Basics

Question 1

Define biodiversity

Answer 1

Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms from all sources and the ecological complexes of which they are part; it includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.

Question 2

What are the three main levels of the biological hierarchy at which conservation can be applied?

Answer 2

Ecosystem / community level (whole communities and their habitats), species / population level (species diversity), and genetic level (genetic diversity).

Question 3

How might differences between species be measured / expressed?

Answer 3

Difference between species can be expressed in terms of functional diversity (the variety of ways in which species influence ecosystem processes) and phylogenetic diversity (the relationships between species in terms of evolutionary history). The two measures are often related.

Question 4

Why is species diversity most often used as a measure of biodiversity in practice?

Answer 4

Species diversity (both richness and relative abundance) is most often used to measure biodiversity as it can act as a surrogate of many facets of diversity. Compared to other measures, it is relatively easy to obtain data on.

Question 5

Why do species diversity and abundance vary through both space and time?

Answer 5

Species diversity is skewed towards equatorial forests and varies geographically, being low at the poles due to being a low solar energy system and requiring specialisation. It may also vary due to human impacts differing / leading to loss of species differently across different regions. In geological time, species diversity is determined by the balance of speciation and extinction, both of which may be impacted by humans. There is a historical background rate of extinction along with punctuated extinction events.