Biodiversity & Evolution

Comprehensive flashcards covering biodiversity components, Philippines-specific stats, threats (HIPPO), conservation methods (In-situ vs Ex-situ), and mechanisms of biological evolution including speciation and isolation.

What does the term biodiversity or biological diversity refer to?

It refers to all varieties of life forms (flora and fauna) on Earth, including the relative abundance and richness of different traits, species, and ecosystems.

Define flora and fauna based on the lecture.

Flora refers to plant life, while fauna refers to animals.

What is Functional Diversity?

The biological and chemical processes such as energy flow and matter recycling needed for the survival of species, communities, and ecosystems.

How much of the world's species are found in Tropical Rainforests?

They contain half of the world's species, including approximately $5-10 \text{ million}$ insect species and $40\%$ of the world's $275,000$ flowering plant species.

What is Ecological Diversity?

The variety of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems found in an area or on Earth, such as grasslands, tundras, deserts, and rainforests.

What is Genetic Diversity?

The variety of genetic material within a species or a population, exemplified by different breeds of dogs or varieties of rice and mangoes.

Distinguish between Consumptive and Productive values of biodiversity.

Consumptive value involves biodiversity as a source of global food supply (animals, fish, plants), while Productive value involves commercially usable products like elephant tusks, silk, and wool that are traded in markets.

What are the Social and Ethical values of biodiversity?

Social value involves biodiversity's role in religion and spiritual life, while Ethical value is the pleasure derived from knowing a species exists regardless of its utility.

How is the Philippines characterized in terms of global biodiversity?

It is one of $18$ mega-biodiverse countries, containing two-thirds of the earth's biodiversity and maintaining $5\%$ of the world's flora.

What is the status of species endemism in the Philippines?

Endemism is very high, covering at least $25$ genera of plants and $49\%$ of terrestrial wildlife; the country also ranks fourth in bird endemism.

How many threatened faunal species were listed in the Philippines national list in $2004$?

The list includes $42$ species of land mammals, $127$ species of birds, $24$ species of reptiles, and $14$ species of amphibians.

Who is Edward Osborne Wilson and what acronym did he create for biodiversity threats?

He was a Harvard biologist known as the "father of sociobiology" who created the acronym HIPPO.

What does the LIPPO acronym stand for regarding threats to biodiversity?

Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Pollution, Human overpopulation, and Over-harvesting.

What are the primary factors contributing to habitat loss?

Overpopulation, deforestation, pollution (air, water, and soil), and global warming or climate change.

What are invasive non-native species?

Species non-native to an area that spread quickly (e.g., zebra mussel, Japanese knotweed) and destabilize ecosystems by altering habitats and food webs.

How does intensive farming affect biodiversity?

Through the extensive use of chemical/biological pesticides and the planting of monocultures, which greatly reduces the level of biodiversity in an area.

Name five unique species found in the Philippines listed in the notes.

Tarsier (Bohol), Whaleshark/Butanding (Donsol), Philippine Eagle (Davao), Tamaraw (Mindoro), and the Irrawaddy Dolphin/Lampasut.

Distinguish between In-situ and Ex-situ conservation.

In-situ is the preservation of species within their natural ecosystems (e.g., national parks), while Ex-situ is conservation outside natural habitats (e.g., zoos, botanical gardens, and seed banks).

Define Biological Evolution.

The process whereby Earth's life changes over time through changes in the genetic composition of populations in succeeding generations.

What is Natural Selection?

The process in which individuals with certain traits are more likely to survive and reproduce under a particular set of environmental conditions than those without those traits.

What is the difference between Natural Selection and Adaptation?

Natural selection is a mechanism or cause of evolution, whereas adaptations are the physical or behavioral traits that make an organism better suited to its environment.

How does Genetic Drift contribute to evolution?

Through random fluctuations in the frequency of traits within a population due to chance events, particularly in small populations.

What is Speciation?

The process where one species splits into two or more different species, occurring when a group changes so much it can no longer mate with the original group.

Define Geographic Isolation.

Occurs when different groups of the same population become physically separated by geographic barriers such as rivers, mountains, or bodies of water for a long period.

What is Reproductive Isolation?

Occurs when mutation and natural selection change the gene pools of isolated populations so much that they cannot interbreed even if physical barriers are removed.