Key Area 7/8

Question 1

Components of biodiversity

Answer 1

genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity,

Question 2

Genetic diversity

Answer 2

The number and frequency of alleles in a population

Question 3

Species diversity

Answer 3

The number of species (species richness) and the relative abundance of each species in a ecosystem

Question 4

Ecosystem

Answer 4

The number of distinct ecosystems within a defined area

Question 5

What is over exploitation

Answer 5

Overexploitation is when resources are used up quicker than they can be replaced.

Question 6

The Bottleneck Effect

Answer 6

Small populations may lose the genetic variation necessary to enable evolutionary responses to environmental change.

Question 7

Habitat loss, habitat fragments and their impact on species richness

Answer 7

The clearing of habitats has led to habitat fragmentation. Degradation of the edges of the
habitat fragments results in increased competition between species as the fragment becomes smaller. This may result in a decrease in biodiversity.