Module 4 - Biodiversity

Question 1

What is the difference between biodiversity, community and habitat?

Answer 1

Biodiversity = variety of organisms in one area
Community = all populations of different species in a habitat
Habitat = place where all organisms live

Question 2

What is species richness? How is it measured?

Answer 2

The number of different species in a community.

It can be calculated by:
Selecting sampling sites at random
Use of quadr

Question 3

What is a other form of measuring biodiversity and how is it a better method than measuring specie richness?

Answer 3

The index of diversity is a calculation that is used that takes into account the specie richness but also the abundance of each specie.

Question 4

Why is it more useful to calculate an index of diversity that to record species richness

Answer 4

Measures abundance of each species
May be many of some species

Question 5

How is index of diversity calculated? What does each of the symbols mean?

Answer 5

d = N(N-1) / Σ n(n-1)
N = total number of organisms of all species
n = total number of organisms of one species
Σ = 'sum of'

Question 6

How does woodland clearance reduce biodiversity?

Answer 6

It directly destroys the number of tress and therefore the number of habitats which either kills organisms of forces them to migrate to other habitats

Question 7

How does hedgerow removal reduce biodiversity?

Answer 7

Turns lots of smaller farm fields into fewer large farm fields

Question 8

How do pesticides lead to a reduction in biodiversity?

Answer 8

These kill organisms which directly reduces biodiversity. The food chain will be disrupted which causes other organisms to go without food and therefore die too

Question 9

How do herbicides then lead to a reduction in biodiversity?

Answer 9

Chemicals that kill unwanted plants. Reduces plant diversity and also the number of organisms that feed on plants

Question 10

What is monoculture and how does this lead to a reduction in biodiversity?

Answer 10

This is when farmers only have a field of only one plant. This then reduces biodiversity because fewer organisms are being grown which further reduces biodiversity

Question 11

What are 3 examples of protection of biodiversity using schemes

Answer 11

• legal protection to endangered species
• creating protected areas
• Environmental stewardship scheme which encourages farmers to conserve biodiversity

Question 12

Ways in which sampling procedures could be standardised

Answer 12

Same size of area
Same sampling time
Samples taken at same time of day