biodiversity within a community

Question 1

Biodiversity

Answer 1

the variety of living organisms in an area

Question 2

What are the 3 components of Biodiversity?

Answer 2

Species diversity - the number of different species and the number of individuals of each species within a community

Genetic diversity - the range of different inherited traits within a species

Ecosystem diversity - the differences in ecosystems found within a given geographic area

Question 3

Ecosystem

Answer 3

a community plus the abiotic factors

Question 4

Abiotic factors

Answer 4

non-living conditions
e.g. soil pH, amount of rainfall, type of terrain

Question 5

Biotic factors

Answer 5

the place where an organism normally lives,
(including abiotic and biotic factors)

Question 6

Habitat

Answer 6

the place where an organism normally lives,
(including abiotic and biotic factors)

Question 7

Population

Answer 7

the number of a particular species living in a
specific area

Question 8

Community

Answer 8

all the populations of different species in a habitat

Question 9

What is Local Biodiversity

Answer 9

The variety of species living in a small habitat e.g. pond / meadow

Question 10

What is Global Biodiversity

Answer 10

The variety of species living on Earth

Question 11

Give 2 ways species diversity can be quantified

Answer 11

Species richness > The number of different species in a community

Index of diversity > Describes the relationship between the number of species in a community and the number of individuals in each species

Question 12

Why is the Index of diversity is a more useful measure of species diversity than species richness?

Answer 12

As well as measuring the number of species, it also measures the number of individuals in a species

Question 13

What is monoculture?

Answer 13

only one type of crop is grown, reducing biodiversity

Question 14

What farming techniques reduce biodiversity? [4]

Answer 14

• Removal of woodland and hedgerows for farming
• Monoculture
  (e.g. replace natural meadows with one cereal crop)
• Use of pesticides, herbicides and inorganic fertilisers
• Lack of crop rotation, resulting in soil deficient in certain nutrients

Question 15

Give 2 advantages + disadvantages of the removal of hedgerows

Answer 15

ADVANTAGES
- increases space for crop growth
- removes shade, more light available for photosynthesis

DISADVANTAGES
- Reduces biodiversity by removing habitats / food sources
- Predators may have their habitat removed, allowing pests to flourish in crops

Question 16

What things can be done to create a balance between conservation and farming? [3]

Answer 16

• Use crop rotation of nitrogen fixing crops instead of fertilisers
• Maintain existing hedgerows and plant new hedges instead of using fences
• Reduce the use of pesticides

Question 17

Give 2 possible effects of deforestation

Answer 17

Disruption of water cycle via transpiration

Disruption of carbon cycle