Lecture 8: Biodiversity

Question 1

What is Biodiversity?

Answer 1

Biodiversity is a term for the variety of living things on Earth. It may refer to the variety of genes (inherited DNA sequences) within a given population, or the variety of species that can be found in an area, or a measure of diversity of ecosystems found within the biosphere.

Question 2

What is Genetic Biodiversity?

Answer 2

Genetic Biodiversity refers to the collection of genes within a population. Genes that confer a survival advantage in a particular environment will be passed along in greater proportion than genes that do not; the result is evolution by natural selection.

Question 3

What is an example of Genetic Biodiversity?

Answer 3

The Irish Potato Famine is a good example. Essentially, all the potatoes in the country were genetically identical, a change in the environment caused widespread crop loss.

Question 4

What is Species Biodiversity?

Answer 4

Species Biodiversity refers to the number of different species in an ecosystem or in the biosphere as a whole. In the long term, new species appear due to evolutionary change and old species undergo extinction.

Question 5

What is Ecosystem Biodiversity?

Answer 5

Ecosystem Biodiversity refers to the variety of ecosystems found on Earth. The most threatened ecosystems are coral reefs, which provide shelter for other species, protect shorelines by acting as break waters, and provide recreation.

Question 6

What are the benefits of Biodiversity?

Answer 6

1. Biodiversity provides the food we eat
2. Nearly all of our drugs are derived from natural products
3. The economies of many countries depend on wildlife preserves.

Question 7

What are five examples of biodiversity loss?

Answer 7

1. Habitat Destruction, due to development, agriculture, forestry, and mining
2. Overharvesting, such as overhunting or overfishing
3. Invasive Species, such as introducing non-native species into a new habitat
4. Pollution, in the air and water
5. Global Climate Change, such as changes in patterns of temperature and rainfall

Question 8

Consider the example of endangered populations of Atlantic salmon in Nova Scotia and the gene banking program. In this program, sperm from some fish is cryopreserved so that it may be used in the future to fertilize eggs. What approach do you think scientists use when they decide on what to cryopreserve?
A) they get a lot of sperm from one male
B) they get sperm from many males

Answer 8

B) they get sperm from many males

Question 9

Consider the loss of Atlantic cod from overharvesting the local waters that we just discussed. What other aspect of biodiversity may be affected by the small population size?
A) genetic biodiversity
B) ecosystem biodiversity

Answer 9

B) ecosystem biodiversity