Chapter 10 - Biodiversity Flashcards
(28 cards)
define a species
members are able to produce living, fertile offspring
what is the binomial system
a universal system of naming species based upon latin or greek names
what does the generic name denote?
the genus
what does the specific name denote?
the species
how are the generic and specific names written?
capital letter for generic name but lower case for specific
outline the ways in which courtship behaviour helps ensure the maximum chance of survival
- recognise members of their own species
- identify a mate that is capable of breeding
- form a pair bond
- synchronise mating
- become able to breed
what is taxonomy
the practical classification in biology
what is artificial classification
divides organisms by visual differences and not on evolutionary origin
what is phylogenetic classification
classification based upon evolutionary relationships, arranging animals into groups using shared features derived from common ancestors
give the full list of taxons
kingdom phylum class order family genus species
describe the features of the bacteria domain
group of single celled prokaryotes
describe the features of the Archaea domain
group of single celled prokaryotes which are more similar to eukaryotes
describe the features of the Eukarya domain
a group of organisms made up of one or more eukaryotic cells
what is phylogeny
the hierarchical order of taxonomic ranks based upon the supposed evolutionary line of descent of the group members
what is species diversity
the number of different species and the number of individuals of each species within any one community
what is genetic diversity
the variety of genes possessed by the individuals that make up a population of a species
what is ecosystem diversity
the range of different habitats from a small local habitat to the whole of the earth
give 4 examples of farming practices directly reducing habitats
- removal of hedgerows and woods
- creating monocultures
- draining or filling in wetlands and ponds
- over-grazing of land
give 3 examples of farming practices that have a more indirect effect on habitats
- use of pesticides and inorganic fertilisers
- escape of effluent from storage
- absence of crop rotation
give 5 examples of conservation techniques which could be used in farming
- maintain hedgerows
- plant hedges
- maintain ponds and wetlands
- plant native tress
- reduce the use of pesticides
- use organic fertilisers
- use crop rotation that includes nitrogen fixing crops
- use intercropping
- create natural meadows
- cut verges after flowering of plants
- introduce conservation headlands
give 2 limitations of using observable characteristics to measure genetic diversity
- polygenic characteristics
- environmental effects on characteristics (phenotype)
how is DNA comparison more accurate?
highly technical, almost entirely computerised
how can mRNA and amino acid sequences be used for genetic comparison?
- mRNA complimentary to DNA
- amino acids coded for by DNA
what is random sampling?
sampling individuals at random in the hopes of this random sample being representative
