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Biology OCR A A level > Biodiversity > Flashcards

Biodiversity Flashcards

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1
Q

Define biodiversity

A

The variety of living organisms present in an area

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2
Q

Which regions have the most biodiversity?

A

Tropical, moist regions

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3
Q

What are the three levels of biodiversity?

A

Habitat, Species and Genetic

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4
Q

What is the definition of habitat biodiversity?

A

The number of different habitats found within an area

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5
Q

What is species richness?

A

The number of different species living in a particular area

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6
Q

What is species evenness?

A

A comparison of the number of each species living in a community

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7
Q

What is genetic biodiversity?

A

The variety of genes that make up a species

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8
Q

Why is genetic biodiversity a good thing?

A

Allows for better adaptation to a changing environment and therefore increases resistance to disease

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9
Q

What is sampling?

A

Taking measurements of a limited number of individual organisms present in a particular area

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10
Q

What is abundance in biodiversity?

A

The number of individuals of a species in an area

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11
Q

How would you carry out random sampling?

A

Using a random number grid and computer generator

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12
Q

What is opportunistic sampling?

A

Measuring what is available in that moment

Weak as only counts what is observed

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13
Q

What is stratified sampling?

A

Populations divided by certain characteristics
Random samples then taken from each strata
Number of samples taken from each strata is weighted depending on size

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14
Q

What is systematic sampling?

A

Samples taken at precise intervals of equal distance

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15
Q

What equipment is often used in systematic sampling?

A

Transect

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16
Q

What occurs during line transects?

A

Line is laid out between two poles

Samples are taken from what is touching the line or within a certain distance from the line

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17
Q

How is a belt transect taken?

A

Two parallel lines are marked and samples are taken from set distance between the two lines

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18
Q

What are two factors that affect reliability of a sample?

A

Sampling bias

Chance

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19
Q

What does a pooter measure and how does it work?

A

Catches small insects

Suck on a mouthpiece and insects are drawn into a chamber via inlet tube

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20
Q

What do sweep nets do?

A

Capture insects in areas of long grass

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21
Q

How do pitfall traps work and what do they collect?

A

Pitfall traps trap small invertebrates
Hole is dug and small insects fall in
Shut with a lid so can’t escape
Left over night so nocturnal animals also sampled

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22
Q

How does tree beating work and what does it measure?

A

Large white cloth left under a tree
Tree is shaken
Insects fall onto the cloth
Samples invertebrates

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23
Q

What does kick sampling help measure? How does it work?

A

Studies organisms in the river bed
Water moves
Net held downstream
Insects etc float in

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24
Q

How are plants sampled?

A

Quadrat

25
Q

What are the two types of quadrat?

A

Point Quadrat

Frame Quadrat

26
Q

What are the three ways a quadrat could calculate biodiversity?

A

Density
Frequency
Percentage Cover

27
Q

Give 6 examples of abiotic factors

A 
Wind speed
Light intensity
Relative humidity
pH 
Temperature
Oxygen content in water
28
Q

How is wind speed measured?

A

Anemometer

29
Q

Why is it good to use sensors to measure abiotic factors?

A

Rapid changes can be detected
Human error is reduced
High degree of precision reached
Data can be stored and tracked on a computer

30
Q

What is the measurement is the best for biodiversity?

A

Simpson’s Index of Diversity

31
Q

What are the 3 main human caused issues affecting biodiversity?

A

Deforestation
Agriculture
Climate Change

32
Q

What is littering?

A

The improper disposal of chemical waste and packaging

33
Q

Give 4 ways deforestation impacts biodiversity

A

Reduces number of trees in an area
Reduces species diversity if only one type of tree is felled
Reduces animal diversity by destroying habitats
Animals are forced to migrate elsewhere increasing biodiversity there

34
Q

How does afforestation impact biodiversity?

A

Generally only a few species are planted so biodiversity still remains at low levels

35
Q

Agriculture is a highly selective process, how does this impact biodiversity?

A

Reduces biodiversity because only a few species with a high yield are grown/ farmed.

36
Q

Give 5 agricultural techniques which reduce biodiversity of an area

A 
Deforesation
Removal of hedgerows
Use of chemicals
Herbicides are used to kill weeds
Monoculture
37
Q

Give 4 impacts of climate change on biodiversity

A

Melting of polar ice caps reduces habitat area
Flooding of low lying terrestrial land
Xerophytes becoming more dominant
Insect life cycles dramatically changing

38
Q

What are the 3 broad reasons for maintaining biodiversity?

A

Aesthetic
Ecological
Economic

39
Q

What are the 3 main reasons biodiversity is important aesthetically?

A

Impacts on wellbeing
Inspiration for musicians and artists
More rapid recovery from illnesses

40
Q

Give 8 reasons economic reasons why biodiversity should be maintained

A

1) Soil erosion occurs due to deforestation which can reduce ability to grow crops
2) Conservation of organisms that are used to make things ie. hardwood
3) To prevent loss of species with economic gain being made extinct before they are even discovered ie. medicines
4) Continuous monoculture removes same nutrients from soil, which creates a fragile environment which is dependent on chemicals
5) Protection against abiotic stresses and disease which can wipe out crop yields causing economic losses
6) Attractive environment which leads to tourism
7) Potential to manufacture different products
8) Plant varieties needed for cross breeding which can lead to improved characteristics such as disease resistance

41
Q

Give 2 ecological reasons why biodiversity should be maintained

A

1) All organisms are interdependent on each other fir survival, so removal of one impacts the food chain
2) Keystone species cant be lost as they have a disproportionate affect on environment

42
Q

Define conservation

A

Preservation and careful management of the environment and natural resources

43
Q

Give the 2 types of conservation and what they are

A

In situ conservation- within the natural habitat

Ex situ conservation- out of the natural habitat

44
Q

Define sustainable development

A

Economic development that meets the need of people today without limiting the ability of furture

45
Q

What are the 4 benefits of in situ conservation?

A

Maintains genetic diversity
Allows for evolutionary adaptation to occur in relation to changing environment
Preserves interdependent relationships
Cheaper

46
Q

What 6 active management techniques are used to maintain wildlife reserves?

A 
Controlled grazing
Restricting human access
Controlling poaching
Feeding animals
Culling or removal of invasive species
Halting succession
47
Q

What is controlled grazing?

A

Allowing live stock to graze a particular area of land for a certain period of time to allow species to recover or only a limited number of livestock

48
Q

What is succession?

A

A natural process in which early colonising species are replaced over time until as stable mature population is achieved

49
Q

What type of conservation are botanic gardens and how do they work?

A

Ex-situ

Provide species with optimum growing conditions in order to allow for growth

50
Q

What is a seed bank?

A

A gene bank where there is a store of genetic material

51
Q

How do seed banks work?

A

Seeds are left at -20C to slow the rate at which they lose the ability to germinate

52
Q

What is the aim of captive breeding programmes?

A

To produce offspring in a human controlled environment to maintain a stable, healthy population which can then be slowly reintroduced into the wild

53
Q

What is a major issue with captive breeding and how is this combatted?

A

Inbreeding due to small genetic diversity

International genealogical catalogue is kept so genetic diversity is maximised

54
Q

What are the four main reasons why captively bred animals can’t be released into the wild?

A

Diseases- loss of resistance
Behaviour- learnt behaviour is lost
Genetic races- genetic make up different to wild so can’t inbreed
Habitat- not enough capacity

55
Q

What are the 3 major conservation agreements?

A

International Union for the Conservation of Nature
The Rio Convention
Countryside stewardship scheme

56
Q

What does the IUCN do?

A

Publishes red list with details of current conservation status of animals
Initiated CITES which limits trade of wild animals and plants internationally

57
Q

What were the 3 major outcomes of the Rio convention?

A

Conservation of Biological Diversity requires countries to have strategies for sustainable development
UNFCCC agreement to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations within atmosphere
UNCCD aim to prevent transformation of fertile land into desert and reduce the effects of drought through programmes o f international cooperation

58
Q

What did the countryside stewardship programme offer?

A

Payments to farmers and other land mangers to enhance and conserve the English landscape

59
Q

What were the 4 main aims of the country stewardship programme?

A

Sustaining beauty and diversity of a landscape
Improving and extending wildlife habitats
Restoring neglected land and conserving archaeological and historic features
Improving opportunities for countryside enjoyment

Biology OCR A A level (17 decks)

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