biodiversity Flashcards
BIODIVERSITY?
the variety of living organisms in an area
species?
a group of similar organisms able to reproduce to give fertile offspring
habitat?
the area inhibited by a species
habitat diversity?
number of different habitats in an area
species diversity?
number of different species
what sampling do you use for crawling ground insects?
pitfall trap- small pit that insects don’t get out or a poster= device that allows you to suck small insects
what sampling do you use for small organisms that live in soil or leaf litter?
tullgren funnel=soil or leaf litter sample is put on a mesh filter at the top of the funnel and a light is shone down into it organisms move away from the heat created by the light and fall out of the funnel and into collecting beaker
what sampling do you use for aquatic organisms?
kick sampling=gently kick the bottom of a stream then use a net to collect the organisms that have been disturbed
what sampling do you use for organisms living on grass?
sweep net
how do you avoid bias in sampling?
the sample should be random
non random sampling: systematic?
sample is taken at fixed intervals often along a line
non random sampling: opportunistic?
samples are chosen by the investigator =used because it is simple to carry out=data will be biased tho
non random sampling: stratified?
when different areas in a habitat are identified and sampled separately in a proportion to their part of the habitat as a whole
species richness?
number of different species in an area= high the number pf species the greater the specie richness
species evenness?
measure of relative abudunce of each species in an area
what happens when population has low genetic diversity?
might not able to adapt to a change in environment and the whole population could be wiped out by a single event
where could genetic diversity be low?
isolated population such as those bred in captivity =zoos
factor affecting biodiversity: human population growth?
destroying habitats = there is deforestation in the amazons to make way for the the agriculture = decreases habititat diversity
pollution=high amount of pollutants can destroy habitats+kill species=high levels of fertilisers flowing into river can lead to a decrease in fish species in that river=decreases biodiversity
factor affecting biodiversity: climate change
species might be forced to migrate to a more suitable area causing a change in specie distribution
migration usually decrease biodiversity in areas the species migrate from and increase biodiversity in the areas they migrate to
importance of biodiversity?= protect species = ecological reasons
disruptions of food chains
disruption of nutrients cycles=
importance of biodiversity?= to maintain genetic resources?
food and drink= plants and animals are the source of almost all food an some things
clothing = a lot of fibres and fabrics are made from plants and animals
drugs= many are made from plants compounds
importance of biodiversity? economic reasons?
to reduce soil depletion= monoculture is growing a single variety of a single crop
continuous monoculture involves planting the same crop in the same filed without interruption
continuous monoculture causes soil depletion because nutrients required by the crop are gradually used up
the economic cost of soil depletion include increases spending on fertilisers and decreased yields
importance of biodiversity? aesthetic reasons?
areas rich in biodiversity provide pleasant and attractive landscape and people can enjoy it. by maintaining biodiversity we protect these beautiful landscape
more biodiversity=more visitors the area is likely to attract= economic advantages
in situ conservation?
means on site conservation
involves protecting species in their natural habitiat
why is conversion important?
ensure survival of endangered species which are at risk of extinction because of low population
or threatened habitats
methods of in situ conservation?
establishing protected areas such as national part and wildlife reserves - habitats and species are protected in these areas by restricting urban development , industrial development, farming
controlling or preventing the introduction of species that threaten local biodiversity
methods of in situ conservation? advantage?
both species and their habitats are conserved. larger populations can be protected and its less disruptive than removing organisms from their habitats
ex situ conservation?
of site conservation=involves protecting a species by removing part of the population from a threatened habitat and placing them in a new location
ex situ conservation? methods?
relocating organisms to a safer area
breeding organisms captivity then reintroducing them to there wild when they are strong enough
seed banks = seeds can be frozen and stored in seed banks for over a century without losing their fertility
ex situ conservation? advantages
it can be used to protect individual animals in a controlled environment -thinks like huntings
ex situ conservation? disadvantage
usually a small number pf individuals can be cared for
it can be difficult and may be less likely to exhibit natural behaviour and may be more likely to catch a disease
rio convention on biological diversity
aims to develop international strategies on the conservation of biodiversity and how to use animal and plants in a resource way
the convention made it part of international law that conserving biodiversity is everyones responsibility
provides guidance
CITES agreement?
is a agreement designed to increase international cooperation in regulating trade in wild animals and plant species
the member countries all agreed to make it illegal to kill endangered species
the agreement helps to conserve species by limiting the trade through licensing and by making it illegal to trade in products made from endangered animals
designed to raise awareness of threats to biodiversity through education
