Biodiversity

Question 1

what is biodiversity

Answer 1

variety of organisms living in an area

Question 2

what are species

Answer 2

a group of similar organisms able to reproduce and give fertile offspring

Question 3

what is a habitat

Answer 3

• the area inhabited by a species
• influenced by physical and living dactors

Question 4

what is habitat diversity

Answer 4

the number of different habitats in area

Question 5

what is species diversity

Answer 5

• the number of different species in an area
• the abundance of each species in an area

Question 6

what is genetic diversity

Answer 6

the variation of alleles within a species

Question 7

what is random sampling

Answer 7

• sample should be random
• random number generator to select coordinates
• avoid bias but may not be representative

Question 8

what are the types of non-random sampling

Answer 8

• systematic
• opportunistic
• stratified

Question 9

what is systematic sampling

Answer 9

• samples taken at fixed intervals

Question 10

what is opportunistic sampling

Answer 10

• samples chosen by an investigator
• biased data

Question 11

what is stratified sampling

Answer 11

• different areas in a habitat are identified and sampled separately in proportion to their part of a habitat as a whole

Question 12

what is species richness

Answer 12

• number of different species in an area

Question 13

what is species evenness

Answer 13

• measure of the relative abundance of each species in an area
• more similar the population size of each species the greater the species evenness

Question 14

what is quadrating

Answer 14

• percentage of ground cover for smaller species
• square frame
• random sampling generates random numbers/coordinates
• divided quadrat makes estimating easier

Question 15

types of transects

Answer 15

• belt transect
• line transect

Question 16

what is Tullgren funnel

Answer 16

• collecting small animals from leaf litter
• light drives them down
• animals fall into the collecting jar

Question 17

why do we sample

Answer 17

• to see how human activities may be affecting an area
• environmental impact assessment prior to planning developments
• importance of maintaining habitats and reducing the damage we do to them.

Question 18

what is Simpsons index of diversity

Answer 18

• closer to 1 = more diverse the habitat
• greater species richness and evenness

D= diversity index
n = total number of individuals of one species
N = total number of organisms of all species

Question 19

how can genetic diversity be assessed

Answer 19

• low genetic diversity the population may not be well adapted to a change in the environment and the whole population could be wiped out
• isolated populations - bred in captivity
• efforts can be made to increase the genetic diversity if needed - breeding programmes

Question 20

what is polymorphism

Answer 20

• a gene has more than one allele
• hair colour, eye colour

Question 21

what is monomorphism

Answer 21

• when a gene has more than one allele

Question 22

what is the calculation to measure genetic diversity

Answer 22

proportion of polymorphic gene loci =
number of polymorphic gene loci / total number of loci

Question 23

how does human population growth affect biodiversity

Answer 23

Habitat loss = deforestation to make way for grazing and agriculture - decreases habitat diversity

Over-Exploitation = greater demand for resources , used up faster than can be produced

Urbanisation = cities and road developments can isolate species, populations cannot interbreed

Pollution = high amounts of pollutants can kill species or destroy habitats

Question 24

how can the use of monoculture in agriculture affect biodiversity

Answer 24

• habitats are lost and land is cleared to make way for large fields
• local plants and animals seen as weeds and pests and destroyed with pesticides and herbicides

Question 25

how does climate change affect biodiversity

Answer 25

- most species need a particular climate to survive - cause an increase or decrease in the range of some species - some species forced to migrate

Question 26

ecological reasons to maintain biodiversity : protecting keystone species

Answer 26

loss of a keystone species - disrupt food chains - disrupt nutrient cycle

Question 27

ecological reasons to maintain biodiversity: maintaining genetic resources

Answer 27

Food = from animals Clothing = cotton and leather Drugs = from plant compounds

Question 28

economic reasons to maintain biodiversity : reducing soil depletion

Answer 28

- monoculture is growing one crop - continuous monoculture = planting the same crop in the same field - continuous causes soil depletion as nutrients required by the crop are used up - economic costs = increased spending on fertilisers

Question 29

economic reasons to maintain biodiversity : aesthetic reasons

Answer 29

- areas rich in biodiversity provide pleasant, attractive landscapes - increase tourism

Question 30

what is in-situ conservation

Answer 30

- establishing protected areas such as national parks as restricted areas - controlling or preventing the introduction of species that threaten local biodiversity - protecting habitats - promoting species - legal protection to endangered species

Question 31

what is ex-situ conservation

Answer 31

- relocating an organism to a safer area - breeding organisms in captivity and releasing them into the wild when they are strong enough - botanic gardens to grow rare plants - seed banks

Question 32

what is the rio convention on biological diversity

Answer 32

- develop international strategies on how to use plant and animal resources in a sustainable way - provides guidance to governments on how to conserve biodiversity

Question 33

what is the CITES agreement

Answer 33

- illegal to kill endangered species - conserve species by limiting trade - illegal to trade products from endangered animals

Question 34

what is the countryside stewardship scheme

Answer 34

- conserve wildlife and biodiversity - improve and extend wildlife habitats by promoting management techniques - pay landowners who followed techniques