Biodiversity

What are the 6 abiotic factors?

Wind speed, light intensity, relative humidity, pH, temperature, oxygen content

How is wind speed measured?

By using an anemometer

How is light intensity measured?

Using a light meter

How is relative humidity measured?

Using a humidity sensor

How is pH measured

Using a pH probe

How is temperature measured?

Using a temperature probe or thermometer

How is oxygen content measured?

Using a dissolved oxygen probe

What are the 4 types of sampling theories? Which are random and which are not?

Random: Random coordinates

Non-random: Stratified, systematic and opportunisticsampling.

Explain how a line transect is used.

A line (rope / tape measure) is stretched accross and area and every organism touching it is identified and recorded.

Explain how a belt transect is used.

A line (rope / tape measure) is stretched accross an area and quadrats are placed at regular intervals along it. Organisms inside quadrats are identified and recorded.

How do you interpret Simpson’s index of biodiversity?

The closer D is to 1, the more species rich and even an area is.

What is a genetic bottleneck and what are its effects?

The population decreses dramatically (e.g. due to hunting or disease) and has to be re-established by a few individuals, limitting the number of available alleles and reducing genetic biodiversity.

What is the founder effect?

When a few individuals start a new colony. This reduces biodiversity because there are a limitted number of alleles available and the original sample is non-random.

What is the term for a gene with multiple alleles?

Polymorphic

What are the 3 possible ways a quadrat can be used to measure abundance?

Counting number of individuals, species richness or percentage cover

What does ACFOR stand for?

Abundant, common, frequent, occasional, rare

What are the pros and cons of the ACFOR scale?

Pros: it is fast, simple and easy to interpret

Cons: It is subjective and may be inaccurate

What are the 3 types of biodiversity?

Genetic, habitat and species

What are the 7 sampling methods?

Pooters, sweep nets, kick sampling, point quadrats, frame quadrats, pit fall traps, tree beating

How can sizes of animal populations be measured?

Using capture-mark-release-recapture

What are 3 factors which affect biodiversity?

Agriculture, deforestation and climate change

How does agriculture impact biodiversity?

Monoculture reduces species biodiversity / evenness, hedgerows removed can destroy habitats and wipe out species, pesticides can kill insects and other pests.

How does deforestation impact biodiversity?

Clearing of trees removes habitats and can leave species vulnerable. Some plants are endangered due to being harvested too much.

How does climate change impact biodiversity?

Species cannot adapt to such rapid environmental changes. Migration patterns may be effected, animals on the north and south pole are losing their habitats, coastal areas flood, extreme weather kills animals and plants.

What are the 3 reasons for maintaining biodiversity?

Aesthetic, ecological, economic

What is a keystone species?

A species which has a significant impact on other species in the ecosystem.

What are some examples of in situ conservation?

National parks, Marine conservation zones

What are some examples of ex situ conservation?

Botanical gardens, seed banks, zoos, aquariums, captive breeding programs.

What are the pros of in-situ conservation?

It is much cheaper, animals get to live in their natural habitats, animals usually have more space, genetic biodiversity maintained, maintains interdependent relationships

What are the cons of in-situ conservation?

Plants at risk of being eaten, animals cannot be contained as easily, animals vulnerable to poachers and hunters

What are the pros of ex-situ conservation?

Organisms are better protected, environment can be artificially optimised, can be used to educate the general public, easy to carry out research

What are the cons of ex-situ biodiversity?

Loss of resistance to local diseases, loss of genetic biodiversity, loss of natural behaviours, very expensive

Why are conservation treaties important?

Because animals cross country borders and it is important that they are protected wherever they go.

What are the 3 treaties you need to know?

CITES, CBD, CSS

What does CITES stand for?

Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species.

What does CBD stand for?

The Rio Convention on Biological diversity

What does CSS stand for?

Countryside Stewardship Scheme