Biodiversity Crisis

Question 0

What are the direct uses of biodiversity

Answer 0

Food - 75% of all food we eat comes from 12 types of plant
Medicine - 60% of global population relies primarily on plant medicine
Industry - inspiration eg Velcro
Recreation - fishing - leads to improved water and rivers - health benefits

Question 1

Define biodiversity

Answer 1

The variability amongst living organisms from all sources including interalia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems

Question 2

What are the indirect uses of biodiversity

Answer 2

Existence and intrinsic values
Pandas are nice to look at but they aren’t going to survive so why do hey have the right to exist? Viewed differently eg small pox was eradicated

Question 3

What is the redundancy hypothesis

Answer 3

Biodiversity is linked to the functioning of the environment? You can lose some species but once you go past a threshold the function drops A LOT

Question 4

How many identifications of vertebrates have there been?

Answer 4

90% identified
Easy to see
We use them

Question 5

How many bacteria has been identified

Answer 5

1% found

Only care about the harmful ones

Question 6

When were Australasian and Americas megafaunal extinctions?

Answer 6

Australasia 30-40,000 years before present (BP)

Americas 10-12,000 bp

Question 7

What is biogeography

Answer 7

Relates to spatial and temporal distribution of biota (organisms)
Every location supports some species but there’s not one area that supports ALL

Question 8

How many species are there in the world

Answer 8

Approximately 10-80m

Question 9

Why is there such a large gap

Answer 9

Huge areas haven’t been recorded

Problems with sampling

Question 10

When did the crisis begin

Answer 10

In the late 70s with approx 40,000 species lost per year

Question 11

What is the biological species concept

Answer 11

Sexually reproducing organisms - if they can't mate they're not the same species 
Pre - mating 
- behavioural (meet but don't attempt)
- mechanical (attempt but fail)
- ecological (do not meet) 
Post - mating 
- gametic incompatibility (gametes die before fertilisation) 
- non-viable hybrids

Question 12

What is the morphological species concept?

Answer 12

Similar looking = Same species

Question 13

Cladistic species concept

Answer 13

Genetic sequencing

Question 14

Requirements for life

Answer 14

Metabolism (creation of usable energy)
Organisation
Development
Reproduction (share DNA)

Question 15

What is latitudinal gradient species diversity

Answer 15

Latitudinal gradient for increased diversity with proximity to equator

Question 16

What is habitat fragmentation

Answer 16

Eg rainforest being split in half as a road is being built through the middle species can no longer survive as its half the size

Question 17

What is the equilibrium hypotheses

Answer 17

Environment is relatively stable and these environmental conditions determine the levels of biodiversity

Question 18

What is the non equilibrial hypotheses

Answer 18

Gradient exists because of repeated patterns of disturbance

Species get pushed towards equator eg ice age and it takes a long time for them to get back

Question 19

What does naturalised, exotic mean

Answer 19

Came to uk and survived alone

Introduced but can’t survive without help

Question 20

Which trees are found where

Answer 20

Pine (East Scotland highlands,some English mountains)
Birch (west Scotland highlands)
Oak-hazel (South Scotland, highland England and Wales)
Hazel elm ( Ireland Wales)
Like (lowland england)