types of biodiversity Flashcards
what is meant by biodiversity?
the variety of organisms present in an area
what is the importance of biodiversity
- maintains balanced ecoystems as organisms are interdependent
- we rely on ecosystems for food, shelter and oxygen production
what is the importance of measuring biodiversity?
- informs scientists about species present
- allows us to measure effect of changes to an environment (eg. climate change)
what is habitat diversity?
the number of different habitats found in an area
what is the relationship between habitats and biodiversity?
more habitat biodiversity = greater overall biodiversity
what are 2 components of species biodiversity
species evenness
species richness
what is species evenness?
the number of individuals within a species in a particular area
what is species richness
the number of different species present in an area
what is genetic biodiversity?
the variety of genes in a species
why does genetic biodiversity increase the chance of survival (4 marks)
- wider range of alleles
- increased likelihood of some organisms being adapted to habitat change
- some will be resistant to new disease
- some will be adapted to avoid predators/catch prey
- therefore, less chance of catching disease, being eaten or starvation
state the 3 levels of biodiversity
- species
- genetic
- habitat
how is the relationship between genetics and biodiversity?
more alleles present in the system = more genetic biodiversity
why is genetic biodiversity important?
allows for better adaptation to environment change, more likely to result in individuals resistant to disease
what are 4 examples of habitats in the UK
meadow, woodland, sand dunes and streams
what is a species
a group of individual organisms with similar characteristics that can breed to produce fertile offspring
