C11 - Biodiversity Flashcards
What is biodiversity?
Variety of living organisms in an area
Why is biodiversity important?
All species are interconnected so rely on each other
What assessment is taken before a major project is undertaken?
Environmental impact assessment
What levels can biodiversity be studied at?
Habitat diversity
Species diversity
Genetic diversity
What’s habitat biodiversity?
The number of different habitats found within an area
How are habitat and species biodiversity relation?
If habitat biodiversity is greater, species diversity will also be greater
What two factors does species biodiversity?
-Species richness: number of different species living in a particular area
-Species evenness: comparison of the numbers of individuals of each species living in a community
What is genetic biodiversity?
Variety of genes that make up a species of
What is sampling?
Taking measurements of a limited number of imdicyual organisms parent in an area
What can sampling be used to estimate?
-Abundance (number of organisms in an area)
-Characteristic if an organism
Two sampling methods?
Random
Non-random
What is random sampling?
Each individual in the population has an equal likelihood of selection
What is non-random sampling?
Sample is not chosen at random
How could you take a random sample at a grass verge?
1) Mark out a grid on the grass using two tape measures laid at right angles
2) Use random numbers to determine the x coordinate and the y coordinate on your grid
3) Take a sample at each of the coordinate pairs generated
Examples of non-random samples
Opportunistic
Stratified
Systematic
What is opportunistic sampling?
-Weakest
-May not be representative of population
-Uses organisms that are conveniently available
What is stratified sampling?
-Population divided into strata based on a characteristic
-Random sample taken from each sample proportional to its size
What is systematic sampling?
-Areas within an overall habitat are identified, which are then sampled separately
-Uses a line transect or a belt transect
What’s a line transect?
Marking a line along the ground between two poles
Taking sample at specified points
What’s a belt transect?
Two parallel lines marked and samples taken in the area between the lines
Why is a sample not completely reliable?
-Sampling bias: selection process might be biased (accidentally/ deliberately)
-Chance: organism selected may not be representative of the whole population (reduced by larger sample size)
How can you sample animals?
-Pooter: small insects
-Sweep nets: insects un area of long grass
-Pitfall traps: small crawling invertebrates
-Tree beating: invertebrates lining in a tree/bush
-Kick sampling: organisms living in a river
How do you sample plants?
Using a quadrat
What are the two types of quadrat
-Point quadrat: frame containing a horizontal bar, pin placed through hole in bar and species in contact with pin are recorded
-Frame quadrat: square frame divided into grid of equal sections, type and number of species within each section is recorded
How do you collect a valid representative sample of an area?
Use random sampling technique
How do you use a frame quadrat?
-Density: count the number in a 1m by 1m quadrat, gives you density per square metre (absolute measure)
-Frequency: using small grids within quadrat, count number of squares species is present in, convert to percentage (estimate)
-Percentage cover: estimate by eye of the area within a quadrat that a species covered
Take samples at a number of diffeeent points
More samples more reliable
Calculate mean
How can you estimate population size
Capture-mark-release-recapture
How does capture-mark-release-recapture work?
Capture as many individuals of a species in an area
Mark the organisms
Release them
Wait for sometime
Again, capture as many individuals of a species in the same area
By comparing number of marked and unmarked individuals in second sample, scientists estimate population size