Biodiversity Lecture Notes

Flashcards about Biodiversity

What does 'Bio' mean?

Life

What does 'Diversity' mean?

Variety

Approximately how many living animal species have been described?

Over 1.5 million

What is biodiversity?

The variety of life on Earth and the essential interdependence of all living things.

What are the three components of biodiversity?

Genetic, Species, and Ecosystem diversity

What is genetic diversity?

The genetic variation between members of a species; the variation of alleles within a population of a species.

How does high genetic variation increase the chances of a species surviving?

Those with favorable characteristics will survive by natural selection to reproduce, and these features will become more common in the population.

What conditions contribute to a population's genetic diversity remaining constant?

Large population size; no mutation or equal rates of mutation and reverse mutation; random mating; no migration into or out of the population.

What is species diversity?

The number of different species and the abundance of each species in an area.

Which ecosystems tend to have high species richness?

Marine ecosystems and rainforests

Which regions tend to have low species richness?

Polar regions and high-altitude areas (mountains)

What is the purpose of The Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999?

To protect and manage ecological communities and heritage places to conserve Australian biodiversity.

What is ecosystem diversity?

The variety of different habitats in an ecosystem; the more different habitats, the greater the species diversity.

Why is ecosystem diversity harder to define than species or genetic diversity?

The boundaries of many communities are often fluid as species move to find shelter, food, a mate, or escape a predator.

Name 4 ways to measure Biodiversity.

Species richness, Genetic diversity, Endemic species, Ecosystem diversity

What are endemic species?

Species that occur in one place and nowhere else in the world.

What does it mean if a species is endemic to an area?

It is only found in that location.

What is a biodiversity hotspot?

An area that has several endemic native species.

What are the characteristics of a Biodiversity Hotspot?

Contain at least 1500 species of endemic vascular plants and Have lost at least 70% of its primary native vegetation

What is the South West Australia Ecoregion (SWAE)?

Australia’s only Global Biodiversity Hotspot and is home to a variety of unique flora and fauna species. Also has the highest concentration of endangered species in Australia.

What are the 4 importance of conservation categories?

Provisioning, cultural, supporting and regulating services

What are World Heritage Sites?

Landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance.

What is UNESCO?

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Name 3 of the 5 criteria that constitute a World Heritage Site

Represent a masterpiece of human creativity (cultural). Show an important exchange of human values over time (cultural). Be an outstanding example of a cultural tradition or civilization (cultural). Contain exceptional natural beauty or phenomena (natural). Be a habitat for threatened species or have high biodiversity (natural).

In terms of landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty, what are 3 listed on the UNESCO website?

Ningaloo Coast, Kakadu National Park, Wet Topics of Queensland

Name 3 categories for Importance of Preservation

Conservation & Protection, Scientific & Educational Value, Tourism & Economy

Name 3 threats to landmarks and areas protected under treaty

Deforestation & Habitat Destruction, Urban Development & Pollution, Climate Change

Name 3 concepts that define what a species is

Biological, morphological, and phylogenetic

What defines the biological species concept?

A species as a group of populations that can interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring and are reproductively isolated.

What are the limitations to the Biologcal Species Concpets?

Challenging to apply to species that reproduce asexually or have limited opportunities for interbreeding due to geographical barriers.

What defines the morphological species concept?

A species based on morphological (physical) characteristics, such as size, shape, colouration, and other observable traits.

What are the limitations to the Morphological Species Concpets?

Reliance solely on morphological features can overlook hidden genetic diversity within populations or variations caused by environmental factors.

What defines the phylogenetic species concept?

A species as the smallest group of organisms identified in a phylogenetic tree. Based on patterns of evolutionary relationships and genetic divergence.

What are the limitations to the Phylogenetic Species Concpets?

Based on availability of DNA analysis to compare genetic makeup of contrasting organisms – can be hard for extinct organisms (e.g. fossils).