Environmental Science - investigating ecosystems

• What does biodiversity refer to?

  The variety of all living organisms
• Why is biodiversity essential for our planet?

  It is essential for health and functioning
• What is ecosystem diversity?

  Variation in habitats and ecological processes
• How is species diversity measured?

  By the number of different species present
• What does species richness indicate?

  The number of species in a sample
• What is relative abundance?

  How common or rare a species is
• What are qualitative techniques in biodiversity studies?

  • Paired statement key
  • Density
  • Relative abundance
  • Percentage cover
  • Frequency
• What does density measure in ecology?

  Number of individuals per unit area
• What does percentage cover indicate?

  The amount of cover of a species
• How is frequency defined in ecology?

  The chance of finding a species in an area
• What is Simpson’s Diversity Index used for?

  Calculating area diversity for terrestrial species
• What does the Trent Biotic Index measure?

  Water quality using freshwater invertebrates
• What is the Lincoln index used for?

  Estimating population size in capture-mark-recapture
• How is population size estimated using the Lincoln index?

  $\frac{N1 \times N2}{\text{Number marked in 2nd capture}}$
• What is invasive sampling used for?

  Acquiring DNA and physiological measurements
• What is a drawback of invasive sampling?

  It can cause stress and mortality in animals
• What does non-invasive sampling aim to avoid?

  Physical handling of the animals
• What are some methods of non-invasive sampling?

  Hair-traps, scat samples, camera traps
• What abiotic factors are important in aquatic ecosystems?

  • Temperature
  • Water flow rate
  • Dissolved oxygen content
  • Biological oxygen demand (BOD)
  • pH
  • Salinity
  • Tidal effects
• What abiotic factors are important in terrestrial ecosystems?

  • Temperature
  • Light intensity
  • Soil (moisture, pH, nutrients)
  • Wind velocity
  • Precipitation
  • Slope