Biodiversity and natural resources

Question 1

What is ecosystem/habitat diversity?

Answer 1

When there are many habitats or ecosystem in an area and then there will be a lot of biodiversity

Question 2

What is species richness?

Answer 2

The number of species in an ecosystem

Question 3

What is species diversity?

Answer 3

The number of different species in an ecosystem

Question 4

Why is species diversity so important?

Answer 4

Because high species diversity increases the stability of an ecosystem, even if a pathogen causes disease in one species there are many others

Question 5

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 5

It is the diversity of alleles and genes in the genomes of a species, either in a population or between populations

Question 6

Why is genetic diversity important?

Answer 6

Because it can help the population to adapt and survive despite changes in the environment (eg temperature, predators or pathogens)

Question 7

How can we maintain high genetic diversity?

Answer 7

By avoiding inbreeding
- This reduces genetic diversity because more organisms are homozygous and have the same genes

Question 8

Explain endemism?

Answer 8

It is a species only found in one area, these are especially at risk of extinction

Question 9

How do humans threaten biodiversity?

Answer 9

• Habitat destruction (eg deforestation, fishing practices etc)
• Overexploitation, more resources used than replace (eg deforestation at high rate but no regrowth)
• Hunting
• Agriculture (eg farming practices, eutrophication, cutting hedgerows)
• Climate change, environmental changes occur too quickly before adaptation can take place (eg temp increase)

Question 10

What is a niche?

Answer 10

The role that a species plays in it habitat
EG Biotic interactions like feeding and being eaten
Abiotic interactions like how much O2 and CO2 is taken in from the environment

Question 11

How are niches occupied?

Answer 11

Every species has a unique niche, if there are multiple species occupying the same niche then there will be competition for resources

Question 12

What is an adaptations?

Answer 12

These features increase the organisms chance of..
A) survival and B) reproduction

Question 13

What types of adaptations may organisms have?

Answer 13

Anatomical, behavioural and physicological

Question 14

What are anatomical adaptations?

Answer 14

Structural features that improve chance of survival
EG: horns, claws and feathers

Question 15

What are behavioural adaptations?

Answer 15

Behavioural features that increase survival and reproduction such as courtship or defense behaviours
EG: migration, whale songs, hunting in packs

Question 16

What are physiological adaptations?

Answer 16

Processes within the body that increase survival and
EG: venom production, temperature regulation

Question 17

How can we measure the biodiversity of an area?

Answer 17

Using the index of diversity formula where n is the no. of organisms of one species
N is the no. of organisms in a community
Σ is the sum of..