Lecture 1: What is Biodiversity? Flashcards

1
Q

Biodiversity is

A

the variety of life, in all its manifestations. IT encompasses all forms, levels and combinations of natural variation.

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2
Q

3 different categories of biodiversity

A

Ecological, Genetic and organismal. All have populations in common.

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3
Q

Ecological diversity

A
Biomes
bioregions
Landscapes
Ecosystems
Habitats
Niches
Populations
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4
Q

Genetic diversity

A
Populations
Individuals
Chromosomes
Genes
Nucleotides
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5
Q

Organismal diversity

A
Domains of kingdoms 
Phyla
Families
Genera
species
subspecies
populations
individuals
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6
Q

Example of biodiversity plant kingdom. Why they so fascinating?

A
  • the major primary producer
  • represent an est 90% of all biomass
  • single most important influence on Earth’s environment and global change
  • food, drugs,materials and fuel.
  • aesthetically pleasing
  • jobs!
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7
Q

Cambrian life in the ocean and on the land before the advent of land plants:

A

Only one carbon cycle as only life in the oceans.

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8
Q

Origin of land plants and now:

A

2 carbon cycles as life on land and in ocean.

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9
Q

Life on earth before the origin of land plants:

A
  • Pond scum-free living organisms in bodies of freshwater (rivers, lakes etc.)
  • Microbial mats on damp surfaces periodically inundated with water (lake margins, estuary mudflats etc.)
  • Biological soil crusts on rudimentary rocks
  • Within or beneath rocks as endoliths
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10
Q

whats an endoliths

A

An endolith is an organism that lives inside rock, coral, animal shells, or in the pores between mineral grains of a rock.

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11
Q

Life’s challenges from salt water to land

A

salt water -> river water -> land

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12
Q

Physiological problems for when migrating from an aquatic to subaerial habitat:

A
  • water balance
  • availability of essential nutrients and gases
  • support
  • UV protection
  • Necessary alterations in reproductive strategy
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13
Q

Water balance for when migrating form aquatic -> subaerial habitat:

A

Plants are no longer bathed in water. Therefore they utilize rhizoids/roots [collection], xylem [transport], cuticle and stomata [desiccation avoidance])

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14
Q

essential nutrients and gases for when migrating form aquatic -> subaerial habitat:

A

(Plants are no longer bathed in water containing dissolved essential nutrients and gases. Therefore, they have to collect them from the soil and atmosphere using roots and stomata)

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15
Q

Support for when migrating form aquatic -> subaerial habitat:

A

Plants no longer supported in an aquatic medium. Therefore, they use lignified conducting tissues to provide support)

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16
Q

UV protection for when migrating form aquatic -> subaerial habitat:

A

(Plants no longer protected from UV by water absorption. Therefore, they use cuticle)

17
Q
  1. Necessary alterations in reproductive strategy for when migrating form aquatic -> subaerial habitat
A

(Plants can no longer release their gametes directly into an aquatic medium in which it is easy to move and UV is filtered. Therefore, they must protect them by enclosure in a sporopollenin wall (spore wall) with dispersal by new vectors-wind/animals)

18
Q

Land plants are divided into two main groups:

A
  • Non vascular plants (Bryophytes)

- vascular plants (tracheophytes)

19
Q

Non-vascular plants (Bryophytes)

A

o Conducting tissues are not lignified: hydroids + leptoids.

o Gametophyte dominant with sporophyte subsidiary.

20
Q

Vascular plants (Tracheophytes)

A

o Sporophyte dominant with gametophyte subsidiary.
o Conducting tissues lignified: xylem (conducts water: tracheids or vessels) + Phloem (conducts food: sieve tubes or sieve cells)

21
Q

example of Bryophytes (non-vascular plants)

A
  • liverworts
  • mosses
  • hornworts
22
Q

examples of Vascular plants: Free-sporing:

A
  • Lycopsids
  • Sphenopsids
  • Ferns
23
Q

example of Vascular plants: Seed plants (Gymnosperms):

A
  • Ginkgos
  • Cycads
  • conifers
  • Gnetales
24
Q

Angiosperms definition:

A

seed & more importantly flowering plants

25
Q

Gymnosperms:

A

vascular seed plants

26
Q

Evidence utilised in the study of the origin of land plants

A

Extant plants:
Analysis of living plants provides information on-
- Evolutionary relationships of living plant groups
- Physioogical changes required to make the trainsition from an aqueous to a subaerial existence.
Fossil Evidence:
Fossil evidence provides us with the only direct evidence as to the nature of the plants that lived at a particular time (inc. groups that became extinct). It also provides evidence as to the timing of evolutionary events.