Biodiversity and Conservation

This set of flashcards covers key concepts and definitions related to biodiversity and conservation, providing a comprehensive review for upcoming exams.

What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity is the total diversity of living systems, encompassing genetic, species, and habitat diversity.

What are the three main levels of biodiversity?

The three main levels of biodiversity are genetic diversity, species diversity, and habitat diversity.

What is ecosystem resilience?

Ecosystem resilience is the capacity of ecosystems to withstand and recover from disruptions.

What are factors that affect the resilience of an ecosystem?

Factors include ecosystem complexity, stage of succession, limiting factors (like nutrient availability), and human impacts.

What are the positive and negative human effects on resilience?

Positive effects include rewilding projects; negative effects include urbanization, agriculture, and deforestation.

What is evolution?

Evolution is the process by which species change over time through mechanisms like natural selection, mutation, genetic drift, and gene flow.

What are the three processes of evolution?

The three key processes of evolution are mutation, natural selection, and speciation.

What is natural selection?

Natural selection is the mechanism driving evolutionary change, where organisms with advantageous traits survive and reproduce.

What are the four main mechanisms of natural selection?

The mechanisms are variation, overproduction, competition, and differential survival and reproduction.

What does evolution by natural selection involve?

It involves variation, overproduction, competition for resources, and differences in adaptation that affect survival and reproduction.

What is speciation?

Speciation is the generation of new species through the process of evolution, often due to isolation.

What is species diversity?

Species diversity is the variety of species in a community, measured by species richness and evenness.

What is Simpson's reciprocal index?

Simpson's reciprocal index (D) is a quantitative measure of species diversity, calculated as D = Σn(n-1) / N(N-1).

Why is biodiversity knowledge important for effective conservation strategies?

It helps identify species at risk, target habitat protection, and develop conservation management approaches.

How does mutation increase genetic diversity?

Mutation creates random changes in DNA, leading to new gene variants that increase genetic diversity within populations.

What is a beneficial, neutral, and harmful mutation?

Beneficial mutations enhance survival, neutral mutations do not affect fitness, and harmful mutations reduce fitness.

How does sexual reproduction increase genetic diversity?

Sexual reproduction creates new combinations of genes, increasing variation within a population.

Why is high genetic diversity important?

High genetic diversity allows populations to adapt better to environmental changes and resist diseases.

How can reproductive isolation be achieved?

Reproductive isolation can be achieved through geographical, behavioral, temporal, and mechanical isolation.

What are the four types of isolation?

Geographical isolation, behavioral isolation, temporal isolation, and mechanical isolation.

What are different types of speciation?

Types of speciation include allopatric, sympatric, and parapatric speciation.

What is endemic and what is island endemism?

Endemic species are found only in one geographical area; island endemism refers to high levels of unique species on isolated islands.

What are biodiversity hotspots?

Biodiversity hotspots are areas with high levels of species richness and endemism that are under threat of extinction.

Why is conservation of biodiversity hotspots important?

Conservation is vital because these areas contain a large proportion of the Earth’s species in a small area.

What human selective pressures force species to adapt or face extinction?

Selective pressures include urbanization, agriculture, climate change, and hunting.

What is artificial selection and how does it differ from natural selection?

Artificial selection is the intentional breeding of organisms for specific traits, while natural selection occurs naturally without human intervention.

What are the positives and negatives of artificial selection?

Positives include increased productivity and enhanced traits; negatives involve reduced genetic diversity and vulnerability to disease.

How many eons, eras, and epochs are there in Earth's geological history?

There are four eons, and the Phanerzoic eon includes three eras and multiple epochs.

What are fossils and why are they important in evolution?

Fossils are preserved remains of ancient organisms, important for understanding life evolution and its changes over time.

What are limitations of fossil records?

Limitations include incomplete fossilization, fragmentation, and the rarity of fossilization for many species.

What is mass extinction and what are some causes?

Mass extinction events lead to the rapid loss of numerous species, often caused by environmental changes such as climate shifts or asteroid impacts.

What is the role of mass extinction in evolution?

Mass extinctions create opportunities for rapid speciation due to the availability of ecological niches.

What is the impact of mass extinctions on speciation?

After mass extinctions, surviving species can rapidly evolve into new species to exploit available resources.

What is the Anthropocene epoch?

The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch characterized by significant human impact on Earth's geology and ecosystems.

What are some characteristics of the Anthropocene?

Key characteristics include climate change, habitat destruction, pollution, and species extinction.

What are some possible start dates of the Anthropocene?

Potential start dates include 1610, the Industrial Revolution, the Great Acceleration in the 1950s, or nuclear testing in the 1960s.

What distinct human activities have left markers in geological strata?

Activities include chemical pollution, plastic use, sedimentary changes, introduction of non-native species, and nuclear testing.