biodiversity Flashcards
what is biodiversity
biodiversity is the variety of life that exists in the biosphere.
what are the three levels of biodiversity
- genetic
- species
- ecosystem
describe genetic biodiversity
Is the differences in the gene pool within a single species. It allows a population to effectively evolve and adapt through natural selection.
describe species diversity
Is the number of different species present within an ecosystem. The more diverse a population, community or ecosystem is the more resistant to extinction it is.
describe ecosystem diversity
Is the variation between biotic and abiotic factors of different ecosystems. Often the productivity of one ecosystem can affect others surrounding it.
what does stability mean
stability refers to the ecosystem’s apparently unchanging nature over time
what are the components of ecosystem stability
- inertia - ability to resist disturbance
2. resilience - ability to recover from external disturbance
what is a spacial scale
Refers to the space being occupied. Spacial patterns are studied to understand the distribution of individuals in a species
what is a temporal scale?
temporal refers to time. Temporal patterns are studied to provide details about biodiversity over a time period
why do biologists classify living things?
- organisation - biologists classify so there is better organisation for understanding relationships
- analysation -classification enables data collection, comparison and evaluation which assists analysation
- communication - classification allows communication between biologists despite language barriers as it is a universal system
- identification of invasive species - classification allows invasive species to be identified more easily and accurately to reduce confusion between invasive and endangered species
