Biodiversity & Conservation

Question 1

Define biodiversity

Answer 1

The variability among living organisms from all sources and the ecological complexes they are a part of, this includes diversity within species, between species, within communities, ecosystems and landscapes

Question 2

Genetic diversity

Answer 2

Variation within the same species

Question 3

Ecosystem diversity

Answer 3

Variation of habitats

Question 4

How many species exist today?

Answer 4

~1.75 million species are known to western science and new species are identified every year

Question 5

Species composition

Answer 5

A list of all species

Question 6

Species diversity

Answer 6

A combination of species richness and evenness

Question 7

Species richness

Answer 7

The number of species per unit area

Question 8

Species evenness

Answer 8

The distribution of individuals among species

Question 9

Latitude gradient in species richness

Answer 9

Species richness increases closer to the equator

Question 10

Altitude gradient in species richness

Answer 10

Species richness increases at lower altitude (except bird species diversity increases with altitude I think)

Question 11

Which factors control global biodiversity?

Answer 11

Depends on the number of available niches, availability of resources, intensity of competition, predation, infection, etc.

Question 12

Define extinction

Answer 12

the end, either locally or globally, of a species

Question 13

Endangered species

Answer 13

A species at risk of extinction throughout all or part of its range

Question 14

Threatened/vulnerable species

Answer 14

Possibly at risk of extinction in the near future

Question 15

Endemic species at risk

Answer 15

Tend to have small populations and fall under risk from habitat loss and the introduction of new predators (Ex. Canary island endemic where a new species is invading all the time, like the Barbary ground squirrel, Corsican mouflon, and recently a beetle that feeds on native palms… the result is many endemics are now considered endangered)

Question 16

Widespread species range collapse

Answer 16

Population collapse is generally accompanied/caused by range collapse, leaving only marginal populations that occupy distinct genomes

Question 17

Can we calculate accurate extinction rate?

Answer 17

Nope

Question 18

Interestingly, how many species have gone extinct as a result of habitat loss?

Answer 18

When 99% of primary forest was reduced in the eastern US from 1800-2000 only 1 bird species went extinct, and similarly 88% of forest along the Atlantic coast of Brazil was cleared in the same period and no species went extinct

Question 19

Why conserve biodiversity?

Answer 19

Intrinsic value/regulating climate/pollination, aesthetic value of species/ecotourism and recreation/spiritual value, economic value/forestry/pharmaceuticals

Question 20

Mauritius Kestrel

Answer 20

Population severely declined due to DDT, it was considered the rarest bird in the world in 1974 with only 4 individuals left, but captive breeding restored the population

Question 21

Lear’s/Indigo macaw

Answer 21

Critically endangered due to habitat loss, but in 1933 the sandstone cliffs where they nest were declared protected and this helped the population increase

Question 22

Ways to conserve biodiversity?

Answer 22

Zoos/captive breeding, predator control, habitat preservation/restoration, compensation