Biodiversity Flashcards
What is biodiversity?
The variety of living organisms in an area.
What is a habitat?
Where an organism lives.
What is a community?
All the populations of different species in a habitat and their interactions with their environment.
What are the two ways in which biodiversity can be measured?
- Species richness
- Index of Diversity
What is species richness?
The number of different species in a community.
What is the index of diversity?
Why is the index of diversity a better measure of biodiversity in a larger community?
Species richness only takes into account the number of species but in larger communities you also have to take into account the population sizes of those species which the index does take into account.
How does woodland clearance affect biodiversity?
It directly reduces the number of trees and sometimes the number of tree species. It also destroys habitats so species lose their shelter and food source. This means that the species either have to migrate or die and this reduces biodiversity.
How does hedgerow clearance affect biodiversity?
It destroys the habitats and food sources of organisms meaning they have to migrate or die. It also reduces the number of plants and sometimes species so biodiversity decreases.
How does the use of pesticides affect biodiversity?
It decreases biodiversity directly by killing pests and also decreasing the food source of the animals that eat those pests.
How does the use of herbicides affect biodiversity?
This reduces plant diversity and could reduce the number of organisms that use those weeds as a food source.
How does monoculture affect biodiversity?
It decreases biodiversity directly by growing one type of crop. It also means that fewer organisms will be supported and that decreases biodiversity further.
