Biodiversity

• What is biodiversity?

  The variety of living organisms
• How has biodiversity changed over time?

  It has become more extensive but is threatened
• What human activities threaten biodiversity?

  Deforestation, agriculture, and climate change
• What are the two main ways to measure biodiversity?

  • Species richness
  • Species evenness
• What does species richness refer to?

  The number of different species in a community
• How can species richness be measured?

  By counting the number of species present
• What is random sampling?

  A method to obtain a representative sample
• What is systematic sampling?

  A method where a pattern is followed
• What is an example of systematic sampling?

  A transect where samples are taken at intervals
• What is opportunistic sampling?

  A method based on ease of access
• What is stratified sampling?

  A method where populations are subdivided into strata
• What is species evenness?

  A comparison of abundance of different species
• What does genetic diversity measure?

  The genetic variation in a species
• How is genetic diversity determined?

  By calculating the heterozygosity index (H)
• What does a higher heterozygosity index (H) indicate?

  More genetically diverse species
• What is the formula for heterozygosity index (H)?

  H = number of heterozygotes / number of individuals
• What is the index of diversity (D)?

  A measure of biodiversity
• How is the index of diversity (D) calculated?

  D = N - n

  
• Why is maintaining biodiversity important?

  For ecological, economic, and aesthetic reasons
• What are in situ conservation methods?

  • Marine conservation zones
  • Wildlife reserves
• What are ex situ conservation methods?

  • Zoos
  • Seed banks
  • Botanic gardens
• How do zoos contribute to conservation?

  By conserving endangered species and genetic diversity
• What is the purpose of scientific research in zoos?

  To study behavior and improve breeding success
• What are captive breeding programmes?

  Breeding endangered species to increase diversity
• What do reintroduction programmes aim to achieve?

  To release captive-bred animals into the wild
• What is the goal of education programmes in zoos?

  To educate about biodiversity and conservation
• What is the purpose of seed banks?

  To conserve genetic diversity of plants
• Why are seeds stored instead of plants?

  It conserves more species and saves space
• How are seeds stored for conservation?

  In cool, dry conditions to maximize viability
• What are the historic agreements for biodiversity conservation?

  • CITES
  • CBD
  • CSS
• Why is international cooperation needed for biodiversity conservation?

  To address global threats to biodiversity
• What is classification in biology?

  The process of naming and organizing organisms
• Into how many kingdoms can organisms be grouped?

  Five kingdoms
• What are the five kingdoms of organisms?

  Animals, plants, fungi, prokaryotes, protoctists
• What is the binomial system of naming species?

  Two-part name: genus and species
• What is molecular phylogeny?

  Analysis of molecular differences for evolution
• What data does molecular phylogeny analyze?

  DNA sequences, RNA sequences, protein structure