Unit 3 Key area 7

Question 1

State the three components of biodiversity?

Answer 1

• Genetic diversity
• Species diversity
• Ecosystem diversity

Question 2

Describe what is meant by genetic diversity?

Answer 2

Genetic diversity refers to the number and frequency of all alleles within a population

Question 3

What can a reduction in genetic diversity cause (aside from bottleneck effect)?

Answer 3

A reduction in genetic diversity can result in a lack of genetic variation in a population meaning that the population is unable to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

Question 4

Describe what is meant by Species diversity?

Answer 4

Species diversity refers to the number of different species and the richness of each species in an ecosystem

Question 5

Describe what is meant by Ecosystem diversity?

Answer 5

Ecosystem diversity refers to the number of distinct ecosystems present in a defined area.

Question 6

What can be said about an ecosystem with a dominant species?

Answer 6

An ecosystem with a dominant species has a lower species diversity than the same ecosystem with no dominant species.