Week 8

Question 1

What are primary decompositors

Answer 1

Scavengers - Micro decompositor (Bacteria Fungi) 
Macro decompositors (Insects)

Question 2

What are secondary decompositors

Answer 2

Slime molds/Nematodes from Micro decompositors

Predators/Parasites from Macro decompositors

Question 3

What is a Bio-Geo-Chemically hot spot

Answer 3

An area of high activity compared to the surrounding environment and is typically only a temporary hot spot due to rapid/ephemeral nutrients that move fast back into the environment (A dead body)

Question 4

What is the real PMI

Answer 4

The decomposition of the body

Question 5

What is the colonisation interval

Answer 5

Starts at the period of insect activity (PIA) and continues till the end

Question 6

What factors aid in the determination time of death

Answer 6

Physical - Chemical - Ecological

Question 7

What are the succession waves of a decomposing body

Answer 7

Pioneer organisms - Necrophagous species -> Predator / parasite species - Omnivorous species - incidental species

Question 8

What is Biodiversity

Answer 8

Variability among living organisms from all sources: Terrestrial/marine the ecosystems they make, and the genetic information

Question 9

What are the three levels of biodiversity

Answer 9

Gene (Genetic diversity in individuals)
Species (Genetic diversity within populations)
Community/Ecosystem (Variety of community/ecosystem within a landscape

Question 10

What is a Biodiversity hotspot

Answer 10

An area of land that has >1500 endemic plant species and that has < 35% of vegetation remaining (Under threat)

Question 11

How is biodiversity measured

Answer 11

Number of species - Number of individual species - Evenness - Taxonomic distinctness

Question 12

What are the types of diversity

Answer 12

Alpha (Local species richness within a habitat)
Beta (Between habitat diversity)
Gamma (Between landscape diversity)

Question 13

what are the common patterns in diversity

Answer 13

Latitude (Greater in tropics)
Species area (Larger area = Larger Biodiversity)
Altitude (Biodiversity decreases with increase)
Environment (Harsher = less Biodiversity)

Question 14

What are some potential causes of difference in global biodiversity

Answer 14

Evolutionary speed - Geographical area - Interspecific interactions - Ambient energy - Productivity - Disturbance

Question 15

How could Evolutionary speed effect global biodiversity

Answer 15

Longer time and faster evolution permits the evolution of new species

Question 16

How could Geographical area effect global biodiversity

Answer 16

Larger areas with more physically biologically complex habitats provide more niches

Question 17

How could Interspecific interactions effect global biodiversity

Answer 17

Competition and predation affects the niche partitioning resulting in reduction in competitive exclusion (Less evolving species)

Question 18

How could ambient energy effect global biodiversity

Answer 18

Few species can tolerate unfavourable conditions

Question 19

How could productivity effect global biodiversity

Answer 19

Richness limited via the partitioning of production or energy among species

Question 20

How could disturbance effect global biodiversity

Answer 20

Moderate disturbance reduces competitive exclusion. Excessive disturbances reduces available habitat = less biodiversity