Ch 1: Biodiversity Flashcards
What are the levels biodiversity can be considered at?
- genetic level
- species level
- level of ecosystems
Why is the biodiversity of ecosystems nearer to the equator greater?
Biodiversity is greater in ecosystems near the equator, this is because the amount of light energy reaching the Earth’s surface per unit of area is greater because of the angle of incident light rays. This increases the productivity of plants near the equator because they use light for photosynthesis. It’s also influenced by temperature, climate stability, water availability and soil quality
What is the rationale for measuring biodiversity?
- greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms→larger gene pool ensures successful survival of species
- provides food and medicinal resources
- building/production resources
- protection of water resources
- Pollution breakdown and absorption
- Contribution to climate stability
What is the biological species concept and what are some problems with this definition?
a species is a group of organisms whose members have the potential to interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring in their natural environment
problems with this definition:
- many organisms reproduce asexually and it is not always easy to observe whether reproduction is occurring naturally
- this definition is particularly limited with classifying fossils and hybrids. It is impossible to know which organisms could interbreed with one another with fossils
- hybrids are difficult to classify as they are the result of individuals from two different species interbreeding
What is the morphological species concept?
a species is characterised by its form or morphology. For example, in humans it is most often the skull that is best preserved and identified morphologically
What is the phylogenetic species concept?
a species is identified as being the smallest group of organisms who can all trace their origin to a single common ancestor
How are organisms classfied and what is the mnemonic to remember it?
K ingdom
P hylum
C lass
O rder
F amily
G enus
S pecies
(Keep Pond Clean Or Froggy Gets Sick)
What is the Linnaean system of binomial nomenclature?
System of naming species first developed by Linnaeus. The name given to each organism consists of two words. The first, general word it the genus name and the second, specific name is the species name of the organism
How does the domain system classify organisms?
the domain system classifies organisms at a more detailed level (organelle level)
What are features of the three domains and examples?
What are the features of the five kingdoms and some examples?
What are the similarities between the domain and kingdom classification systems?
cellular features differentiates between groups
What are the features of invertebrates and vertebrates?
What are the features of the phylum Chordata?
How are plants classified?
What are the features of the Phylum Arthropoda?
