA, RNA and protein sequence similarity

Question 13

What are some of the problems with the phylogenetic tree?

Answer 13

Most are based on anatomical & developmental similarities
Organisms missing
Biased towards animals
Man is always at the top (suggests progression to ‘higher’ organisms)

Question 14

What are the 3 values of biodiversity

Answer 14

Direct use
Indirect use
Non-use

Question 15

Describe direct use values + examples

Answer 15

direct use of biological resources in consumption or production = marketable commodities
e.g food, industrial materials, ecotourism

Question 16

Describe indirect use values + examples

Answer 16

services that support human life, they are not traded on markets
e.g pollination, O2 production, soil formation/maintenance, water management, waste processing

Question 17

What are the 4 non-use biodiversity values

Answer 17

Option value
Bequest value
Existence value
Intrinsic value

Question 18

What is option value? (non-use biodiversity)

Answer 18

potential use or non-use in the future

Question 19

What is bequest value? (non-use biodiversity)

Answer 19

value of passing on a resource intact to future generations

Question 20

What is existence value? (non-use biodiversity)

Answer 20

value irrespective of the uses that it has now or in the future

Question 21

What is intrinsic value? (non-use biodiversity)

Answer 21

value independent of any human dimension