biodiversity

• 3 levels of diversity

  species diversity, ecosystem diversity, genetic diversity
• species

  a group of morphologically similar organisms capable of interbreeding to produce fertile offspring
• biological species concept

  a species=a group of organisms whose members have the potential to interbreed and produce viable, fertile offspring
• limitation of biological species concept

  hybrid organisms dont survive well outside hybrid restricted zones
• conservation perspective (under limitations of biological species concept)

  legislation only identifies species to be conserved, not hybrids (hybrids aren't protected)
• morphological species concept

  morphology is used to identify species
• ecosystem

  interacting community of populations of organisms and the physical environment they live in
• physical environments

  biotic factors, abiotic factors, nutrient cycling within ecosystem
• development of ecosystem concept

  life on earth is connected through the cycling of nutrients and the transformation of energy through food webs
• development of ecosystem concept

  one organism can affect more than one ecosystem
• genetic diversity

  mix of different genes that exist in populations and the more genetic diversity, the more resilience
• phylogenetic species concept

  smallest group of organisms who can all trace their origins to a single common ancestor
• components of ecosystems tightly linked by:

  nutrient cycling and raw materials
• why we measure biodiversity

  sustainability management, culling management and management of introduced species
• spatial scales

  space being occupied; distribution of the individual in a species
• spacial patterns are studied to understand the extent (size of an area) and distribution of all the individuals in a species (the species biodiversity)
• random dispersion

  there is no pattern in an organism's distribution
• uniform dispersion

  organisms are evenly distributed in an area
• clumped dispersion

  organisms are distributed in groups
• temporal scales

  study of biodiversity over a period of time
• temporal scales are used to monitor populations/biodiversity over certain periods of time
• why we classify organisms

  organises information to identify patterns and trends/similarities and differences between organisms, to better observe relationships between organisms and to communicate between biologists
• 6 kingdoms

  animalia, plantae, fungi, protista, archaea, bacteria
• eukaryotes

  contain DNA within a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles
• prokaryotes

  no nucleus or membrane-bound organelles
• classification based on characteristics

  physical characteristics, methods of reproduction and molecular sequences (comparing DNA and amino acids)
• animalia is made up of organisms that share phylogeny, morphology and molecular data
• Porifera (sponges)


  asymmetrical, body is multicellular, cells and tissues surround a water-filled space but there is no true body cavity, reproduces sexually or asexually, all are sessile
• Cnidaria (jellyfish, sea anemones and corals)


  radially symmetrical, gastrovascular cavity with a single opening, reproduce sexually or asexually, simple, net-like nervous system
• Platyhelminthes (flatworms)


  bilateral symmetrical, gastrovascular cavity with single opening, body has three layers of tissues, with organs, a flattened body shape
• Mollusca (molluscs)


  bilateral symmetry, body without cavity, use muscular foot for locomotion, open circulatory system with heart and aorta
• Annelida (segmented worms)


  bilaterally symmetrical, body has more than two cell layers, tissues and organs, body cavity, nervous system and closed circulatory system
• Nematoda (roundworms)


  bilaterally symmetrical, cylindrical morphology, body covered by tough cuticles, digestive system, no circulatory system
• Arthropoda (arthropods)


  bilaterally symmetrical, segmented, hard exoskeleton, jointed appendages, 3-400+ pairs of jointed legs
• Echinodermata (starfish)


  radial symmetry, body has more than two cell layers, tissues and organs, thin epidermis covering exoskeleton
• Chordata (chordates)


  pharyngeal slits, dorsal nerve chord, notochord, post-anal tail, 90% are vertebrates, closed circulatory system, bilaterally symmetrical
• vertebrates

  fish, amphibian, reptilia, birds, mammals
• mammals

  monotreme (lay eggs), marsupial (young develops in pouch), placental (foetus develops in mum)
• plantae

  members of the plant kingdom are eukaryotic, mainly terrestrial and photosynthetic
• bryophytes (mosses)