Species And Taxonomy

Question 1

Courtship behaviour allows individuals to…

Answer 1

1) Recognise members of same species
2) Identify a sexually mature mate
3) Synchronise mating to take place at a time where egg and sperm are most likely to meet

Question 2

What is artificial classification?

Answer 2

Grouping organisms based on features that are useful at that time e.g. Colour

Evolutionary origin of these features are different

Question 3

What is phylogenetic classification?

Answer 3

• Based on evolutionary relationships (evidence from fossils/DNA analysis)
• Based on shared homologous features derived from ancestors
• Arranges organisms into hierarchies

Question 4

What is the order of the taxonomic ranks?

Answer 4

Domain - Divine
Kingdom - Kings 
Phylum - Play
Class - Chess
Order - On
Family - Fat
Genus - Green
Species - Stools

Question 5

What does a higher value from the index of diversity equation mean?

Answer 5

Higher value = greater diversity

Question 6

What is a natural ecosystem?

Answer 6

• Consists of a community of organisms and the habitat they live in
• Develop over time and form complex communities

Question 7

What is an artificial ecosystem?

Answer 7

• Controlled by humans
• Farmers select which crops are allowed to grow
• Have low genetic diversity, species richness and index of diversity

Question 8

What are the different components of biodiversity?

Answer 8

1) Genetic diversity
2) Species richness
3) Ecosystem diversity

Question 9

What do plants compete for and why do farmers remove this competition?

Answer 9

Compete for - water, minerals, light and space

Farmers remove competition so that land is occupied by desired species

Question 10

What affect does reducing the competition in ecosystems have?

Answer 10

Few species dominate which

• decreases genetic diversity
• decreases species richness
• decreases index of diversity
• decreases variety of insects/plants/animals
• decreases variety of food
• decreases variety of habitats

Question 11

What are some of the practices that have reduced species diversity?

Answer 11

• removal of hedgerows and grubbing out woodland
• creating monocultures
• filling in ponds and draining marsh
• over grazing land which prevents regeneration of woodland

Question 12

What are other practices that have indirectly affected species diversity?

Answer 12

• use of pesticides and inorganic fertilisers
• absence of crop rotation
• lack of intercropping

Question 13

What are some conservation techniques to increase species and habitat diversity?

Answer 13

• Maintain existing hedgerows at most beneficial height and shape (A-shape)
• Maintain existing ponds and create new ones
• Plant native trees on land with a low species diversity rather than species rich areas
• Use organic fertilisers instead
• Use crop rotation to improve soil fertility
• Use intercropping to control weeds and pests instead of herbicides

Question 14

How can we determine evolutionary relationships?

Answer 14

• observe physical characteristics
• observe proteins/enzymes
• observe AA sequence
• observe mRNA sequences
• observe DNA sequences

Question 15

What does species diveristy mean?

Answer 15

Number of different species
Number of individuals within a species
In any one community

Question 16

What does genetic diversity mean?

Answer 16

Variety of genes possessed by indiviuals in a species

Question 17

What does ecosystem diversity mean?

Answer 17

The range of different habitats from small local habitat to the earth

Question 18

What’s the advantage of measuring the index of diversity?

Answer 18

Takes into account the number of species present and the relative abundance of each species