species, taxonomy & biodiversity Flashcards
define ‘species’
a group of similar organisms able to reproduce to give fertile offspring
define ‘courtship behaviour’
a seq. of actions which is unique to each species
types of acts classified as courtship behaviour
- seq of dance moves
- display of colours
- release of pheromones
- sounds
the importance of courtship behaviour
- organisms can recognise sexually mature members of their own species
- ensures successful species recognition —> courtship rituals genetically determined —> the more similar a courtship sequence, the more closely related species are
- ensures survival of offspring —> form pair bond —> strong, healthy male identified & advantageous alleles passed onto offspring
define ‘hierarchy’
smaller groups arranged from within larger groups with no overlap between groups
phylogenetic classification
arranges species into groups according to their evolutionary origins & relationships
the names of the taxons in the classification pyramid
(demanding kids prefer chips over floppy green spinach)
- domain
- kingdom
- phylum
- class
- order
- family
- genus
- species
which system is used to identify species?
- the binomial system
1) Genus 2) species
define ‘species diversity’
no. of diff species & no of individuals of each species within 1 community
define ‘genetic diversity’
the no. of diff alleles of genes in a population
define ‘ecosystem diversity’
the range of diff. habitats in an area
define ‘species richness’
the no. of diff species within a habitat
species index =
N(N-1) / Sum n(n-1)
N = total no. of organisms
n = total no. of organisms of each species
is low biodiversity a cause for concern?
- no —> arctics and deserts
- a decrease in biodiversity = cause for concern
impact of agriculture
- selective breeding
- hedgerow removal
- woodland clearance
- use of monoculture
