Biodiversity

Question 1

What is biodiversity?

Answer 1

The variety of species in an area

Question 2

What is a community?

Answer 2

All the populations of different species in a habitat

Question 3

What is species richness?

Answer 3

The number of different species in an area

Question 4

What is an index of diversity?

Answer 4

Description of the relationship between number of species in a community and the number of individuals of each species

Question 5

Index of diversity equation

Answer 5

d = N x (N-1) / sum of n x (n-1)

N = number of organisms of all species
n = number of organisms of one species

Question 6

Effects of farming on biodiversity

Answer 6

• Forrests cleared
• Hedgerows removed
• Monoculture / herbicide
• Decreases biodiversity (fewer species of plant and insect, fewer food sources for other species, fewer habitats / niches)

Question 7

Conservation scheme examples

Answer 7

• Restrict urban development in biodiverse areas
• Protect species by law
• Encourage farmers to conserve biodiversity (planting hedgerows)

Question 8

How can genetic diversity be compared?

Answer 8

• Comparing DNA/mRAN/amino acid sequence
• Observe characteristics and put into groups (classification)

Question 9

Sampling

Answer 9

• Estimate (impossible to sample all the individuals in a population)
• Large sample size more representative
• Random sampling avoids bias