Biodiversity Flashcards
variations in life all around the our small blue planet....
define Biodiversity
The measure of variation found in the living world, including plants, animals, fungi AND the variations in the genes contained!
Define Habitat Diversity
- The range of habitats in a given area! (simples…)
Define Species Diversity
- The number of species and the abundance of species in a certain area!
2 branches of Species Diversity…
- Species RICHNESS: number of different species in a habitat
- Species EVENNESS: the abundance of each different species in a habitat
Define Genetic Diversity
- measure of GENETIC VARIATION found within a species
- NUMBER OF ALLELES in a GENE POOL
Describe Random Sampling!
1.We randomly select an area for quadrat, via RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR (coordinates laid by map/tape)
2. (+) Ensures data is not BIASED
3. (-) May not cover all areas of habitat equally, low species count may be missed
Describe Opportunistic Sampling
- Sampling decisions based on prior knowledge or data collections, deliberatly
2.(+) Faster and easier than random - (-) Biased data, may lead to population overestimate due to area focused
An “opportunity” to sample best researched locations!!!
Describe Stratified Sampling
-
Dividing a habitat into areas and sampling each area SEPERATLY, within representative proportion
2.(+) all area sampled and no under-represented species - (-) over-representation may lead to a disproportinate number
Describe Sytematic Sampling
- Samples taken at fixed intervals across habitat
2.(+) Usefull for investigating gradients from environmental factors - (-) missed species as only species touching line can be recorded!
Difference with LINE and BELT transect?
- LINE = species touching the string line
- BELT = Species toucing in Tape Measures+Quadrats
Percentage Covering of Quadrat?
- Counting number of square grids occupied by flora
- Divide by the total number of grids!
What is a POINT FRAME?
- Frame holding 10 needles, where each flora touching needle will have 1% covering counted!
- Lower point frame into quadrat 10 times, for 100 total readings!
- Easy to bias point frame due to favoured positioning in quadrats, so undergo random systematic placing system!
Continous vs Interrupted Belt Transect!
- Cont = Quadrat moved ALONG tape measure to study belt line in detail
- Interupt = Quadrat placed at SET INTERVALS along the tape measure
Wy use Transect/Quadrat?
- Tran = measuring a GRADIENT change, due to BIOTIC or ABIOTIC factors……
- Quad = Measurin the distribution of flora in a specific area.
How does Growing human population affect Biodiversity?
- Increased demand on land space and goods
- MORE SPACE REQUIRED for agricultral land and housing
- can cause HABITAT FRAGMENTATION
- reducing biodiversity…
How does Habitat fragmentation affect Biodiversity?
- Will reduce ability for species to interbreed together
- will lead to inbreeding, reducing gene pool
- unable for alleles to mix with many other alleles of individuals
- will lead to genetic defects, species will be LESS ADAPTED to changes in environment, reducing gnetic variation!
How does Agriculture affect Biodiversity?
- MONOCULTURES could be mass produced, where 1 strain of species are harvested
- loss in wild, native strains of flora, reducing genetic diversity!
- Also includes, eutrophication, pesticide use, habitat destruction and bioaccumalation
Define Selective Breeding and link to Biodiversity decrease…
- Where desireable characteristics in alleles are selected for during breeding programmes, for benefit
- REDUCED BIODIVERSITY ALSO, as other characteristics are ignored, reducing gene pool as genes are no longer expressed….
Define Genetic Erosion
- Where genes and alleles are no longer expressed within population, due to selective breeeding et al….
How does Climate Change affect Biodiversity?
- Causes rapidly changing environments for many species (e.g. Ice, forests…)
- Species unable to adapt to changes at same rate, leading to decline in biodiveristy and extinction
- Causes migration obstructions, sea level rise/ floods…..
What is the Simpson’s Index of Biodiversity?
- a STATISTICAL TEST to measure biodiversity over a habitat!
- uses both species EVENNESS and RICHNESS as indicators, between 0.0 and 1.0
How can we interpret data from high/low Simpson’s Index of Biodiversity?!
- High = many different species and abundance, meaning small change to environment will have very little effect on habitat as whole > MORE STABLE and ABLE to withstand changes!
- Low = very few species, meaning small change to environment will have large effect on habitat as whole > UNSTABLE and CAN’T to withstand changes!
- Sudden Changes = pathogen, new predator, sudden climate, loss of food………
Define Polymorphic Gene Locus and Locus
- L = position of gene on a chromosome
- PGL = a locus containing MORE THAN 2 alleles, within an entire population..
Define Homozygous and Heterozygoes Locus
HOMO = different alleles at the SAME locus
HETERO = different alleles at DIFFERENT locus on a chromosome
Calculating Genetic Diversity, and interpret???
- num. of heterozygous loci / total num. of loci * 100
- Higher percentage = GREATER GENETIC BIODIVERSITY
What makes animal sampling HARDER than plants?
- Animals able to hide away at presence of humans
- Not easy to spot in habitat, due to constant movements…
Disadvantes of Human Sightings for Animal Sampling
- Misidentification of certain animals
- Exaggeration/Lying of sighted animals
- Re-Spotting of same animal in habitat!
How to catch Invertebrates in sampling animals!
- Sweep Nets = via large Nets > good for small, flying insects, once captured, insects may escape
- Pooter = small jar sucking trapping > good for low vegetation, prevents escaping, inefficient
- Tullgren Funnel = leaf litter in funnel as hot lamp light drives invertabrates down into collecting jar >can dry and kill insects
- Pit Fall traps = dig hole and cover with vegetation > may fill with water in rain/animals may crawl out
How to undertake Capture+Recapture technique in animal sampling
- Longworth traps used > capturing small animals
- Animals are marked, released, and recaptured to estimate total population!
Define in situ conservation
- Conserving species WITHIN their natural habitat!
2 main Methods of in situ conservation!
- WildLife Reserves = Designated areas established for conservation of habitats and species
- Marine Conservation Zones = areas of SEA established for conservation of habitats and marine species
Different types of WildLife Reserves in in situ conservatiojn…
- Wildlife Parks = protected countryside for visitors
- National Nature reserves = protecting sensitive features, enabling research
- Sites of Special Scientific Interests = Beutiful habitats, endangered / fragile
- Local Nature Reserves = protected by wildlife trusts
POSTIVES and NEGATIVES for in situ conservation!
- GOOD = Enables scintific researches, conserved in natural environment, protects biodiversity and cultral heritage of area
- BAD = fragmented habitats can occur, genetic diversity already lost, endangering conditions may still remain, hotspot for poachers causing disturances
Define ex situ conservation!
- Conserving species OUTSIDE their natural habitat!
Methods of in situ conservation!
- Zoos = breeding animals in captivity
- Botanical Gardens = variety of plants grown in under potimal conditions, large diversity
- Seed Banks = collection of seed samples, representative from every known species of plant
- Gene Banks = Tissue, pollen, sperm and egg banks for biodiversity protection and re-introduction if needed
POSTIVES and NEGATIVES for ex situ conservation!
- GOOD = organisms protected from poaching, measured genetic diversity, sites of visitor education and awareness, monitored health of individuals and research
- BAD = limited gene pool, expensive to matain natural environment conditions, abnormal animal behaviour : stress, lower reproduction rates.
POSTIVES and NEGATIVES for botanical gardens!
- GOOD = large num of seeds stored for little space, asexual bredding can occur, tissue culture allows rapid increases in num, little disturbances caused in seed collection
- BAD = lack of public funding due to interest, not representative sample collected per seed, asexuall reproduction reduces gene pool in gardens
What is CITES?
- Conervatioon of International Trade of Endangered Species
- monitors international trade of species, prevents endangeres animals and plants traded for commerce…
What is CBD?
- Conservation of Biological Diversity
- scientific knowledge shared with countries, equitable sharing of resources..
What is CSS and ESS?
- Country/Environmental Stewardship Scheme
- Local to UK, farmers given grants to conserve british landscapes, ensured well managed land use and historical features protected….
