Topic 3

Question 1

What is biodiversity?

Answer 1

The total diversity of living systems, including species diversity, habitat diversity, and genetic diversity.

Question 2

What is species diversity?

Answer 2

Species diversity in communities is a product of two variables: the number of species (richness) and their relative proportions (evenness).

Question 3

What is habitat diversity?

Answer 3

Habitat diversity refers to the range of different habitats in an ecosystem or biome.

Question 4

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 4

Genetic diversity refers to the range of genetic material present in a population of a species.

Question 5

What does endemic mean?

Answer 5

Native or restricted to a particular area.

Example: The Bali Starling is found only on the island of Bali. It is endemic to Bali.

Question 6

What is evolution?

Answer 6

A gradual change in the genetic character of populations over many generations, achieved largely through natural selection.

Question 7

What is natural selection?

Answer 7

An evolutionary driving force, sometimes called ‘survival of the fittest’, where ‘fitness’ means best-suited to the niche.

Question 8

What are the stages of natural selection?

Answer 8

1) Variation exists and there is overproduction; 2) Some individuals are fitter than others; 3) Fitter individuals reproduce more successfully; 4) Offspring inherit advantageous genes.

Question 9

What is speciation?

Answer 9

The formation of new species when populations of a species become isolated and evolve differently.

Question 10

What causes isolation of populations?

Answer 10

Barriers such as mountain formation, changes in rivers, sea level change, climatic change, or plate movements.

Question 11

What are plate tectonics?

Answer 11

The surface of the Earth is divided into crustal, tectonic plates that have moved throughout geological time, creating land bridges and barriers.

Question 12

What are the causes of mass extinction?

Answer 12

Tectonic plate movements, super-volcanic eruptions, climatic changes, and meteorite impacts.

Question 13

What is biogeography?

Answer 13

The study of the distribution of species and their evolution in relation to geographical distribution.

Question 14

What is disjunct distribution?

Answer 14

When one species or sister species are distributed in two very different locations, e.g., New Zealand and Chile.

Question 15

What is a plume?

Answer 15

A location where a column of magma rises up to the surface, not associated with a plate boundary.

Question 16

What is the core?

Answer 16

The center of the Earth.

Question 17

What is the mantle?

Answer 17

Molten rock between the core and the crust of the Earth’s surface.

Question 18

What is the asthenosphere?

Answer 18

The upper part of the mantle that acts like a molten plastic.

Question 19

What is the crust?

Answer 19

The cooled rock that floats on the mantle, divided into plates.

Question 20

What is palaeontology?

Answer 20

The study of fossils.

Question 21

What is geomorphology?

Answer 21

The study of the shapes of the Earth’s surface.

Question 22

What are ratites?

Answer 22

Ostrich-like birds that share a common ancestor, including rhea, emu, kiwi, cassowary, and extinct elephant birds and moa.

Question 23

What is adaptive radiation?

Answer 23

A group of closely related species that have rapidly evolved from one common ancestor, usually on islands with empty niches.

Question 24

What is a biodiversity hotspot?

Answer 24

A biogeographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction.

Question 25

What are invasive species?

Answer 25

A species not native to an area that is causing problems for local species.

Question 26

What human activities cause species extinctions?

Answer 26

Habitat destruction, introduction of invasive species, pollution, overharvesting, hunting, and climate change.

Question 27

What factors are considered for the Red List?

Answer 27

Population size, degree of specialisation, distribution, reproductive potential and behaviour, geographic range, degree of fragmentation, quality of habitat, trophic level, and probability of extinction.

Question 28

What does extinct mean?

Answer 28

No longer survives on Earth.

Question 29

What does extinct in the wild mean?

Answer 29

Only survives in zoos or botanic gardens.

Question 30

What does threatened mean?

Answer 30

An umbrella term for Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable species.

Question 31

What are the causes of tropical deforestation?

Answer 31

Over-intensive shifting cultivation, timber extraction, over-collection of fuelwood, encroachment by landless farmers, and clearance for pasture or crops.

Question 32

What are the arguments for species and habitat preservation?

Answer 32

Aesthetic, ecological, economic, ethical, and social reasons.

Question 33

What are governmental organizations in conservation?

Answer 33

Examples include UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme).

Question 34

What are non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in conservation?

Answer 34

International examples include WWF and Greenpeace; community-based examples include Palani Hills Conservation Council or Vatakanal Trust.

Question 35

What factors compare the effectiveness of conservation organizations?

Answer 35

Use of media, speed of response, diplomatic constraints, financial resources, and political influence.

Question 36

What is the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)?

Answer 36

First signed in Rio at the Earth Summit (1992), it uses an ecosystem approach for resource management.

Question 37

What is the precautionary principle?

Answer 37

Where there is a threat of significant reduction or loss of biological diversity, lack of full scientific certainty should not delay measures to minimize such a threat.

Question 38

What is the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)?

Answer 38

The strategy outlines how a country intends to fulfill the objectives of the CBD, while the action plan comprises concrete actions to achieve these goals.

Question 39

What was the 2010 Biodiversity Convention?

Answer 39

To achieve a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss globally, regionally, and nationally by 2010.

Question 40

What are the conservation approaches?

Answer 40

Habitat conservation, species conservation, or a mixed approach.

Question 41

What are the criteria for designing protected areas?

Answer 41

Size, shape, edge effects, corridors, and proximity to potential human influence.

Question 42

What are edge effects?

Answer 42

The effects of human impact around the boundaries of a protected area, where a circular shape is optimal to reduce edge.

Question 43

What are habitat/wildlife corridors?

Answer 43

Zones that link together protected areas, which can be physical bridges or wildlife-friendly zones.

Question 44

What is CITES?

Answer 44

Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, aimed at preventing extinction due to international trade.

Question 45

What are captive breeding programmes?

Answer 45

Designed to save surviving species, ideally for subsequent release back into the wild.

Question 46

What are reintroduction programmes?

Answer 46

Following captive breeding, a species may be released into the wild to form or supplement a wild population.

Question 47

What are charismatic species/flagship species?

Answer 47

Species used for publicity to promote the protection of an area, thus protecting many other species.

Question 48

What are keystone species?

Answer 48

Species that maintain the structure and integrity of an ecological community, having a larger influence than others.

Question 49

What are economic arguments for preservation?

Answer 49

Include ecotourism, financial benefits of bioprospecting, and the value of ecosystem services.

Question 50

What are ethical arguments for preservation?

Answer 50

Intrinsic value of the species or utilitarian value.

Question 51

What are aesthetic arguments for preservation?

Answer 51

The value derived from seeing and enjoying beauty.

Question 52

What are ecological arguments for preservation?

Answer 52

Include trophic cascades, food chain effects, and ecosystem services.

Question 53

What are social arguments for preservation?

Answer 53

The rights of groups who believe they have a cultural right to preserve certain lands.