4.1.2 Biodiversity – Calculating Biodiversity Flashcards
(12 cards)
What is this the formula for?
D= 1- [Σ(n/N)2]
Simpson’s index of biodiversity
What is Simpson’s index of biodiversity used for?
To measure the diversity of a habitat.
Which two factors does Simpson’s index of biodiversity take into account?
Species evenness
Species richness
What does ‘n’ represent in Simpson’s index formula?
The number of individuals in one particular species.
What does ‘N’ represent in Simpson’s index formula?
The total number of all individuals in all species.
What does a high Simpson’s index of biodiversity (D) suggest about the habitat?
That the habitat is biodiverse and has high species evenness and richness. The habitat is stable and able to withstand change. There will only be a small affect on the habitat if it changes as only some species will be affected but there are plenty more.
What does a low Simpson’s index of biodiversity suggest for the habitat?
The habitat is dominated by a few species and that a small change to the environment could have a large affect of the biodiversity of the habitat..
What does the term ‘locus’ mean?
The position of a gene on a chromosome
What does the term ‘polymorphic gene locus’ mean?
A locus that has more than two alleles.
What will it lead to if there is high genetic diversity in a population?
Variations that are observable taking place between individuals- especially in the offspring (gametes) produced by members of the population
What does a heterozygous locus mean?
A locus that has more than one allele in a particular locus.
Give the formula for working out the proportion of polymorphic gene loci
Proportion of polymorphic gene loci =
number of polymorphic gene loci / total number of loci
