Lecture 5 - DA

Question 1

What are heathlands predominated by?

Answer 1

Shrubs, may have grass.

Question 2

Which animal populations are destroyed by fierce fires?

Answer 2

Any animal that isnt capable of flight. Burrowing animals may survive if deep enough.

Question 3

What is the current rate of species extinction comparable to? What 4 factors is this attributed to?

Answer 3

Past mass extinction events

• population growth
• agricultural expansion
• overexploitation of resources
• competition with introduced invasive species

Question 4

Define biological diversity.

Answer 4

variety between all species of plant, animal and microbes in the ecosystem in which they live and interact.

Question 5

Is more diversity better?

Answer 5

Thought to be so, but not enough evidence.

Question 6

What is accelerated by diversity loss?

Answer 6

Habitat loss.

Question 7

What is an ubiquitous species?

Answer 7

Species found over wide geographical areas in many ecosystems/countries

Question 8

What is an endemic species?

Answer 8

Species found in one geographical area

Question 9

Between an ubiquitous and an endemic species, which is more vulnerable to extinction?

Answer 9

Endemic, as theyre only found in one area.

Question 10

How does diet affect extinction vulnerability?

Answer 10

Fussy eaters are more vulnerable.

Question 11

Define critically endangered.

Answer 11

50% chance of extinction within 10 years or 3 generations.

Question 12

Define endangered.

Answer 12

20% chance of extinction within 20 years or 5 generations.

Question 13

Define vulnerable.

Answer 13

> 10% chance of extinction within 100 years.

Question 14

What are 3 features of threatened species?

Answer 14

Often highly endemic
Low competitiveness
Are fastidious, with specific requirements

Question 15

What is the minimum viable population (MVP) for animals? What about plants?

Answer 15

Animals - 1k

Plants - 10k

Question 16

With breeding programs for plants and animals, is inbreeding considered a serious problem?

Answer 16

In animals, is serious and can lead to deleterious mutations.
Not a problem in plants.

Question 17

How does inbreeding become a problem?

Answer 17

In animals, it reveals deleterious recessive alleles. Individuals will eventually become homozygous.
Each subsequent generation has less survival fitness than the previous.

Question 18

Order the following by the size of reserves required;

Large herbivore, large carnivore, small herbivore.

Answer 18

Small
Small herbivore
Large herbivore
Large carnivore
Large

Question 19

Between plants and animals, which needs more reserve space?

Answer 19

Animals.

Question 20

Why do carnivores need large reserve areas?

Answer 20

They hunt herbivores, so they need large spaces.

Question 21

Many animals need large reserves, why is this a problem? What happens as a result?

Answer 21

Difficult to get the area required from the government. Typically reserves are fragmented and need to be close or linked together.

Question 22

What kind of reserve is better, round or elongated? Why?

Answer 22

Round. Results in a smaller border between the reserve and a civilised area, and lessens the transitional edge habitat.

Question 23

Why are many species endangered? Why is this a problem for reintroduction?

Answer 23

Habitat destruction. Breeding is useless if theres no habitat left. Restoration is also needed.

Question 24

Where are Australian alps found? What percentage of the continent does it make up?

Answer 24

Only in southeast Australia, making up 0.25% of the continent.

Question 25

What annual rainfall range do Australian alps get?

Answer 25

1000-4000mm

Question 26

What is characteristic of the Australian alps?

Answer 26

Treeless above the winter snowline.

Question 27

Define subalpine.

Answer 27

Found above the winter snowline, but below the upper treeline.

Question 28

What is the mean summer temperature in the upper treeline of Australian alps? When is it higher?

Answer 28

<10*C, higher when north facing.

Question 29

What is the cause of plant death in the Australian alps?

Answer 29

The windshield. Snow is an insulator, prevents plants from freezing.

Question 30

What is the clay content of alpine soil like? What about pH?

Answer 30

Low in clay, and acidic.

Question 31

What is the growing season of Australian alps like?

Answer 31

Short - 8-20 weeks.

Question 32

What is the most common vegetation in the Australian alps? Name 2 other types as well.

Answer 32

Heathland.

Also has bogs and fens.

Question 33

Through what does most water from Australian alps filter through?

Answer 33

Mosses.

Question 34

What can wetlands be divided into? What is the dominant species in each?

Answer 34

Divided into bogs and fens
Bogs - dominated by sphagnum moss
Fens - dominated by sedges and rushes