Conservation Biology in Sub-Saharan Africa (CBiSSA) Chapter 3: What Is Biodiversity

Question 1

What is species diversity?

Answer 1

All different species from molecular levels to grander scales like dolphins.

Question 2

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 2

This is the range of genetic diversity within a certain species or comparing between 2 different species

Question 3

What is ecosystem diversity?

Answer 3

The full variety of ecosystems

Question 4

What do taxonomists do?

Answer 4

They collect data by exploring nature to name and describe different species

Question 5

All known marine species are listed in the:

Answer 5

World Register of Marine Species: http://www.marine species.org

Question 6

What generally is morphology?

Answer 6

It looks at the form and relationships between structures of living organisms

Question 7

What is the difference & relationship between emigration and immigration?

Answer 7

Emigration is when an organism leaves its former home environment to live somewhere else. Immigration is when the organism is now settled in that new location. They do not return to the environment they left behind.

Question 8

What are alleles?

Answer 8

“Different forms of a gene, which arise through mutations that change DNA sequences” pg. 68

Question 9

What is eDNA technology?

Answer 9

A technology that allows marine biologists to find rare and endangered species by testing samples of water to find specific DNA of certain species instead of having to search for those species by individually gathering data from an organism.

Question 10

What is a limiting resource

Answer 10

Anything within an environment that is specifically needed for a certain organism to thrive and reproduce.

Question 11

What is ecological succession?

Answer 11

“The gradual process during which ecosystems change after a disturbance” pg.71

Question 12

What are cryptic species?

Answer 12

“Undescribed species that are wrongly grouped with other similar-appearing species” pg.72

Question 13

What is DNA Barcoding?

Answer 13

Using small sections of DNA to identify certain species

Question 14

What is Alpha Diversity?

Answer 14

How many individuals of a species live in a certain environment such as a forest or lake, a number of that species.

Question 15

What is Gamma Diversity?

Answer 15

The amount of a species contained within an entire region such as a mountain range or continent

Question 16

What is Beta Diversity?

Answer 16

It is the connection between alpha and gamma diversity. “It describes the ways in which a species composition changes across a region” pg.80