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Biology Year 13 > Biodiversity✅ > Flashcards

Biodiversity✅ Flashcards

1
Q

define biodiversity

A

the variety in life in an area, which can be measured in terms of genetic species or habitat diversity

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2
Q

what is measured in genetic diversity

A

an estimate of gene variants (alleles) in a species

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3
Q

what is measured in species diversity

A

two components are measured:

species richness (number of species in an area)

species evenness ( number of individuals of each species)

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4
Q

what is measured in habitat/ecosystem diversity

A

number of different habitats (or ecosystems) in an area. Hardest measure to calculate in biodiversity because boundaries of ecosystems are often difficult to determine with accuracy

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5
Q

describe the difference between a population and a community (2 marks)

A

population: a group of organisms of the same species

Community: a set of populations within an ecosystem

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6
Q

suggest and explain which measure of biodiversity is most significant when assessing the health of one ecosystem (3 marks)

A

species biodiversity

because the variety and abundance of species within the ecosystem indicates the stability and health of food chains

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7
Q

explain how a habitat can contain many specie but its biodiversity is considered low (3 marks)

A

species richness might be high

but a few species might dominate/many species have low numbers

biodiversity based on both species richness and species evenness

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8
Q

what principles should you bear in mind when designating a sample method

A

larger sample size- more representative of whole ecosystem

avoiding bias-when choosing where to take samples will increase validity of results

sampling can only be claimed to be a representative estimate of an ecosystem biodiversity

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9
Q

what is random sampling, how do you decide the location of sampling points

A

random sampling avoids bias, can produce unrepresentative picture of ecosystem

generating random numbers, which are used as grid coordinates
taking samples from these coordinates

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10
Q

what is stratified sampling

A

study site divided into smaller areas, based on distribution of habitats, this sampling is more representative of the ecosystem and reduces sampling error

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11
Q

what is systematic sampling

A

a transect is used where environmental gradients exist (eg soil pH). You can investigate whether the distribution of organisms also changes across the habitat

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12
Q

state 3 factors that might limit the sample size in ecological survey (3 marks)

A

time
money
labour availability
access (to the ecosystem)
equipment

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13
Q

outline how you would estimate the abundance of plant species from a rocky shoreline to the edge of sand dunes 30M inland (4 marks)

A

Belt transect

line placed along the ecosystem (from shoreline to edge of sand dunes)

quadrats used at intervals

abundance of each species estimated (eg by percentage cover)

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14
Q

what animals and how is pooter and sweep nets technique used for sampling

A

Pooter: used on insects, insects sucked into a chamber

Sweep nets: used on insects in long grass, net is swept through the habitat

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15
Q

what animals and how is pitfall traps, tree beating and kick sampling techniques used for sampling

A

pitfall traps: used on small, crawling invertebrates, a hole in the ground traps organisms

tree beating: used on tree-dwelling invertebrates, trees are shaken and organisms fall on a sheet

Kick sampling: used on river-dwelling organisms, a river bed is disrupted and organisms are captured in a net

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16
Q

how are plants sampled, what 2 ways can they be recorded

A

using quadrats
1. count absolute number of individuals in the quadrat
2. estimate % of a quadrat covered by a species

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17
Q

how can wind speed, light intensity and temperature be measured

A

wind speed=anemometer, ms^-1
light intensity=photometer, lux
temperature=thermometer, degrees

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18
Q

pitfall traps are covered. suggest why (1 mark)

A

to prevent rainwater from entering and drowning trapped organisms

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19
Q

suggest why the % coverage of a species rather then its density might be recorded (2 marks)

A

time limitations

in cases where individuals of a species are difficult to count

20
Q

what is used to calculate species diversity

A

Simpsons diversity index (D)

D=1-[sum of (n/N)^2]

n=number of individuals of a particular species
N= total number of all individuals of all species

21
Q

suggest why an ecosystem with a low value of D is vulnerable to environmental change (3 marks)

A

few species/ low numbers in many of all species

an environmental change may cause the loss of species from the ecosystem

22
Q

why can genetic diversity of a population increase

A

DNA mutation

gene flow from another population (ie breeding between populations of same species)

23
Q

how can genetic diversity decrease in a population

A

selective breeding
captive breeding
genetic bottlenecks (ie when a population is reduced to a small size because of disease, habitat destruction, or migration)

24
Q

how can genetic diversity be measured/ what methods

A

number of alleles per gene

heterozygosity: the proportion of individuals in a population that have 2 different alleles for a particular gene

the proportion of genes for which more than 1 allele exists. a gene that has 2 or more possible variants/alleles is known as a polymorphic gene, a gene for only 1 variant/allele called a monomorphic gene

25
Q

what is equation is used to calculate proportion of polymorphic genes

A

= number of polymorphic genes/total number of gene

26
Q

describe how genetic diversity can decrease in a natural population (3 marks)

A

small population
due to disease
or habitat destruction
or migration (founder effect)
natural selection

27
Q

explain the importance of genetic diversity to species survival (2 marks)

A

idea that high genetic diversity indicates a species that has a wide range of traits on which natural selection can act

idea that when a selection pressure is exerted there is a greater chance that some members of the species will adapt and survive

28
Q

how has agriculture impacted biodiversity

A

deforestation to clear land for farming

hedgerow removal (to maximise space available for crops and machinery)

intensive farming uses chemicals eg pesticides and herbicides) to kill plants and animals that considered pests or weeds. EG neonicotinoid insecticides been blamed for reducing population of bee species

monocultures (growing a single crop) reduces number of animals that can use the farmland as a habitat

28
Q

how has forestry management and deforestation impacted biodiversity

A

removal of native trees has destroyed habitats, causing animal migration and death

sometimes non-native tress are grown instead to meet demands of timber and fuel industries, but biodiversity lowered because fewer species are grown

29
Q

what are the indirect impacts of agriculture on biodiversity

A

fertilisers pass into watercourses, contaminating neighbouring ecosystems (eg eutrophication)

demand for water has resulted in rivers/lakes being drained, decimating aquatic ecosystems

30
Q

how has fossil fuel combustion directly impacted biodiversity

A

habitat destruction for access to fossil fuel sources

31
Q

how has fossil fuel combustion indirectly impacted biodiversity

A

acid rain production has contributed to habitat destruction

climate change has caused habitat destruction (eg changes in sea temp, melting of ice)

32
Q

suggest 2 ways in which climate change has damaged ecosystems (2 marks)

A

desertification
melting frozen habitats
changing sea currents/ temperature

33
Q

describe how the rising human population has affected biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems (4 marks)

A

(reduced biodiversity due to) eutrophication

toxic chemicals poisoning aquatic organisms

acid rain production altering pH in aquatic ecosystems

global warming altering sea currents/ temperature

drainage of rivers and lakes

34
Q

what are the economic reasons for maintaining biodiversity

A

discovery of useful genes or compounds ( eg medicines or agriculture)

sustainable- removal of resources helps land remain economically viable for longer

high genetic diversity increases chance of species adapting to future environmental change, greater biodiversity increases range of traits available for artificial selection in future

money can be made through tourism in biodiverse areas

35
Q

why are ecosystems with a low biodiversity unstable and vulnerable to environmental change

A

species within community interdependent, removal of one species can disrupt food chain

36
Q

outline 2 economic reasons for maintaining biodiversity (2 marks)

A

greater chance of future drug/genetic resource discoveries

ecotourism

greater gene pool for artificial selection

37
Q

suggest 2 long-term benefits of sustainable forestry (2 marks)

A

reduces chance of soil degradation

land remains visible for longer

biodiversity is maintained

energy/food requirements can be meant for a longer period of time

38
Q

sea otters eat urchins, which eat kelp. Explain why sea otters are a keystone species in kelp forest habitats (2marks)

A

otters prevent an overpopulation of urchins

which would severely reduce kelp population

39
Q

what are some in situ methods for maintaining biodiversity

A

wildlife reserves- human access restricted, animals are fed, reintroducing species, culling, preventing succession which is a natural process of ecological change that occurs over many years

marine conservation zones- limits placed on hunting and fishing within refuge areas

40
Q

what are some ex situ methods of maintaining biodiversity

A

botanic gardens-plants experience optimum conditions

seed banks- seeds from many plant species stored in conditions that enable them to remain viable for centuries

captive breeding programmes-production of offspring in human-controlled environments, reintroduction of species into natural habitats, animals experience optimum nutrition, a lack of predators, and medical attention

41
Q

what is the conservation agreement

A

national and international agreements enable conservation targets and rules to be created

Rio convention- targets agreed for sustainability, reducing desertification and greenhouse gas emissions
CITES- regulates trade of species

42
Q

state the principal outcome of the Rio convention (2 marks)

A

sustainability targets

targets to reduce desertification/ increase land fertility

targets for greenhouse gas reduction

43
Q

suggest 3 advantages of using seed banks rather than botanic gardens to conserve plant species (3 marks)

A

seeds are smaller then plants, therefore easier to transport

and less space is required for storage

lower probability of disease/ damage

long term storage/ viability maintained for many years

44
Q

evaluate advantages and disadvantages of ex situ conservation in comparison to in situ methods (5 marks)

A

in situ is usually cheaper

in situ enables interspecies relationships to be maintained

in situ avoids potential problems when reintroducing species

ex situ provides optimum conditions/ veterinary care

ex situ enables controlled breeding programmes

45
Q
A

Biology Year 13 (6 decks)

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