TOPIC 4- BIODIVERSITY Flashcards
Define biodiversity
The variety of organisms within an area
What is a habitat?
A place where an organism lives
Define a community
All the populations of different species within a habitat
What is species richness?
A measure of the number of different species that are in a community
How is species richness calculated?
By taking a random sample and counting how many different species there are
The higher the index of diversity is
the more diverse the area is
What is an index of diversity?
the relationship between the number of species in a community and the number of individuals in each species.
CALCULATING INDEX OF DIVERSITY
Which 5 methods of farming reduce biodiversity?
-Woodland clearance
-Hedgerow removal
-Pesticide
-Herbicides
-Monoculture
How do woodland clearance and hedgerow removal impact biodiversity?
-Reduces the number of trees and different tree species
-Destroys habitats (lose their food source and shelter so are forced to migrate)
How do pesticides affect biodiversity?
-Chemicals that kill organisms that feed on crops
-Directly kills the pests
-Any species that feed on the pests lose their food source
How do herbicides affect biodiversity?
-Kills unwanted plants
-Reduces plant diversity
-Reduces the number of organisms that feed on the weeds
How does monoculture impact biodiversity?
-A single type of plant reduces biodiversity and will not be able to support organisms
Why are conservation schemes used?
-to balance agriculture and biodiversity
Give some examples of conservation schemes
-Giving legal protection to endangered species
-Creating protected areas such as sssis and AONB
