Topic 5- Biodiversity within a community Flashcards
What is biodiversity?
- the variation that exists within and between all forms of life
- the range and variety of genes, species and habitats within a particular region
How cn biodiversity be assesed?
-The number and range of different ecosystems and habitats on the entire planet
-The number of species and their relative abundance within a small, local habitat (like a pond)
Why is biodiversity important?
resilience of ecosystems, in that it allows them to resist changes in the environment
What is ecosystem/habitat diversity?
range of different ecosystems or habitats within a particular area or region
If there is a 1._____ number of different habitats within an area, then that area has 2.____ biodiversity
1.large
2.high
The mix of different species that exist within a particular area or region can be measured to indicate levels of biodiversity,
It can be measured in different ways: species richness and species diversity. Define species richness and Species diversity
Species richness- the number of species within a community
Species diversity- number of different species in a community, and also the evenness of abundance across the different species present
Ecosystems with 1.____ species diversity are usually more 2.______ than those with lower species diversity as they are more 3._____ to environmental changes
1.high
2. stable
3.resilient
What are the 6 reasons for maintaining biodiversity?
-Moral and ethical
-Ecological
-Environmental
-Economic
-Aesthetic
-Agricultural
Moral and ethical
_humans have a responsibility to reduce their impact on the environment and other species
Ecological
Biodiversity increases the stability of ecosystems
Environmental
Organisms provide essential services for the environment (water cycle, nutrient cycles, absorption of carbon dioxide
Economic
A range of organisms contribute to medicine, ecotourism, science and technology
Agricultural
Can prevent crops experiencing cataphoric events
