3.4.3 Biodiversity

Question 1

What is biodiversity?

Answer 1

The variety of living organisms in an area. includes species diversity and genetic diversity

Question 2

What is species diversity

Answer 2

The number of different species and the abundance of each species in an area

Question 3

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 3

The variation of alleles in the gene pool of a species

Question 4

How is species richness counted?

Answer 4

counting the number of species in a known area using a quadrat

Question 5

Why does biodiversity need to maintained?

Answer 5

loss of biodiversity means there are fewer species. Loss of endemic species leads to extinction. Some species have not yet been discovered that may be useful

Question 6

Why is little genetic diversity bad?

Answer 6

no selective advantage when the environment changes, less likely to survive, so this increases risk of extinction

Question 7

Why is increased genetic diversity advantageous for a species?

Answer 7

Greater chance of survival as higher chance of having beneficial alleles

Question 8

Define species richness

Answer 8

The number of different species

Question 9

Define ‘niche’

Answer 9

The role of a species within its habitat. It includes its interactions with other living organisms (biotic) and its interactions with the non living (abiotic) environment

Question 10

What is a species?

Answer 10

A group of similar organisms that can reproduce to give fertile offspring

Question 11

What does taxonomy involve?

Answer 11

naming organisms and organising them into groups based on their similarities and differences. This makes it easier for scientists to identify them and study them

Question 12

Why are species in the same genus separate species?

Answer 12

because they cannot breed successfully to produce fertile offspring

Question 13

What is the binomial system?

Answer 13

first word is the genus name and the second word is the species name.

Question 14

Why is important that species are given a scientific name?

Answer 14

enables scientists to communicate about organisms in a standard way that minimises confusion

Question 15

What are the five kingdoms?

Answer 15

prokaryote, protoctista, fungi, plants and animals

Question 16

What is an example and features of prokaryote?

Answer 16

Bacteria, unicellular, no nucleus,

Question 17

What is an example and features of protoctista?

Answer 17

algae, eukaryotic cells, live in water, single celled or simple multicellular organisms

Question 18

What is an example and features of fungi?

Answer 18

moulds, eukaryotic, chitin cell wall, saprotrophic

Question 19

What is an example and features of plants?

Answer 19

mosses, eukaryotic, multicellular, cellulose cell walls, autotrophic

Question 20

What is an example and features of animals?

Answer 20

mammals, eukaryotic, multicellular, no cell walls, heterotrophic

Question 21

What does phylogeny tell you?

Answer 21

which species have common ancestors with which and how recently they shared common ancestors

Question 22

How does the new three domain system classify organisms?

Answer 22

all organisms are placed into one of three domains which are above the kingdoms in the taxonomic hierarchy. The three domains are bacteria, archaic and eukaryote

Question 23

Why is a sample of a population taken instead of counting all individuals ?

Answer 23

it is too time consuming to count every individual organism in a habitat. estimates about the whole habitat are based on the sample

Question 24

When is a quadrat used?

Answer 24

To sample populations of immobile organisms (e.g. plants)

Question 25

What does sampling involve?

Answer 25

choosing an area to sample. the sample should be random to avoid bias, use a random number generator to select coordinates for a grid, count the number of individuals of each species in the sample area, repeat the process as it gives a better indication of the whole habitat,

Question 26

What do related organisms have (how can we prove they are related using phylogenetic analysis) ?

Answer 26

similar DNA sequences and so similar amino acid sequences in their proteins

Question 27

Why is courtship behaviour important for the survival of species? Give 4 reasons.

Answer 27

Helps to recognise members of own species, synchronise matins, recognise those able to breed, form a pair bond, become able to breed

Question 28

How do you calculate index of diversity?

Answer 28

total number of all species(N). Total number of each species (n). N(N-1) / Sum of n(n-1)

Question 29

Give three ways of comparing similarity of different species

Answer 29

compare observable characteristics, compare DNA base sequences, compare amino acid sequences

Question 30

Define mean, mode and median

Answer 30

mean = average, mode = most occuring, median = middle value

Question 31

Answer 31

Question 32

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Question 33

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Question 34

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Question 35

Answer 35

Question 36

Can you list 4 different ways of sampling?

Answer 36

Question 37

what is a line transect good for?

Answer 37

Question 38

what do these stand for

Answer 38