conservation of biodiversity Flashcards
(14 cards)
A4.2.1—Biodiversity as the variety of life in all its forms, levels and combinations
Define biodiversity
Compare and contrast ecosystem diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity
Biodiversity is the variety of life in all of it forms.
Ecosystem diversity is the variety of ecosystems found in an area or on Earth.
Species Diversity is the number and relative abundance of species found within an ecosystem.
Genetic Diversity is variety of genes and alleles present in a species. Species with high genetic diversity are more likely to survive changes to the environment through the process of natural selection.
A4.2.2: Comparisons between current number of species on Earth and past levels of biodiversity
State the approximate number of species that have been discovered
Define fossil, and strata + Compare the biodiversity of today with estimates for previous years
- Around 2 million species have been discovered and classified.
- Fossil evidence suggests that there are more species on Earth now than at any time in the past.
However, the number of species has fluctuated over time. There have been at least five mass extinction events.
Outline the competing approaches to the classification of species, for example with “splitters” and “lumpers”
‘Lumpers’ classify by focussing on similarities between groups of organisms. ‘Splitters’ classify by focussing on differences between groups of organisms.
A4.2.3: Causes of anthropogenic species extinction
Define anthropogenic
Define mass extinction event
Outline the cause and effect of mass extinctions that have occurred on Earth
- the influence of humans on nature
- A mass extinction event is a period of extremely rapid and widespread biodiversity loss, where a significant portion of Earth’s species go extinct in a relatively short period of geological time.
- asteroid impacts, volcanic eruptions, and shifts in sea levels (ice age, fell ,bye bye marine specices) and global temperatures
Outline the following case studies of species extinction:
Giant moas (Dinornis novaezealandiae)
Caribbean monk seals (Neomonachus tropicalis)
- The giant moa had few predators before the arrival of humans to New Zealand.
The Maori people hunted the giant moa for food, clothing and jewelry.
The giant moa were overexploited, as hunting killed far more birds than were replaced through reproduction. - carribean monk seals were overhunted; european settlers hunted them for blubber (oil) and their skin (clothing)/habitat loss and disease may have played a role
A4.2.4: Causes of ecosystem loss
Define ecosystem and ecosystem loss
Outline causes of direct and indirect ecosystem loss
- A community and its abiotic environment./ a community of living and non-living things that work together
- the destruction of habitats and ecosystems
Outline the likely causes and effects of the loss of dipterocarp forests in SE Asia
- Agriculture: Deforestation is often caused by the development of palm oil plantations. Palm oil plantations are a monoculture and do not support biodiversity.
- Mining: The rainforests are rich in coal, metals and diamonds. Excavation for mining can directly destroy the rainforests. In addition, many of the chemicals used in mining are harmful to plants and animals.
- Climate Change: Human activities are contributing to climate change. Climate change can result in changing rainfall patterns: floods and droughts, which impact the biodiversity of the rainforests.
- deforestation
Outline the likely causes and effects of the loss of the Mangrove ecosystem
- Overfishing of vulnerable species removes links in food chains within the ecosystem.
- Fish farming releases excessive nutrient waste into the mangroves, resulting in algal blooms and eutrophication.
- Sea level rise as a result of climate change is a threat to mangrove ecosystems, as many mangrove tree species are unable to tolerate more salt water from higher tides.’
- Coastal Infrastructure and Tourism: Mangrove forests have been cleared for resorts, roads and cities, resulting in the loss of mangroves.
- Agriculture: Farms upstream from the mangroves release fertilizer, pesticides and animal waste into the mangroves, harming plants and animals.
A4.2.5: Evidence for a biodiversity crisis
Define ecology
Summarize the evidence for a biodiversity crisis, including: EDLH
Extinction Rates / Declining Population Size
Land use change / habitat loss
Ecology is the study of the relationships between living organisms
Outline the role of the IPBES in the biodiversity crisis
- Identifying and prioritizing important scientific information for governments and policymakers
- Scientific peer-review of knowledge to ensure reliability and validity of biodiversity surveys
- Develop methodologies and solutions for the implementation of scientific findings about ecosystems and biodiversity in government policies
IPBES encourages citizen science whereby the public aids scientists in data collection and analysis.
A4 Mathematics Skill: The Simpson Reciprocal Index
Define Simpson’s Reciprocal Index
Outline the use of Simpson’s reciprocal index
Compare species richness to species evenness
Use Simpson’s reciprocal index to compare the biodiversity of two specific locations
richness (number of different species) and evenness (how close the population numbers are to each other) of species present in an ecosystem.
The Simpson’s diversity index is a measure of the biodiversity of an ecosystem
capital N/lowercase n
A4.2.6—Causes of the current biodiversity crisis
Include human population growth as an overarching cause, together with these specific causes: hunting and other forms of over-exploitation; urbanization; deforestation and clearance of land for agriculture with consequent loss of natural habitat; pollution and spread of pests, diseases and invasive alien species due to global transport.
A4.2.7—Need for several approaches to conservation of biodiversity
No single approach by itself is sufficient, and different species require different measures.
- Include in situ conservation of species in natural habitats, management of nature reserves, rewilding and reclamation of degraded ecosystems, ex situ conservation in zoos and botanic gardens and storage of germ plasm in seed or tissue banks.
- Management of natural reserves: establishment and management of protected natural areas like national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves to protect species in their habitats.
- In situ conservation: maintaining the wilderness of natural habitats by having as little human intervention as possible to preserve the integrity of the ecosystem.
- Storage of germ plasm in seed or tissue banks: preserving genetic material (pollen, seeds, sperm, eggs) at low temperatures to aid in future restoration or breeding programs.
- Ex situ conservation: moving animals or plants to zoos, botanical gardens, and aquaria if their natural habitats have become too harsh (many predators, strong competition, etc.).
- Rewilding and reclamation of degraded ecosystems: reintroducing native species and rehabilitating habitats to reinstate ecological processes.
A4.2.8—Selection of evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species for conservation prioritization in the EDGE of Existence programme
- Students should understand the rationale behind focusing conservation efforts on evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species (EDGE).
to ensure that irreplaceable biodiversity is not lost.
