Biodiversity

Question 1

define biodiversity

Answer 1

the variety of species and the range of taxa (species diversity), the variety of alleles within a species (genetic diversity and the variety of ecosystems (ecosystem diversity) of which organisms are a part of

Question 2

define biodiversity hotspot

Answer 2

an area with very high biodiversity

Question 3

define endemic

Answer 3

when a species is only found in one geographical location

Question 4

define species

Answer 4

an group of organisms with homologous features (similar anatomy, physiology and behaviour) which can breed to produce fertile offspring and are reproductively isolated from other species in time, place or behaviour

Question 5

define species richness

Answer 5

the number of different species present in a habitat at any one time

Question 6

define species evenness

Answer 6

the number of organisms of each species in a habitat

Question 7

how can biodiversity be measured

Answer 7

1. measure species richness (count number of species in a given area). the higher the number the greater the biodiversity
2. measure the number of individuals in a species (count the number of individuals of each species
3. calculate the biodiversity index using species richness and number of organisms in each species (higher the value of D the greater the biodiversity)

Question 8

what is the equation for biodiversity index

Answer 8

Biodiversity index = number of species in the area divided by total number of individuals in the area

D= N(N-1)/ Σn(n-1)
N - total number of organisms of all species
n - total number of organisms of one particular species