Conservation genetics PART 2

Question 1

Biodiversity is..

Answer 1

is the variety of life, including all genes, species and ecosystems and the ecological processes
of which they are part of.

Question 2

benefits and economic value both directly and indirectly
from other species are?

Answer 2

• Direct benefits include food, medicine, clothing, building supplies, shelter
  40% of prescription & non-prescription drugs have ingredients extracted from
  plants and animals
• Indirect benefits include ecosystem services, such as maintain water quality,
  buffer ecosystems against storms and drought, preserve soils preventing loss of
  nutrients, mitigate pollution, help the breakdown of organic wastes and cycling of
  minerals

Question 3

Why conserve genetic diversity?

Answer 3

The biological diversity of the planet
is being rapidly depleted due to the
direct and indirect consequences of
human activities.
Loss of genetic diversity reduces its
ability to adapt to changes in the
environment, leading to inbreeding
and reduced fitness.
This may lead to cascade effects at
various trophic levels ultimately
leading to the collapse of entire
ecosystems

Question 4

N : name and meaning

Answer 4

CENSUS POPULATION SIZE (N) is the number of
individuals in the population

Question 5

Ne : name and meaning

Answer 5

EFFECTIVE POPULATION SIZE (N
e) is the actual
number of individuals that successfully contribute to the
next generation.

Question 6

WHy is understading the patterns of genetic diversity is important for small and decling populations of endangered species.

Answer 6

• Reduction in reproductive fitness
• Adaptation and viability
• Re-introduction
• Taxonomic uncertainty
• Invasive species

Question 7

HOw can popultions become small?

Answer 7

Populations can become small following drastic demographic events caused by natural (e.g. sudden climatic events or
diseases) or anthropogenic pressure (e.g. overharvesting or habitat
degradation/loss)

Question 8

Such drastic reduction in population size can
lead to significant losses of

Answer 8

Genetic diversity

Question 9

small popultaions can lose genetic variability faster than large popultions due to…

Answer 9

genetic drift

Question 10

Genetic drift override natural selection leading to…..

Answer 10

Loss of adaptive potential
- Divergence of populations in fragmented
habitat
- Fixation of deleterious alleles

Question 11

POPULATION BOTTLENECK is . . .

Answer 11

is a drastic reduction in
effective population size leading to a significant loss of
genetic variability

Question 12

FOUNDER EVENT is. . .

Answer 12

FOUNDER EVENT is a variant of a bottleneck event except that it is directly related to a colonization event by a small number of individuals.