Biodiversity And The Distrubution Of Life Flashcards
Define Biodiversity
The total variety of all living organisms on earth
Why is a high level of biodiversity beneficial for humans
Products
- food
- raw materials
- medicines
Regulation of ecosystems
- pollinate crops
- absorbs CO2
Cultural benefits
-tourism and recreation
Define biome
Biomes are various regions of our planet distinguished by their similar climate, fauna and floral.
Name three biomes
Polar and high mountain ice Tundra Coniferous forest Temperate deciduous forest Temperate grassland Chaparral Desert Savanna Tropical forest Marine
Two factors that influence the global distribution of biomes on earth
Global distribution of biomes can be influenced by temperature and rainfall.
Four factors that affect biodiversity in an ecosystem
Biotic factors
Abiotic factors
Natural disasters
Human influences
Define biotic factors and give examples
Related to living things that have an affect on an ecosystem
- food availability
- predation
- grazing
- disease
- competition for resources
Define abiotic factors and give examples
Related to non-living things that have an effect on an ecosystem
- moisture
- light intensity
- pH
- temperature
Give an example of natural disasters
Forest fires
Define the ecosystem and give word equation
An natural biological unit made up of living (community) and non living (habitat) parts
Community + habitat = ecosystem
Define niche
He ecological niche is the role the organism plays with its community of an ecosystem.
An organisms niche is the description of which three factors?
The abiotic factors it can tolerate.
The resources it is able to use in its ecosystem.
Its interactions with other organisms in the community.
Give examples of different niches played by different organisms.
Predator
Prey
Parasite
Producer
Define population
A population is a group of the same species that live in a habitat
Community
The total number of ALL the organisms living in the ecosystem
Define habitat
A place where an organism lives
Give examples of human influences that decrease biodiversity.
Habitat destruction Deforestation Over-fishing Intensive agriculture Genetic pollution Oil or chemical spills
Habitat destruction
Destroying where an organism lives and therefore exposing it to predators
Deforestation
Removing large areas of forest and therefore removing habitats
Over fishing
Catching too many fish disrupts food webs and destroys habitats
Intensive agriculture
The use of machinery and chemicals to produce large quantities of the same food crop
Genetic pollution
Introducing new genes into a population
Oil or chemical spills
Introducing toxic chemicals that change the environment
