Biodiversity Flashcards
What is biodiversity?
The variety of living organisms present in an area.
What is habitat biodiversity?
The number of different habitats in an area.
What two factors determine species biodiversity?
Species richness and species evenness.
What is species richness?
The number of different species living in an area.
What is species evenness?
A comparison of the populations of different species in a community.
What is a species?
A group of organisms that are able to interbreed producing fertile offspring.
What is a habitat?
An environment in which organisms live.
What is a community?
All the different species living within an area.
What is a population?
All the members of the same species living within the same habitat.
What is an ecosystem?
A community of living organisms and abiotic components in a specific habitat, which interact. They are dynamic.
Which latitudes of the earth are the most biodiverse?
Tropical and subtropical regions.
What is genetic biodiversity?
The variety of genes within a population/species (more alleles = higher diversity).
What is genetic polymorphism?
The occurrence of alternative DNA sequences (alleles) at a locus among individuals, groups or populations, at a frequency greater than 1%.
What is a locus?
The specific position of a gene on a chromosome.
What makes a gene polymorphic?
If more than one allele occupies that gene’s locus within a population. e.g: eye colour
What makes a gene monomorphic?
If there is only one allele at that gene’s locus within the population.
How do you calculate the proportion of polymorphic gene loci?
Divide the number of polymorphic gene loci by the total number of gene loci.
What decreases genetic biodiversity?
Selective breeding Artificial cloning Natural selection Genetic bottlenecks The founder effect Captive breeding Human population growth Agriculture Climate change
What increases genetic biodiversity?
Mutation
Interbreeding
Genetic modification
What is genetic drift?
Change in allele frequency of a population over time.
What is a population bottleneck?
When a population’s size is significantly reduced for at least one generation resulting in less genetic diversity due to a small gene pool. (e.g: natural disaster such as disease)
What is the founder effect?
When a new colony is started, there is a smaller population with a non-random sample of alleles from the original population, resulting in less genetic biodiversity due to less alleles in the surviving population.
The modern population is descended from only a few survivors.
What are 3 reasons for maintaining biodiversity?
Aesthetic
Economic
Ecological
Outline the aesthetic reasons for maintaining biodiversity.
Biodiversity is essential for human wellbeing, so landscapes must be maintained.
Outline the economic reasons for maintaining biodiversity.
The medical use of organisms to develop new drugs.
Fertile soil for growing crops (monoculture results in soil depletion)
Tourism.
Outline the ecological reasons for maintaining biodiversity.
Interdependence of organisms (e,g: bees pollinate trees).
Keystone species play a key role in maintaining the structure of their ecological community, and affect many other organisms.
Maintenance of genetic resources.
What is conservation?
The maintenance of biodiversity by active, sustainable management of an ecosystem.
Conservation is a dynamic process involving management and reclamation.
What is the difference between in situ and ex situ conservation?
In situ occurs inside the natural habitat.
Ex situ occurs outside the natural habitat.
What are the benefits of in situ conservation? (3)
Cheaper
Maintains interdependence of organisms
Maintains genetic diversity and adaptability
What are two examples of in situ conservation efforts?
Wildlife reserves
Marine conservation zones
What are 6 in situ conservation strategies?
Controlling grazing Restricting human access Controlling poaching Feeding animals Reintroducing species Culling invasive species
What is the use of ex situ conservation?
Ensures survival of endangered species when coupled with in situ conservation
What are 3 examples of ex situ conservation strategies?
Botanic gardens
Seed banks
Captive breeding programmes (zoos)
What are 3 negatives of captive breeding programmes?
Some captive animals lose resistance to disease.
Animals lose learned survival behaviours.
Animals can become too genetically different from wild members of their species.
What is the purpose of conservation agreements?
Preventing the loss of biodiversity on a national and international level.
What is CITES?
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
An international agreement ensuring that trade in wild animals does not threaten their survival.
What are the 3 goals of CITES?
Regulate, monitor and prevent trade in endangered species.
Ensure international trade does not threaten wild populations.
Prohibit commercial trade in wild plants.
What is CBD (rio convention)?
Convention on Biological Diversity
What are the 3 aims of CBD?
Sustainable use of the components of biological diversity.
Fair and equitable sharing of genetic resources amongst nations.
International cooperation on biodiversity issues and ex situ conservation (e.g: seed banks).
What is CSS?
Countryside Stewardship Scheme
Encourage farmers and local land owners to adopt conservation measures on a local/national level.
What are the 4 goals of CSS?
Sustain the beauty and diversity of the landscape,
Improve and extend wildlife habitats.
Improve opportunities for countryside enjoyment.
Conserve habitats, landscape features, archaeological sites, historic features.
What are the benefits of greater species diversity?
The community is more stable and more able to cope with biotic and abiotic changes.
