UQ Extend content

Question 1

Give 3 examples of evolutionary distinct organisms.

Answer 1

the shoe-billed stork
the purple frog (or pig-nosed frog)
the Chinese pangolin.

Question 2

why is it important to conserve evolutionary distinct species?

Answer 2

Saving species with high evolutionary distinctness is important because if these species were to go extinct there would be no similar species left on the planet and a disproportionate amount of unique evolutionary history would be lost forever.

Question 3

how is it useful to identify/group oransims into species?

Answer 3

It helps us identify:
- where biodiversity is increasing or decreasing
- which locations are high or low in biodiversity
- which locations require attention for different reasons.
- Environmental laws are also framed in terms of specie
- human medicine
- spread of disease
- agriculture

Question 4

Why does large macro scales studies matter? give an example.

Answer 4

For example, broad scale patterns in climate and topography have been found to correlate with bird species richness in South America – information which helps scientists identify and prioritise conservation agendas in the region.

Question 5

what is the Latitudinal Diversity Gradient (LDG)? what are the hypotheses behind why this is a thing?

Answer 5

the tendency for species richness to increase when moving from the poles towards the equator.
Following hypotheses as to why:
- Area: tropic zone 40% of earths area
- Energy: more natural energy e.g. sunlight
- Time/climate: been around longer & stable climate

Question 6

Explain the following terms:
1. autotrophs
2. zygote
3. perturbation

Answer 6

1. An autotroph is an organism that can produce its own food using light, water, carbon dioxide, or other chemicals.
2. fertilized egg.
3. a deviation of a system from its regular state, caused by an outside influence.

Question 7

what is the difference between species richness vs species diversity?

Answer 7

Species richness refers to the number of species in an area. Species diversity refers to the relative abundance of the species measured e.g. using shannons diversity index.

Question 8

give examples for the following reasons why we conserve species:
- Economic value:
- Utilitarian value:
- Instrumental value:
- Cultural value:
- Intrinsic value

Answer 8

• Economic value: i.e. the financial importance of species as a commodity such as tuna or salmon.
• Utilitarian value: i.e. how useful or important something is to humans such as fresh water, clean air or medicinal use
• Instrumental value: i.e. high genetic diversity or evolutionary distinctness e.g. shoe-billed stork
• Cultural value: i.e. religious or national importance e.g. koalas in Aus
• Intrinsic value: i.e. all species deserve the opportunity to exist

Question 9

Give an example for each:
- keystone species
- umbrella species
-flagship species

Answer 9

• keystrone: sea otter
• umbrella: siberian tiger
• flagship species: polar bears

Question 10

State 2 reasons Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) model (used for harvesting e.g. fish stocks) has been critised?

(MSY assumes a surplus of harvest can be achieved by harvesting at 1/2 of the population’s carrying capacity).

Answer 10

1. fails to consider characteristics of the individual animals harvested (e.g size, age and reproductive rate)
   
   2. Fails to consider the cumulative impacts on ecosystems which can reduce carrying capacity and lower the resilience of populations.

Question 11

SAummarise the carbon cycle on Earth.

Answer 11

• Many molecular compositions involving carbon is present in organic matter such as plants and animals, but also in many other abiotic forms such as CO2.
  
  • CO2 enters the atmosphere from cellular respiration from animals and from burning of organic matter such as fossil fuels. Plants can also release CO2 into the atmosphere when photosynthesis is not active e.g. at night.
  • CO2 is absorbed from the atmosphere during photosynthesis in autotrophs on land (plants) and at sea (phyto-plankton). This is turned into glucose which can be consumed by heterotrophs.
  • As dead plant matter (or animal matter) is sinking to the bottom of the ocean carbon is stored at the bottom of the sea. On land, carbon from dead matter is consumed by decomposers or stored in the ground (e.g. in limestone or fossil fuels).