Classification and Biodiversity

• Predator- An animal that hunts and eats another for food
• Prey- An animal that is eaten by a predator
• Pest- An organism that eats a crop plant
• Native Species- An organism that lives in the country
• Alien Species- An organism introduced into a country in which it does not normally live
• Invasive Species- An alien organism that has had a negative effect on the native species.
• Biological Control- The use of one organism to control the population size of another species by eating it. A lot of research is needed to ensure that any alien species introduced into a habitat does not become invasive or have a negative effect on non-targeted species.
• Measuring the distribution of plants can be carried out using quadrats set in a line 1m apart. This will give you an idea of how plant life changes along a particular route e.g. Along a seashore. This is called a transect.
• Scientific names are used as they are universal. Language barriers or the use of common names for organisms could be confusing
• There are 5 kingdoms: animals, plants, fungi, single celled organisms, and bacteria. This used morphological features
• Interspecific competition is competition between different species.
• Intraspecific competition is competition between members of the same species.
• All organisms compete for survival. Animals compete for: food, territory and mates. Plants compete for: light, water and minerals.
• Other than competition, the size of a population is changed by: Predation, pollution or disease
• Biodiversity- the variety of different species and numbers of individuals within those species in an area.
• Biodiversity is important as it provides: A diverse range of food and potential food, industrial materials, new medicines and enhanced human well-being as being outdoors in nature can increase happiness.
• Biodiversity can be conserved by: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), captive breeding programmes, national parks, seed and sperm banks and local biodiversity action plans.
• Total population= Total in sample x total area/ sample area (m/2)
• Population size= no. in 1st sample x no. in 2nd sample/ number marked in 2nd sample
• It is important to take a random sample of an area to avoid collecting biased data. A larger sample will give a valid estimate of the number of plants in the area.
• Organisms have morphological and behavioural adaptions which enable them to survive in their environment. Morphological refers to what an organism looks like e.g. its shape and size.
• Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus and Species
• Measuring the biodiversity of animals can not be achieved using quadrats as animals may move quickly out of the area.
• When using capture-recapture data, assumptions made include: no death, immigration or emigration and that marking technique does not affect chances of survival
• Capture/recapture technique- Firstly, carefully collect organisms found in the area without trampling habitat or leaving litter. Then, mark the organisms and return them to the same area they were collected from. Leave time for organisms to reintegrate into their community. Return and again collect as many organisms as found, collect as those already marked and unmarked samples.
• Plants can be flowering like daisies, roses and dandelions and non-flowering like mosses and ferns. Animals can be vertebrates (have a backbone) like snakes, birds and humans and invertebrates like insects and spiders.
• Quadrat - First measure the area and form a grid, take two random numbers and use them as co-ordinates for the quadrat. Or, randomly throw a quadrat. Count the different species and the number of each in each quadrat. Take a mean number of each species of plants from all the quadrats collected.
• • The F1 generation is the first generation of offspring produced from two parent organisms
  • The F2 generation is the offspring produced when two individuals from the F1 generation are crossed
• Self-fertilisation or selfing- When the male and female gametes of the same organism fuse to make a zygote e.g. in plants
• Invasive species may grow faster than native species and upset the natural ecosystem, native species may be unable to compete with them.
• Behavioural adaptations- hibernation, migration to warmer climates and living in groups
• Morphological adaptations- white fur to be camouflaged against the snow, small ears, large body mass and thick fur. Opposite for animals living in hot places.
• Legislation- Creating protected areas such as SSSIs preserves local wildlife but restricts further development including agriculture. This could cause problems for farmers who need to make profit.
• Abundance- how many individuals you find in an area
• Distribution- where an organism is found in a habitat
• Biological control is safer than some pesticides and can have a longer lasting effect