Classification And Biodiversity Flashcards by Joe Rowlands

Why do we classify organisms?

Convenient
Makes studying them more manageable
Easier identification
See relationships between species

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What is the hierarchy of classifying organisms?

Domain
Kingdon
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

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What biological molecules are used for classification?

Some molecules are found in all living things

Cytochrome C (type of protein)

DNA (universal)

The more differences found between the molecules the less closely related the species

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What features of an organism are used to classify their phylogeny and see their relationships with other species?

Phylogenetically look at the species- a group of individual organisms that appear very similar in their appearance, physiology, biochemistry and genetics

Appearance and anatomy

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What is phylogeny?

Study of relationships between species

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What are phylogenetic trees?

Used to view common ancestors between species or organisms

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Give three comparisons of genetic diversity that scientists used to generate a classification

The base sequence of DNA

The sequence of mRNA

The amino acid sequence (of proteins)

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What are the 5 kingdoms

Prokaryotae

Fungi

Plantae

Animalia

Protoctista

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What are prokaryotae?

And give some characteristics of them.

Free living organisms or parasites

Characteristics:
No nucleus
Loop of DNA
No Histone proteins
No membrane bound organelles
Smaller ribosomes
Smaller cells

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What are fungi and give some characteristics

Eukaryotic
Single felled
Chitin cell wall
Multinuclear
Free living and saprotrophic

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What are plantae and give some characteristics

Eukaryotic

Multicellular

Cellulose cell wall

Autotrophs

Chlorophyll

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What are animalia and give some characteristics

Eukaryotic

Multicellular

Heterotrophic

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What are protoctista and give some characteristics

Eukaryotic

Mostly feee living

Plant / animal like

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What is species richness?

Number of different species in a habitat

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What is species evenness?

How well the species is spread out

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What is the diversity index?

Tells us the diversity of a habitat (number of different species)

How do you calculate the diversity index?

D = N(N-1) / SUM n(n-1)

n - number of particular species or % cover of plants

N - total number of all individuals of all species or total % cover of all plants

How do you calculate genetic diversity?

Genetic diversity = loci with more than 1 allele / total loci X 100

Why is it important into maintain biodiversity?

For the interdependence of organisms (food webs)

Keystone species

Genetic resource:
Source of medicines

Economic reasons:
Regular of atmosphere 
Water purification
Soil fertility 
Crop pollination 
Food fuel timber

What is a keystone species?

A species which has a disproportionate effect on their environment relative to the abundance

What factors affect biodiversity?

Human population growth:
Destroying habitats
Pollution
Depletion of resources
Altering ecosystems

Agriculture:
Monoculture
Selective breeding

Climate change:
Less able to adapt to rapid changes in rainfall and temperature

Extinction

What is variation?

Differences between individuals

What is intraspecific variation?

Variation within a species ( genetic diversity)

What is interspecific variation?

Variation between different species

What is continuous data?

Data which occurs between two extremes | Eg height

What is discontinuous data?

Data which is categorical Eg blood groups

What are some causes for variation?

Environmental changes or affects Genetic mutations Random fertilisation Adaptation Exposure to sunlight

What is an adaptation?

An variation which helps an organism to survive

What are some behavioural adaptations?

Mating rituals Curling of leaves Migration

What are some physiological/biochemical adaptations?

Lignified cells Turgidity Low water potential of cells

When do you use standard deviation and how do you calculate it?

Measure to find variation away from the mean S = root [SUM( x - mean)^2 / n-1] X - an individual value Mean - mean value n - number of data points S - the standard deviation

When do you use the student t test?

When comparing between two means

When do you use spearmans rank correlation?

When comparing 2 variables and their relationship to one another

What does a large rs value mean when it is greater than the critical value?

Rs > CV then there is a significant correlation and the null hypothesis can be rejected

What is the impact of agriculture

Overall reduction in biodiversity Monocultures only have one strain of crop and therefore reduce biodiversity Selective breeding of crops and organisms to obtain a desired organisms. The majority of the land is then taken up by this organism and hence there is a smaller area for other species. Therefore increased competition for a smaller space so more species die.

What agricultural techniques reduce biodiversity?

Removal of hedge rows and grubbing out woodland Monocultures Filing in ponds and marsh Over grazing of the land Use of pesticides and inorganic fertilisers Absence of crop rotation

What management techniques are used to increase species and habitat diversity?

Plant hedges instead of fences Maintain existing ponds Plant native trees in areas with low species diversity Use organic fertilisers Use crop rotation Use intercropping and not herbicides