Biodiversity Flashcards
What is a biodiversity Hotspot and what must an area have to qualify as a biodiversity hotspot
A region with numerous endemic (native) species and a large number of endangered and threatened species.
to qualify an area must
1. contain 1500 species of endemic vascular plants, found no where else
2. Have lost at least 70% of primary native vegetation
Gene
A section of DNA in a chromosome that encodes an instruction for a specific protein product.
Gene pool
The sum of all genes, including all forms in a given population
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is comprised of living organisms (biotic factors) and non living factors (abiotic factors) and their interactions
Species
A group of morphologically similar organisms that share a gene pool and are able to mate to produce viable and fertile offspring
Biosphere
All environments on earth that organisms inhibit. Including land, water and the atmosphere.
Why we study bio diversity
- Ecosystem are processes are essential for survival -> we depend on photosynthesis for food
- Delivers education and cultural benefits -> provides clues about changes in species and aboriginal culurtual importance of land
- Contributes to production of food, purified water and fibre products such as wood
- Tourism and economic benefits
Describe three levels of Biodiversity
- Species -> group of morphologically similar organisms able to produce viable and fertile offspring
- Ecosystems -> An ecosystem is composed of all the living organisms (biotic factors) in an area, together with the physical environment or non living factors (abiotic factors) and their interactions
- Genetics
What is biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of life that exists in the biosphere. Biodiversity includes all the genes in a species gene pool. All species in an ecosystem and all the ecosystems in the biosphere
What is the biological species concept and outline limitations of the concept
Is defined as a species taxon of organisms that can successfully interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Limitations
- Not possible to apply to fossils of extinct organisms
- Cannot be applied to build understanding of how our own species evolved
- Cannot classify hybrid species such as mules
Describe 2 other species concepts that is not the biological species concept
- morphological species concept - A definition of a species based on physical characteristics
- Phylogenic species concept - A definition of a group of organisms who descended from the same ancestor and share the same traits
Why do we measure Biodiversity
We measure biodiversity to answer the following questions
1. does biodiversity increase productivity
2. is the world experiencing the sixth mass of extinction
3. Do introduced species decrease native biodiversity
What is a spatial scale
And outline the benefits of a spatial scale
A spacial scale is a scale that describes how organisms are distributed over space
- finding factors affecting biodiversity and survivability of an organism’s population such as it’s spawning ground.
How can a population’s spatial distribution be described?
A population’s spatial distribution can be described as large or small, uniformly or randomly distributed, or clustered or concentrated in one area.
What are terrestrial ecosystems
What are Aquatic ecosystems
Terrestrial ecosystems are ecosystems which are located on land, whereas aquatic ecosystems are ecosystems located in water.
What Is a temporal scale and what are it’s benefits
A temporal scale is a scale which describes how organisms are distributed over time
Benefits of temporal scales include
1. Estimating extinction rates
2. Planing conservation strategies
3. monitoring popultions
