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Biodiversity Flashcards

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1
Q

Endangered species

A

Their numbers are so low they can not be maintained by normal rates of reproduction and they are at a danger of becoming extinct.

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2
Q

Critically endangered

A

Their numbers fall below 10% of the original population

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3
Q

Extinct Species

A

No organisms in the natural or artificial habitat

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4
Q

Reasons for endangerment of species (7points)

A 
⚫️Habitat loss
⚫️Climatic changes
⚫️Pollution
⚫️Overexploitation and unsustainable use of resources 
⚫️Food Shortages
⚫️Disease 
⚫️Invasion by alien species
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5
Q

How does HABITAT LOSS cause endangerment of species

A

✔️Deforestation

✔️Reclamation of land

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6
Q

How do CLIMATIC CHANGES cause endangerment of species

A

✔️Global warming

✔️Natural disasters

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7
Q

How does POLLUTION cause endangerment of species

A

1️⃣Air pollution:
✔️emission of oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulfur, CO2 which contribute to Acid Rain and Global warming
2️⃣Industrial and Domestic pollution:
✔️release of harmful chemicals into the atmosphere
3️⃣Marine pollution
✔️disposal of non-biodegradable plastic

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8
Q

How does OVEREXPLOITATION AND USUSTAINABLE USE OF RESOURCES cause endangerment of species

A

✔️Overfishing

✔️Cutting of valuable trees

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9
Q

How does FOOD SHORTAGES cause endangerment of species

A

✔️Disruption of food chain and food web

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10
Q

How does DISEASES cause endangerment of species

A

✔️Viral infections

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11
Q

How do INVASION OF ALIEN SPECIES cause endangerment of species

A

✔️Push the native organisms to endangerment or extinction

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12
Q

Why do we need to maintain biodiversity

A 
⚫️Ecological Reasons
⚫️Human Reasons
⚫️Ethical Reasons
⚫️Commercial Reasons
⚫️Aesthetic/Socioeconomic reasons
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13
Q

What are ECOLOGICAL REASONS for maintaing biodiversity

A

✔️ensures stability of the ecosystem
✔️organisms interact with eachother so the disappearance of one affects the whole community
✔️gene pool of various species is conserved

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14
Q

What are HUMAN REASONS for maintaing biodiversity

A

✔️Medicine
✔️Agriculture
✔️Tourism

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15
Q

What are ETHICAL REASONS for maintaing biodiversity

A

✔️Humans are the reason for the decline of many species

✔️Maintain levels of biodiversity for future generations

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16
Q

What are COMMERCIAL REASONS for maintaining biodiversity

A

Hybrids:
Resistant to disease
Resistant to climatic changes
Better yield

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17
Q

What are AESTHETIC/SOCIOECONOMIC REASONS for maintaing biodiversity

A

Artists/ Photographers (Creative people)

Ecotourism is a source of income and employment

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18
Q

What is captive breeding

A

Endangered species are captured and bred to increase their numbers

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19
Q

Advantages of captive breeding

A

✔️monitor the health of the mother and fetus during pregnancy
✔️sperm bank
✔️assisted reproduction techniques
✔️keeping of breeding records
✔️Animals can be transferred to other countries where environmental conditions are more conducive for breeding

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20
Q

Disadvantages/Challenges of captive breeding

A

✔️Animals are no longer in their natural habitats
✔️They may have STRESS or BEHAVIOURAL CHANGES due to the change in environment
✔️Female organisms may have a DISRUPTION in their MENSTRUAL CYCLE due to the stress in captivity
✔️Organisms may not prefer the chosen mate for breeding

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21
Q

Problems associated with releasing captive bred animals in the wild

A

✔️Less availability of food
✔️Increased susceptibility to diseases
✔️Risk of predators

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22
Q

How do national parks work

A

✔️Patroling of parks by rangers,wardens and voluteers
✔️Restricted human access
✔️Apart from the conventional farming agricultural activities are controlled
✔️Mining and industrial activities are limited and controlled
✔️Visitor centres can be established to educate the general public
✔️24 hour surveillance of nests and breeding sites

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23
Q

What are botanic gardens?

A

The conservation of plant species by growing them from seeds,cuttings, tissue cultures and cloning

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24
Q

What is the role of botanic gardens

A

✔️Protection of endangered plant species which are threatened by climatic changes and human activities
✔️Research methods of reproduction and growth
✔️Research conservation methods so plants can be introduced to new habitats if their original habitat has been destroyed
✔️Reintroducing plants to the environments where they have become extinct
✔️Educating the general public

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25
What is a seed bank
A collection of seeds of plants that are endangered or extinct in conditions (i.e an atmosphere low in mosture ,oxygen and low on temperature) that are not suitable for germination
26
What are orthodox seeds
They can be stored for a long time period following dehydration
27
What are Recalcilrant seeds
They can not be stored for a long period due to the dehydration of the seed
28
Habitat
The place where an organism lives
29
Niche
The functional role of an organism in an ecosystem
30
Population
A group of organisms of the same species occupying a given area at a given time
31
Species
A group of organisms having similar physiological and morphological features which can interbreed to produce fertile offspring. All the organisms of the same species are reproductively isolated
32
Community
All the organisms of different populations occupying a given area at a given time
33
Ecosystem
A relatively self-contained, interacting community of living organisms and the environment in which they live and with which they interact
34
What is i. Biotic ii. Abiotic
Biotic➡️Living | Abiotic➡️Non-Living
35
Species diversity
The different types of species (richness) and the relative abundance (evenness) of each species within an ecosystem
36
Species richness
The different types of species within an ecosystem
37
Species evenness
The relative abundance of each species within an ecosystem
38
Species distribution
The spread of an organism within an ecosystem
39
Species abundance
The total number of organisms of a particular species in an ecosystem
40
How can we measure species diversity
Using the Simpson’s index of diversity (D) and the expression: D=1-(sum)(n/N)2 Where n= no. of organisms of a particular species N=total no. of organisms of all the species
41
What does the value of D show us
The value of D ranges from 0-1 The closer the value to 1 the greater is the species diversity of an ecosystem The greater the diversity the more stable is the ecosystem
42
Why does a low value of D result
Less no. of species within an ecosystem | Dominance by one or more species within an ecosystem
43
what is genetic diversity
The diversity of alleles within the genes in the genome of a single species
44
How can genetic diversity be assessed
By finding out what proportion of genes have different alleles and how many alleles there are per gene
45
Why is genetic diversity important
It is important in providing populations with the ability to adapt to changes in biotic and abiotic factors
46
Biodiversity
The number and range of different ecosystems and habitats The number of different species and their relative abundance The genetic variation within each species
47
Sampling
The process of taking samples to determine species frequency, distribution, density, abundance and/or percentage cover within an ecosystem
48
When is random sampling carried out?
If the physical conditions within an ecosystem are uniform and there is no clear pattern of distribution of organisms
49
How do u carry out random sampling
1. Mark off an area of the ecosystem using measuring tape 2. Determine the size and the number of quadrants to be used 3. Place the quadrants randomly at the coordinates generated by a mobile app or a random number generator 4. Collect the organisms within each quadrant using nets/traps/pooter 5. Identify the organisms using dichotomous keys (each question has two responses yes or no) 6. Determine the species frequency, density, abundance, percentage cover (% cover is calculated using the Blann-Blanquet scale)
50
What should we do to ensure reliability in random sampling
Mark off a seperate area within the same ecosystem and repeat sampling using the same number and size of the quadrants
51
What are some safety precautions of random sampling
1. Stay with the group to avoid getting lost 2. Wear protective clothing and gloves to avoid allergies 3. Wear a mask to avoid inhalation of pollen
52
When is systematic sampling carried out?
If physical conditions within an ecosystem change
53
How is systematic sampling carried out?
1. Randomly select a starting point and lay down the measuring tape along the transect 2. Organisms are collected via traps/ nets/pooter and identified using dichotomous keys 3. Determine species frequency/ density/ distribution 4. Repeat sampling at different times of the year
54
What should we do to ensure reliability in systematic sampling
Select a different starting point and repeat transect
55
What are some safety precautions of systematic sampling
Stay with a group to avoid getting lost Wear protective clothing and gloves to avoid allergies Wear a mask to avoid inhalation of pollen
56
What is line transect
Sampling organisms along a line at regular intervals. The organisms sampled are represented qualitatively using diagrams
57
What is belt transect
Sampling organisms along a line by placing quadrants at regular intervals. The results obtained are quantitative and represented using bar charts or kite diagrams
58
What is artificial insemination
Transfer of sperms in the uterus of a female using the catheter
59
What is the procedure for IVF
1. Treat the female organism with hormones 2. Extract the eggs and sperms 3. Mix them in a glass tube to form a zygote and then transfer this to a nutrient mixture to form multiple embryos 4. Transfer the embryos to the female reproductive tract through a thin plastic cathiter 4. Administer the woman progesterone whivh helps the uterus lining thicken and become suitable for implantation
60
What are some assumptions for the mark release and recapture method
Paint does not affect the mobility of organisms Paint does not affect the survival of organisms No migration of organisms
61
What is a correlation coefficient
A quantitative perimeter which determines the strength of correlation between two variables
62
When do we use pearson’s coefficient
The data is normally distributed There are atleast 5 pairs of data sets The scatter plot shows linear correlation The data is continuous
63
When do we use spearman’s rank correlation
The data is not normally distributed The scatter plot shows an increasing or decreasing relationship The data is ordinal
64
What is the role of WWF
1. Funding conservation projects 2. Restoration of degraded habitats 3. Publicising environmental issues by campaigns 4. Saving species from extinction 5. Promoting educational awareness regarding endangered species and conservation of the ecosystem

Biology (2 decks)

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