Biodiversity Flashcards

Question

What is artificial selection

Answer 1

a process in which humans intentionally breed plants or animals to enhance desired traits

Answer 2

– Within a population of one species there is genetic variation – individuals are isolated from the population to a new area with different selection pressures – due to natural variation, some individuals will be better at surviving than others – fitter individuals have an advantage and are more likely to survive – these individuals reproduce and their offspring may inherit the advantageous gene – those who do not carry these advantageous jeans maybe unlikely to survive long enough to reproduce – this is why this process is called survival of the fittest because it leads to evolution by diversity and species overtime

Answer 3

– River – mountain range (millions of years) – clearing in a forest

Answer 4

- At the start of the process there are no geological barriers so all individuals can reproduce with each another – mutations cause variation differences, so the species become better adapted to their environment – natural selection occurs when the individuals best suited to their environment survive and reproduce – when the geographical barrier is removed the populations colonise the area cannot reproduce as they are now different species

Answer 5

External factors that determine which individuals will do best at surviving and reproducing, i.e. new predators

Answer 6

When physical geographical barriers cause a population to split into two where mutations and natural selection occur to create two new species where the individuals in their species are best suited to their new environment. One example is the freshwater fish Char, which lives in lakes in Scandinavia, Switzerland and the UK. The population of this fish have been separated by the land between them meaning they can no longer interbreed

Answer 7

Behavioural isolation refers the fact that many species perform different mating rituals and this is a common barrier between animals. For example certain species of crickets will only meet with males that produce a particular mating song

Answer 8

When species that could interbreed do not because the different species breed at different different times. For example 2 different species of field crickets become sexually mature different seasons one in the spring and the other in autumn

Answer 9

This occurs when two species that could interbreed do not because the species live in different different areas. For example in India both the lion and tiger exist and are capable of breeding however the lion lives in grasslands and the tiger lives in the forest. The species live in different habitats and will not encounter one another is isolated from the other species

Answer 10

This is caused by structures that keep species isolated from one another. For example domestic dogs all belong to the same species. Dogs like the Chihuahua and the great Pyrenees hound would be unable to reproduce due to the difference in size

Answer 11

This is caused by chemical barriers that keep the species isolated from one another. For example some chemical barriers will only allow sperm from the correct species to fertilise the egg

Answer 12

– A whole population of bears lived in one place originally – a geological factors for example a mountain range or a river may have caused them to become isolated – each new population has individuals that mutate for example mutation in their features – natural selection chooses the better-adapted animal to survive and reproduce – these animals reproduce and pass on the advantageous jeans to their offspring so that two different populations that differ so greatly that they can no longer breed even if the whole population comes together again

Answer 13

The formation of a new distinct species in the course of evolution

Answer 14

an event that causes a rapid increase in the number of species with a common ancestor, characterized by great ecological diversity

Answer 15

Galapagos finches -> Some of these adaptations included size, beak shape or claw size and this was all dependent on what was available in each area

Answer 16

As plates move they create geological barriers (for example: rivers, mountains, gorges, new islands), which can separate populations of organisms and create new species

Answer 17

It is the natural extinction rate of all species

Answer 18

It was estimated to be one species per year, however it is currently 100 to 1000 times more than that

Answer 19

We are in the sixth mass extinction, this is called the Holocene

Answer 20

there are drastic dips in the number of families

Answer 21

– Overpopulation (the global population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050)) – Global warming and climate change – Catastrophic one-off events (astroids hitting the earth)

Answer 22

The KT extinction (cretaceous tertiary). This is the mass extinction of the dinosaurs

Answer 23

Prehistorical disasters took over thousands or hundreds of thousands of years to take place, whereas the Holocene took over a few decades/hundreds of years. The Holocene occurs due to anthropogenic reasons, for example climate change due to the enhanced greenhouse effect, whereas prehistorical mass extinctions are not human-caused

Answer 24

Fossil record extinctions occurred over relatively long time scales, whereas present-day extinctions occurred over short time skills (decades). Current extinctions are largely attributable to human causes, for example overhunting. Past mass extinctions are linked to natural courses, for example, meteorite impacts

Answer 25

The Lincoln index provides a way to measure population sizes of individual animal species which is related to capture-recapture methods. It relies on the assumption that the proportion of marked animals in the second sample is the same as the proportion of marked to non-marked animals in a whole population

Answer 26

Any 4 from: – Capturing the animal may harm them or alter its behaviour – the mark used may harm the animal, for example, toxic paint on an animal may harm them therefore tests need to be done prior – marks may be removed before recapture accidentally – Marks may make individuals less or more visible to predators/mates – the method assumes that all animals in the population are equally catchable – this method depends on open/systems. Usually, there are no closed systems therefore readings have to be taken over shorter time to reduce changes and pop size (in an open system individuals can migrate in and out of an area skewing results) – trapping responses may vary: individuals being trap shy (avoiding the traps), or being trapped happy (individuals may go looking for the traps as they know it is an opportunity for food)

Answer 27

Trap shyness leads to an overestimation, whereas trap happiness leads to an underestimation

Answer 28

Any five from: – Natural disasters – deforestation – monoculture – overfishing – urbanisation – altering habitat shape – pollution (air and water) – captivity – antibiotics/battery farming

Answer 29

– Inertia – limiting factors – stage of succession

Answer 30

The property of an organism to delay or resist change when certain factors change

Answer 31

If the abiotic factors are in abundance the system can survive longer even if one is reduced

Answer 32

Later stages are more resilient and stable than younger ecosystems because they have more niches, therefore if one organism dies, another can take its role. This is because of the complexity of ecosystems in the later stages will have more complex food webs

Answer 33

- deforestation and logging - ranching - shifting cultivation

Answer 34

where the land is cleared and the vegetation burnt, crops are grown for a few years until yields decline due to decreasing fertility of the soil. The farmers then move on to a new clearing

Answer 35

Ranching involves raising livestock (e.g., cattle, sheep, goats) on large areas of land for meat, milk, wool, or other products.

Answer 36

– fewer abundance of ecological niches – lower rates of biomass and photosynthesis

Answer 37

– natural selection occurs when a population of individuals has adapted better to selection pressures – they are more likely to reproduce and pass on advantageous alleles to their offspring – this will increase allele frequency and genetic diversity – more niches will be created and overall a new and better-adapted species

Answer 38

– When plates converge, this forms new land. this creates natural barriers such as mountain ranges – another example is when plates diverge creating gorgeous or river forms – there are now new selection pressures in different environments – organisms that have adapted successfully pass on their alleles, increasing genes diversity and speciation

Answer 39

any 3 from: - natural hazards - pollution - habitat fragmentation - the spread of disease - alien species invasion - modern agricultural practices - over-exploitation

Answer 40

- Natural hazards can destroy habitats and caused forced migration of species reducing biodiversity in one area .One example is floods, such as the Yangtze river floods in China (2007), that left 14 million people homeless

Answer 41

The process whereby a large area is divided up into different sections. This is because of separation by roads, towns, etc. This causes the edge effect, causing conditions to change

Answer 42

when systems are divided into sections, the edge of these sections have less ideal conditions then the conditions in the core of each divided section

Answer 43

A list that collates information regarding the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species

Answer 44

- habitat risk - population size - reproductive potential - amount of food sources - whether an introduction of an alien species has occurred (i.e. a competitor)

Answer 45

- whether the species is endemic or not - its desirability to humans, i.e food, fashion - the quality of its habitat (is it affected by pollution)

Answer 46

Caquetá Titi Monkey: - assessed for the first time since 2012 to be critically endangered - endemic to easter Colombia - an area of intense human colonisation - there is widespread habitat destruction and fragmentation The Rafflesia Plant: - Tropical parasitic plant found in the jungles of South Asia - vulnerable -> needs specific conditions to survive and carry out their life cycle - vulnerable to deforestation and logging - it is therefore destroyed by humans and has a decreased chance of breeding

Answer 47

- breeding programs - policies made against poaching - laws against deforestation

Answer 48

-> Reducing Pollination – we rely on pollinators for most of our crops. Losing pollinators could lead to less production and ultimately the extinction of plants. -> Loss of Medicine – many medications come from plants or animals.

Answer 49

The dodo bird 🦤 -> deforestation, hunting, and destruction of their nests by animals brought to the island by the Dutch

Answer 50

- Food sources: animals are over-exploited to provide food for humans (i.e. swordfish, passenger pigeon) - natural products: fur seals were nearly hunted to extinction in the 1900s for fur coats

Answer 51

- environmental services: waste is broken down and recycled by decomposers - human health: the first antibiotics were obtained from fungi (penicillin)

Answer 52

Making an effort to sustainable use and manage natural resources

Answer 53

protecting what is in a system by not touching it

Answer 54

- often tensions exist between ‘good for the economy and human needs’ and good for the environment - conservation and preservation are reliant on citizens and governments to do something

Answer 55

- less plastic packaging - acting to help local nature reserves - reducing fossil fuels

Answer 56

meeting the needs of the present without negatively impacting the needs of future generations and biodiversity

Answer 57

- Non-governmental organisations (NGO) - Intergovernmental organisations (IGO)

Answer 58

- Use of media -> often use media liaison officers to release informative videos and statements - Response is usually slow as it is difficult to reach a consensus, but they have great political influence with direct access to governments - Able to pass national laws through international agreements. However, countries do not have to be involved

Answer 59

- WWF - Greenpeace

Answer 60

- rely on public pressure rather than legal power - Participate in leaflets and events (such as Earth Hour where the WWF asked households and business to turn off their electricity for one hour)

Answer 61

- Use media stunts to get their message across to the masses (On July 2019, activists interrupted chancellor Philip Hammond as he gave a speech to the UK’s top city bosses, by drowning out his speech with climate emergency alarms of live TV) - activities conducted may be illegal

Answer 62

- can respond to crises immediately, as organisations are independent and can make their own decisions - generally unaffected by politics - advertise on popular channels using footage of own protest activities

Answer 63

- has real power to enforce its policy or approach through international agreements and laws - slow to act - must meet an international consensus and legal requirements amongst all partaking countries - many nations cannot give opinions on a matter without consulting lawyers and other countries because they represent many nations

Answer 64

- species-based conservation - area/habitat-based conservation

Answer 65

-> The Kyoto Protocol (1997, COP): Countries were allocated amounts of C02, and they were allowed to emit -> The “three amigos” summit (2016): the leaders of USA, Mexico and Canada met and agreed on a set of initiatives to achieve 50% clean energy by 2050

Answer 66

the conservation of a single species

Answer 67

- threatened - ecologically important (key-stone species: bees, beavers) - useful for humans (medicinal plants: willow) - species with non-use value (aethetics)

Answer 68

Conservation of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna -> looks at illegal wildlife trade

Answer 69

- elephant ivory -> used for the keys of a piano, however, it is not illegal to kill elephants for their ivory. If the object, made from elephant ivory, was made before it was illegal, it is allowed - parrots -> for pets - tiger -> for fur - pangolins -> for food

Answer 70

3 appendixes: -> 1st appendix: a species cannot be traded internationally -> 2nd appendix: species can be traded internationally but within strict regulations ensuring sustainability (however, sometimes some species are mistaken for endangered ones and are traded internationally) -> 3rd appendix: a species is protected in one country that asks for assistance for a law to protect them (i.e. walrus in Canada)

Answer 71

-> it has dramatically reduced the trade in endangered wild species -> it is an international agreement set up between governments to protect many species becoming extinct

Answer 72

-> Governments sign up voluntarily and can opt out at any time -> Penalties don’t always match the gravity of the crime

Answer 73

the leatherback sea turtle

Answer 74

-> It is a circumglobal species that can range throughout almost all the world's oceans. This is because their leatherback can help regulate their temperature -> In a nesting beach in Mexico (1986) -> 6,500 nests were recorded, but in 1993 only 50 nests were left

Answer 75

- Sea turtles and their eggs are used as food, medicine, tourist products and in numerous cultural practices globally. One example is the growing popularity of turtle soup as a delicacy in Europe - 55,000 sea turtles die from shrimp trawling every year. This is when large nets are dragged across the sea floor, to scoop up shrimp, but end up catching thousands of turtles as by-catch. This means many turtles die as they are snagged and drown in the nets

Answer 76

-> Reducing mortality in fish nets: (1989) - The US require the use of Turtle Excluder Devices (TED) that have small grates to allow shrimp through but not turtles, restricting them as by-catch. However, some people wire them close, therefore there is no proper way to enforce this by law -> Headstarting projects: The act of collecting wild turtle eggs, and rearing them in captivity for almost one year. Once they are at a size where their risk of predation decreases, they are released onto their natal beaches -> Education: Japan is the largest importer and exporter of turtle products, as they refuse to agree to international trade bans. Therefore, Japanese children are told an ancient Japanese folklore about a boy who saves a turtle and is rewarded for his compassion, as an effort to alter attitudes on sea turtles