Biodiversity Flashcards
Define biodiversity
The variety of living organisms present in an area
Which regions have the most biodiversity?
Tropical, moist regions
What are the three levels of biodiversity?
Habitat, Species and Genetic
What is the definition of habitat biodiversity?
The number of different habitats found within an area
What is species richness?
The number of different species living in a particular area
What is species evenness?
A comparison of the number of each species living in a community
What is genetic biodiversity?
The variety of genes that make up a species
Why is genetic biodiversity a good thing?
Allows for better adaptation to a changing environment and therefore increases resistance to disease
What is sampling?
Taking measurements of a limited number of individual organisms present in a particular area
What is abundance in biodiversity?
The number of individuals of a species in an area
How would you carry out random sampling?
Using a random number grid and computer generator
What is opportunistic sampling?
Measuring what is available in that moment
Weak as only counts what is observed
What is stratified sampling?
Populations divided by certain characteristics
Random samples then taken from each strata
Number of samples taken from each strata is weighted depending on size
What is systematic sampling?
Samples taken at precise intervals of equal distance
What equipment is often used in systematic sampling?
Transect
What occurs during line transects?
Line is laid out between two poles
Samples are taken from what is touching the line or within a certain distance from the line
How is a belt transect taken?
Two parallel lines are marked and samples are taken from set distance between the two lines
What are two factors that affect reliability of a sample?
Sampling bias
Chance
What does a pooter measure and how does it work?
Catches small insects
Suck on a mouthpiece and insects are drawn into a chamber via inlet tube
What do sweep nets do?
Capture insects in areas of long grass
How do pitfall traps work and what do they collect?
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
How does tree beating work and what does it measure?
Large white cloth left under a tree
Tree is shaken
Insects fall onto the cloth
Samples invertebrates
What does kick sampling help measure? How does it work?
Studies organisms in the river bed
Water moves
Net held downstream
Insects etc float in
How are plants sampled?
Quadrat
What are the two types of quadrat?
Point Quadrat
Frame Quadrat
What are the three ways a quadrat could calculate biodiversity?
Density
Frequency
Percentage Cover
Give 6 examples of abiotic factors
Wind speed Light intensity Relative humidity pH Temperature Oxygen content in water
How is wind speed measured?
Anemometer
Why is it good to use sensors to measure abiotic factors?
Rapid changes can be detected
Human error is reduced
High degree of precision reached
Data can be stored and tracked on a computer
What is the measurement is the best for biodiversity?
Simpson’s Index of Diversity
What are the 3 main human caused issues affecting biodiversity?
Deforestation
Agriculture
Climate Change
What is littering?
The improper disposal of chemical waste and packaging
Give 4 ways deforestation impacts biodiversity
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
How does afforestation impact biodiversity?
Generally only a few species are planted so biodiversity still remains at low levels
Agriculture is a highly selective process, how does this impact biodiversity?
Reduces biodiversity because only a few species with a high yield are grown/ farmed.
Give 5 agricultural techniques which reduce biodiversity of an area
Deforesation Removal of hedgerows Use of chemicals Herbicides are used to kill weeds Monoculture
Give 4 impacts of climate change on biodiversity
Melting of polar ice caps reduces habitat area
Flooding of low lying terrestrial land
Xerophytes becoming more dominant
Insect life cycles dramatically changing
What are the 3 broad reasons for maintaining biodiversity?
Aesthetic
Ecological
Economic
What are the 3 main reasons biodiversity is important aesthetically?
Impacts on wellbeing
Inspiration for musicians and artists
More rapid recovery from illnesses
Give 8 reasons economic reasons why biodiversity should be maintained
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
Give 2 ecological reasons why biodiversity should be maintained
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
Define conservation
Preservation and careful management of the environment and natural resources
Give the 2 types of conservation and what they are
In situ conservation- within the natural habitat
Ex situ conservation- out of the natural habitat
Define sustainable development
Economic development that meets the need of people today without limiting the ability of furture
What are the 4 benefits of in situ conservation?
Maintains genetic diversity
Allows for evolutionary adaptation to occur in relation to changing environment
Preserves interdependent relationships
Cheaper
What 6 active management techniques are used to maintain wildlife reserves?
Controlled grazing Restricting human access Controlling poaching Feeding animals Culling or removal of invasive species Halting succession
What is controlled grazing?
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
What is succession?
A natural process in which early colonising species are replaced over time until as stable mature population is achieved
What type of conservation are botanic gardens and how do they work?
Ex-situ
Provide species with optimum growing conditions in order to allow for growth
What is a seed bank?
A gene bank where there is a store of genetic material
How do seed banks work?
Seeds are left at -20C to slow the rate at which they lose the ability to germinate
What is the aim of captive breeding programmes?
To produce offspring in a human controlled environment to maintain a stable, healthy population which can then be slowly reintroduced into the wild
What is a major issue with captive breeding and how is this combatted?
Inbreeding due to small genetic diversity
International genealogical catalogue is kept so genetic diversity is maximised
What are the four main reasons why captively bred animals can’t be released into the wild?
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
What are the 3 major conservation agreements?
International Union for the Conservation of Nature
The Rio Convention
Countryside stewardship scheme
What does the IUCN do?
Publishes red list with details of current conservation status of animals
Initiated CITES which limits trade of wild animals and plants internationally
What were the 3 major outcomes of the Rio convention?
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
What did the countryside stewardship programme offer?
Payments to farmers and other land mangers to enhance and conserve the English landscape
What were the 4 main aims of the country stewardship programme?
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
