Module 4.2 Flashcards
what are tropical rainforest extremely rich in ?
living organisms , including plants animals , fungi and microorganisms .
what is the meaning of community ?
population of living organisms in a habitat
a
what is the meaning of biodiversity ?
the variety of living organisms we find ina regions .
rainforest high
artic low .
why is it important that human activity does not have a negative effect on biodiversity ?
as all the organisms in a habitat depend on each other .
you can assess the degree of biodiversity in three levels , what are they ?
habitat biodiversity
and genetic biodiversity
species biodiversity
what is the meaning of habitat biodiversity ?
habitat biodiversity , refers to all of the different habitats , that we find in an area .
-the uk have a relatively large range of woodland meadows , so uk has a rich habitat biodiversity .
each habitat , will support a range of different species of animal fungi and microorganisms .
-so an area , with a rich habitat biodiversity will also have a wide range of species .
-regions –> artic has a relatively small number of different habitats .
what does species biodiversity tell us ?
-what subcategories can it be divided into ?
tells us about the species living in a certain area .
it has two parts
-species richness
-species eveness
what is species richness ?
counts the number of different species present .
-can also find these species in farmlands , hedgerows and around the fields .
as woods and farmlands , have a similar variety of different species , what could u conclude ?
you can conclude , that they may have a simialr species richness , however , the population sizes of these species will not be the same between woods and a farm .
what are the differences between woods and farms ?
woods may contain relatively large number of each species with no single species dominating .
-on the other hand , a farm is designed to support a very huge population of species .
-for example a a farm could have several huncpws or fields containing millions of wheat plants .
-whereas may be only a smell number of hedgerow’s .
what is species evenness ?
compares , how many individuals of each species there in a community .
what are the similarities between a woodland and farm ?
they have similarities in species richness .
-BUt , because the populations of each species is more balanced ina w woodlands .
-the woodland will have a much greater species eveness .
what is genetic biodiveristy ?
considers a variety of genes and alleles within a species .
fun fact timeee
humans 22k genes
fruit fly 15 k
some have more than 45 k
what is an allele ?
different versions of a gene
what does genetic diversity of a species depend on ?
it depends on the different genes and alleles present .
-for example the breeds of cats
what does allleles present ?
alleles present in different breeds , leading to different pehtnoyprsd .
why is genetic biodiversity important for insects ?
important for their survival .
species with a greater level of genetic biodiversity …
can better adapt to environmental change .
another benefit of a
greater variety of genes .
if a species faces a new pathogen , having a greater variety of genes and alleles makes it more likely that the species will survive .
as there is a wide range of species in a woodland what does this menann
woodlands have a complex food web .
-+food sources are abundant , this makes a woodland stable and ecosystems where the number of species in fairly stable .
what is a desert like ?
deserts have a much harsher habitat .
-conditions here are very challenging for living organisms . for example , the the temperatures can be extreme and there a few sources of water .
-species we find are highly adapted deserts in deep conditions /
biodiversity of deserts ?
deserts have a low relatively ;pw biodiveristyr meaning food was often relatively scarce
what is the simpson’s index ?
used to determine species biodiversity of an area .
-total number of rogansims of a particular species .
-total number of organisms .
lower number of simpson number
lower level of biodiversity .
sewage ooooooutracks
have a high level of pollution and low levels of dissolved oxygens .
-organisms that liv in here condense a re highl twhat
-so areas are heavily polluted tend to have a low biodiversity .
-with a small number of species adapted to live in those conditions .
what is genetic biodiversity also known as
the gene pool
key ; all the different individuals have the same what ?
they have the same genes .
-most genes onlyhave ne version , this is called monomorphic .
howeevr , some genes have different vesrsions ofegens called alleles , what is this known as ?
for example the genes controlling coat colour in dogs .
coat colour in dogs have a different number of alleles , scienits call with differentr alleles olymprohic
what are pure breeds like ?
pure breeds tend to have a relatively low genetic bidoivieristy .
-this is because , all th breed takes small huh , -these aew swlwxted by hormones .
number of diffewrent alleles within this
population is relaitevely small
-number of alleles allowed to enter the breed ..
-causing inrbreedig within hte populatio ,,
-inbreeding causes geenticallyy linked porbelms . example cancerr
what is the benefits of mongrel dog ?
the breeding is random .
-meaning mongrels have a wide range of alleles and a high level of genetic biodiversity .
what type of dogs , is health problems , more of an issue ?
genetic problems are less of common in mongrels than pure breed dogs
how can we quantity genetic biodiversity
check sheet for the equAITON
-GENES THAT ONLYHAVE ONE ALLELE IS MONOPORPHIC .
WHAT IS A GENE LOCUS ?
THE POSITION of a gene on chromosomes .
-gene loci simply means the position of a gene on a chromosome .
there are only two ways that genetic biodiversity can increase , what are they ?
- random mutations can take place , creating a new allele .
- migration between populations can transfer alleles .
example of migration of animals
alapacca migrate into different group of alappacas .
-the individual may have different alleles when interbreeding takes place .
-these alles can now enter the populations on the gene pool .
-scientists call this genetic flow .
what is one way genetic biodiversity can decrease
as a result of natural selection , individuals with an advantageous alleles arem ore likely to survive and reproduce than individuals with a disadvantageous alleles .
what will hapen to less advanatgeous alleles overtime ?
-overtime , less advantageous alleles will become less common in the population . so natural selection ,can reduce genetic bidoiversity .
-so natural selection reduces biodiveristy
What happens in selective breeding / rtifical selection ? awhy does this happen
-Humans select individuals in a population for breeding .
-as those individuals have alleles which are seen as advanatageous .
give an example of selective breeding
-selective breeding has been used to crrate varieties of cattle and crops .
what happens to individuals withouht the desried alleles in selective breeding ?
-they are not allowed to breed .
-so overtime , these alleles diapper from the population .
How can selective breeding result in breeds , which fall out of favour ?
+ become rare .
example manc loaghtan sheep . (1950s 0 this became rate as 43 are only
-due to the small numer of indivuals , egentic bidoivieristy within this breeed decreased .
-How iwll the number of idnivudals of a wild species decrease ? give an example
for example due to hunting .
-only 400 sumatran tigers left int he wild .
-200 in zoos , these are bred to increase numbers .
whats wrong with trying to breed sumatran tigers ?
-with sucha small number of individuals , the size of the GENE POLL , is very small .
How can geentic BIODIVERISTY be reduced by clonng plant ?
-explain how the cloning porcess is done ,a nd the effect of this .
-many gardeners take cuttings of plants with desribale features .
-when thse cuttigns are planted , they grow into new plants . identicial to the orgiinal .
-as these plants are allc lones ,genetic biodivieristy within the species decreases .
sometimes , the population sof a species iwll crash to an extremely low level . (blck robin exmple )b , explain what happened to do the balck robin population ?
-rats and cats wwere intorudced to the isalnds by humans .
-causing the black robin populaiton to collapse . -1980s onl 5 left with one fertile bird , all the descendants of theb lck robin , s conservationist icnrease opualtion ,c ae fromt hat one fertile female.
what is itcalled when the gene pool is severly redued like in the black robins ?
-scientists call it a geentic bottle neck .
-genetic bottlenecks ,s everely reduces denetic niodiviersity .
-sometimes , genetic bidoivieristy can chnge due to random c hance .
-scienitnits call this genetic drift .
-for example , some individuals , within the oppulation , may not reporduce .
-if these idnvinduals re the only ones with a ceertin allele . hten that allele will be lost .
what happens when a small number of indivudals moive ?
-what is this called ?
-explain using the wolves from isle island .
-they form an isolated population with limited gentic biodiveristy.
-scientists cal this ht efounder effect . *0
-isle royal .
-allwmolves ebcame desvednayt from the smll opulation inially .
-but hen anpther wolf came along , increasing the biodiverity genetic
when is genetic drift , most likely to occur ?
-when a population is small and has low genetic biodiveristy .
for example after geentic bottle neck has taken place .
-geetifc drift is RANDOm and is not linked to any geature of an allele .
how to sceienitts cifgure out the species biodiveirsity in a habitat ?
acienitsts carry out sampling .
sampling techniques can iehter be what ?
random o r non-random .
what hppens in random sampling ?
the areas , that samples are aken form are selected by using random numbers
-these radnom numbers can then be used to determine the coordinates on a map .
non- random sampling , the three types , wha are they ?
-oppporunistic -
startfied sampling
advanatge of random sampling
-as the area is not chosen by a human , random samploing , reduces the chnce of ampling bias .
-if a human chose arera , they might choose area eiest to reach .or rea with large number of organisms , hwoever .these areas might not be typical for the whole habitat , REDUCING THE RELIABILTIY of the sample
Wgaht happens in opporunitditc smpling ?
th scienitsts seelct the organsms thatt are readily available .
exmpel edge of pond ,w here they cn be easily sampled .
what is the problem with opportunistic smpling ?
-these organsms s , lmay not be representatie of the organisms in the pond .,
Making opportunitic sampling , unrelible
problem with stratified sampling ?
more maale fish than female fish
-what if males have a greater mass tha females . 4
-in this case ,rather than seecting anyf isha t random , it is more reliable to todivide popualtion into males ansd feamles
-then take randm samplings frome ach subgroups .
what happens in stratified sampling ?
-the populations is divided into sub groups or strat .
-fish in lake with mass example .measuring their mass
what is key about stratified samplign , using the fish example to explain ?
-we need to make certain , that the number of males and females we select . is represnetaitve of the numebrs in the alkes
(if there are twice as many males than femlaes thenw e need to emasure 2 males for every female ) .
when is systemtatic sampling used ?
when there is a gradual change in the habitat from one palce to another .
-i this case ,w e want to determine , how the abundance o organisms changes as the habitat changes .
-OR we could looka t how the features of organisms CHANGE .
two ways of doing this ?
-is using a line transect and a belt transect
what happens in a line transect ?
-in a line transect , a measuring tpe is placed across the habitat .
-any organisms , touchign the tape is sampled .
what is the problem with a line transect ?
-the number of organisms touching the tape may e ver small .
alternative to a balet transecanother e way of doing a ble ttransect ?
we can sample orgnaimsms at regualr intervals along the transect .
-this is called an INTERRUPTED ELT TRANSECT
what happens in a belt transect ?
we place two parallel tapes across the habitat .
-an organisms foudn between the two tapes are sampled . for example by using a quadrat .
What is the purpose of sampling organisms , ?
we can estimat the number ina given area . number off organisms scientists call this the abundance of o.ganisms ..
-can also make estimated about the features of an organisms . for example its amss .
one problem , faced by any sampling method ?
i the issue of chance .
-if we select an organisms , there is a chancw that that organimsms may not be typical for the whole group .
how can reduce the problem of ll sampling techniques pne ?
sampling a very large number of organisms .
-this makes it more likley that the measurements we take , are represnettive of the entire population . increasing the reliabiltiy of our sampling .
sampling plants - insects in a meadow
TECNHIUQE ONE IS SQWEEPING NET .
sweeping net is sept over the plants multiple times . this traps any isnetcs present .
-small insects can be caught direclty using a pooter .
-technique two
a pooter is used to catch insects directly , explain how it works ?
a pooter consits of a container with two tubes the trapping tube is palced near the insect we want to catch . we place the motuhpeice tube into our mouth and gently inahle .
-he insect is now sucked itno the trpapping tube and intot he container .
-the mouthpiece tube has a piec eof cloth , to top n insect being sucked into the mouth .
tecnchiqu three –> how do we trap ground level animals like insetcs or snails
we use a pitfuall trap .
-a pitfallt rap is a container sunk into the ground .
-oveer the trap l, we palc e acover which preents rainwater from comgin ing .
–ground leel amilas fall into the trap . which is deeep enough for them to stop crawling out .
technique four how do we sample the tiny animals present in soil ?
-then we can use a tullgren ufnnel .
-the soil sapmpel is place dina funnel above the continer , a light ulb gently hrets the surface of the soil .
-the animals i the soil move downwardds ,a way fromt he heat , once the aniamls reach the bottom of th funnel , they fall linto the container ,
technique five , ohow do we sample btoom dwelling animals ?
kick sampling is used to sample bottom dwelling animals .living in ERIVWR BED .
-A NET IS PLACED DOWNSREA , THE SCIENITST GENTLY KICKS THE RIVER BED TO DISLOFGE ANYR OCKS OR PEBLES .
-ANY ORGANISMS WHICHA RE DISTURBED , MOVE DOWNSTREAM AND ARE CUAGTHT IN THE NET .
TECNHQIEUE SIX – > slow moving or static animals — > excample on a sea shore >
then we can use a frame waudrat .
- a frame quadrat is palced ont he gorund ,a nd any naimal within the waudrat is sampeld .
-imaigne we use a wudrtat whcih i 1 m2 , then the actual number of plant species example dasies , denisty per m2 i what the number of aninumber we cont . This s a highly accurate sampling method .
-some plants are difficult to count , fro example moss or we may have a plant with a very alrge number like grss . do how do we sample these ?
-in these cases , we looka how manys mall squares withint he wudrat , contain the paln .
-we then report this number as the percentge frequencye .
-exmpale 100 smll squares
-moss ofund in 2 squares
-then frequency of msoss , is 20/100 = 0%
-KEY , notie not sayign how omcuh of each square is ocvered in mosss , just aying “ this is the percentage of small squares that contain moss .”
-what does it mean if palnt occupies a alrge proporition of the quadrat ? hen what do we estimate ?
the we simply estimate by eye what percentage of the total quadrat area is occupied by hte plant .
stregnths and weakness of percentge cover ?
-percentage ocver is a very rapid way of sampling but it is the least accurate emthod .
-in allc ases , we can increase reliaility ,by placing the wuadrat in multiple postiosn . and calcualting a mean .
-wht can we use instead of a frame quadarat we can sue a point quadrat , how does this work ?
-a point qudrat is a wooden bar ith holes in it .
we positiont he bar over the gounrd , and palce metal pins into the each hole .
-we cont any palnt which is touched by the pin .
-an increasing human population , presents a mjor challenge to the biodiversity on earth . … give on problem >
-feeding a large human population , reqruies intenisve farming methods .
second problem with athe growing population
human adctiity reqruies a great deal of spc which is leading to the destruction of forests .
third problem with growing population
lastly , carbondioxide from burinijg fossil fues is eding to climate change .
sstrengths oimpact of reqruing a great deal of food for increasing human population
the vast amjority of food ebcomes for farming .
-farming frming is used to support a very large population ofa very small number of spcies .
so farms already have a relativley low lwevel of biodioveirsty .
where are monocutlures gorwn ?
-big fields which marke harvesting mroe efficnet .
-ino rder to create these fields , hedgrows are dug up hedgeros contian a rich diveristy of plants and animals , so hedgerwos desoiryed htese re lso .
-what happens when a field only contins one crop , suchas wheat
this is called a monoculture .
-herbicides are used to kill any unwated palnt species . which are regaded as weeds .
-pesicides are used to killan insects which might eat the crop .
-so a monoculture has an extremel low level of biodiviersity . 000000000000000000000000000000000000
which contain
which contain more than hal of all animal and plant species on earth
…
lastly , stly forests are cleared to mke land for frming this incldues tropical rainforests .
which contain more than hal of all animal and plan species on earth .
-as you can see modern farming method have a nagaive impact on biodiversity .
-As we gave see n forests arecleared to provide land for farming .
-the clearing of forests is called deforestation .
-deforesttion is also crried out for ?
– this produces carbonxide to provide wood for consturction and for fuels
-or to porvide lad for cities and orads .
carbondioxide is also produced when fossilf uels such as coal oil and gas ., are burned for energy .0
the level of co2chasincreased significantly over past 200 years .
-this is l0
-Mean temperture of the surfae of the earth is increaisng , what do scientits call this ?
sscienitsts call this global warmng .
where else is carbondioxide produced ?
-when fossil fules usch as coal , oil and gas are burned for eergy .
-the level of carbondixoide int he amosphere has increased signifcintly for the last 200 years .
-most sceinits accept , this i leading to climate change , for example ,c ahnegs to rainfall ptterns ,w ind patterns and global temperatures .
what is the impact of global warming on biodiveristy ?
-global warming will have a nagetive impacto n biodivieristy .
-firstly , rising temperatures are causing hte polar ice caps to melt .
-The oss of polar habitats could lead to the extincition of animals and plants . that currenlt live there .
As temper ature increases wter e xpadnsds .
-along wigh the metling ice caps , this is elading to n increse in global sea levels .
-as sea levels rise , this will led to flooding . Adnd the destruction of low-ling habitats . reducing bidoivieristy .
Another fctor tht is impcted , due to riding tempertures ?
rising temperatures could cuase rthe death of mrine organismss
for examples as corals , s welllas alter the distribution of fish .
what will happen as gobal temperatures will increase
droughts will become more commin .
-s many plants cannot cannot usrvive udner drought conditoins . so this could affect the disrubtiono f palnts in many habitats .
-this willa ffect the distributiono f animals which depend on thoe plants for food .
…
what is the last effect of gobal tempertures incresing ?
-it changes the disdtirbution of plolliantors in the world .like insecs .
-this hten in turn , could ffect the distribution of plants . as wella s the animals that dpend ont hem .
why bidoivieristy should be preserved 1
-firstly , many people believe that a rich diveristy of plant and animal contirbute to the beuatyo f the earth .
-this is called an aesthetic reason Millions o eople enjoy visiting the ountryside . to expereicne nature , for example in woodlnds or the seashore .
-for cenutres ,a rtist msucins have found insoo form nature .
so asesthetic value is one reason why it hsould be preserved .
2 reson why biodivierisyt should b prsevred
-the rich variety of paln of plants int he tropical rianforest . could be extremly improtat in the furture .
- as te climate chnages ,c rops which we use for food , ay struglle to gro w.
2 reason why biodivieristy hsould be preserved ?
-tehere are also economic resons for preserving biodiviristy .
-tropicl rainforests under threat of deforestation - rainforets contina wide vriety of plnt and animal ufngi micorgoraniams .
-many of these could be potenitl sources of futurre medicines . so it is essential they are preserved .
WHA DOES CROSS BEEDING D ?
B y crossbreeding existing crops with rainforest palnts , we ma be able to intorduce geens and alleles 0that help he crops to trhvie as environemtnl conditions change .
-however , if we continnue destroing rainofrests , we will lose this geentic biodiversity for ever .
one major reson for deforestation ?
the produxtion of wood as this is not sustainable o
solution to deforestatrion
-if forests are presevred they can provide wood now and also int he future .
selective logging and replanting trees .
-many people value value the opportunity to visit and experience rich biodiversity .
if done sustainably , tourism can provide a valuable source of income for these regions .
for all thes eeconomic regions
its important that we preserve the biodiversity of the forests /.
many farms result in a loss of biodiversity , give an example ?
for example , many farms have vasty fields of only one crop .
-this is called a monoculture .
why does farming a very small number of plant species present an economic risk ?
-many plant species may struggle due to climate change .
why does farming a very small number of plant species present an economic risk ?
solution
-we can reduce the risk by increasing the diversity of plants grown on farms .
-that way in the future if some crop species , struggle to thrive . . we can turn to to other crop species for food instead .
what can farming only one type of crop do to the soil ?
-it can deplete the soil .of certain nutrients and minerals .
-this can then require farmers to use more and more .
farming a wide variety of crops helps to reduce this problem .
give an ecological reason for maintaining biodiversity
-in any habitat , all of the species of living organisms depend on each other .
give an example of organisms depending on each other
-for example , many organisms will be a food source for other species .
-species such as bees , act as pollinators .
another example of organism depending on each other
organisms such as fungi are decomposers breaking down dead organisms , and allowing nutrients to be recycled within the habitat .
what is a keystone species ?
certain species play a very significant role within a habitat .
give an example of a keystone species ,a nd their function .
-good example is sea stars .
-sea stars are predators for mussels .
-in the absence of sea stars , mussel populations increase dramatically .
-the effect of this is to crowd out seaweeds ,s onges and anemones .
what does the presence of sea stars do the biodiversity of the habitat ?
-increases the species biodiversity .
-so because all of the species within a habitat depend on each other . This is an ecological reason to maintain biodiversity .
what is biodiversity under threat by ?
human activity .
-which has led to many species becoming endangered - these species are likely to become extinct in the near future .
one way to protect endangered species is in situ conservation , explain what this is ?
-in situ conservation takes place in the organism’s natural habitat .
give an example of in situ conservation ?
for example creating a wildlife reserve .
what happens in a wildlife reserve ?
special measures are put in place to help protect the organism /.
-for example , human access may be restricted as we;; as hunting or poaching .
what happens if the number of species , fall , very low in an area ?
then it might be reintroduce from populations living elsewhere .
-in the case of animal species , they may be provided with food .
-any species which is not native to the area , in other words an invasive species , may be removed to protect competition with the protected species . this is especially important in the case of protected plants /, which can easily be outcompeted
what happens to land int he uk , if it is left overtime , what is this process called ?
it will naturally revert to woodland .
-This process is called succession
why is succession a problem for a number of habitats such as moorland and heathland .
-to protect these habitats , grazsing organisms such as deer can be introduced .
-these graze on saplings and prevent the succession to woodland .
how can endangered marine species be protected ?
by marine conservation areas .
what is prohibited in marine conservation areas ?
tourism , fishing . and extraction of oil and gas are controlled.
-movement of ships through these areas can also be restricted .
what happens on ex situ conservation ?
ex situ conservation takes place outside of an organism’s natural habitat .
good example of ex situ conservation ?
a good example is captive breeding programs that take place in zoos .
problem with ex situ conservation ?
because of the relatively small number of organisms in a zoo , inbreeding can be a problem ,
solution to the problem with ex situ conservation ?
zoos keep detailed family trees so that closely related animals are not mated .
what happens when animals reintroduced from captive breeding , return back into the wild ?
-it may not necessarily be possible for example if their habitat has been reduced or destroyed .
why may a reintroduced animal may not be able to go back to their orginal habitat .
a new disease may be present in their habitat which could prevent their reintroduction .
how can ex situ conservation be applied to plants ?
-rare plants can be cultivated in botanical gardens .
ex situ conservation in plants (2)
the seeds of rare plants can be stored in seed banks .
what happens in seed banks ?
dried seeds are kept at cold temperatures to preserve them .
-this is particularly important in the case of crop plants . Which have been produced by selective breeding from wild plants .
a good example of the selective breeding is what ?
-modern wheat .
-which is derived fromw ild grasses bred over thousands of years .
what might happen to modern wheat in t he future ?
-as the climate changes , modern wheat may no longer be able to thrive .
how can modern where survive ?
by cross breeding with its wild relatives , we may be able to introduce beneficial alleles .
-these alleles may help the wheat to adjust to climate change .
conservation efforts are backed by a number of international and local agreements , give an example ?
in the uk , the countryside stewardship scheme was set up to encourage farmers to preserve wildlife and habitats .
many plants and animals are traded between different countries .
-the convention of international trade in endangered species was established to regulate this and ensure that it does not threaten the survival of species which are endangered .
what is the rio convention of biological diversity ?
-what doe s this agreement promote ?
-agreement , signed by a large number of countries in 1992 .
-this agreement promotes sustainable development , as well as measures to protect biodiversity .
