Biodiversity and Conservation Flashcards
What is species diversity?
A product of two variables, the number of species and their relative proportions in a given community.
What is species richness?
The number of species in a given community.
What is species evenness?
The relative proportions of species in a given community.
What is habitat diversity?
Refers to the range of different habitats in an ecosystem or biome
What is genetic diversity?
Refers to the range of genetic material present in the population of a species
What are examples of habitats with high species diversity?
Coral reef or rainforest
What are examples of habitats with low species diversity?
Urban areas or polar regions
Is a smaller or bigger population more likely to have higher genetic diversity?
A bigger one because there is a bigger gene pool
What is the disadvantage of low genetic diversity?
If there is a disease, they will all die. Not adaptable.
How do humans alter genetic diversity?
Artifical breeding or genetic engineering populations to have little genetic variation.
Advantages of genetic engineering?
High yeilding crops
Disadvantages of genetic engineering?
Disease could wipe out most
What can biodiversity measure?
Ecosystem health
What are the advantages or a habitat with high biodiversity?
- Resilience and stability
* Genetic diversity so resistance to diseases
Disadvantages of a habitat with high biodiversity?
- Diversity could be the result of fragmentation of a habitat when species richness.
- Managing grazing can be difficult as plant species have different requirements and tolerance to grazing.
- Some stable and healthy communities have few plant species so are an exception to the rule.
If two similar communities have different diversity levels, what could this indicate?
The one with lower diversity could be evidence of pollution, eutrophication or recent colonisation of a site.
You should repeat tests over a period of time to see if it is natural or not.
What is a biodiversity hotspot?
A region with a high level of biodiversity that is under threat from human activities.
What are the determinant factors with hotspots?
- 70% of the habitat has been lost
- The habitat contains more than 1,500 species of plants which are endemic
- They cover only 2.3% of the land surface
Why do critics say about hotspots?
- They focus on vascular plants and ignore animals
- Do not represent total species diversity or richness
- Focus on regions where habitats, usually forest, have been lost and ignore whether that loss is still happening
- Do not consider genetic diversity
- Do not consider the value of services
What is an endemic species?
A species that exists nowhere else in the world
