classification and biodiversity

• Biodiversity

  The total number and variety of species in a given area
• Studying biodiversity

  1. Using sampling techniques

  2. Classifying organisms according to morphological features
• Five kingdoms

  • Animal
  • Plant
  • Fungi
  • Protoctists (single-celled organisms)
  • Bacteria
• Animal kingdom

  • Vertebrates (animals with a backbone)
  • Invertebrates (animals without a backbone)
• Plant kingdom

  • Flowering plants
  • Non-flowering plants
• There are millions of different species on the planet
• Scientists try to group similar organisms together so that they are easier to identify
• As you move down the groups, they get smaller and the organisms have more features in common
• Biodiversity

  The total number and variety of species in a given area
• Studying biodiversity

  1. Using sampling techniques

  2. Classifying organisms according to morphological features
• Species

  Related organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring
• Classification of organisms

  1. Kingdom

  2. Phylum

  3. Class

  4. Order

  5. Family

  6. Genus

  7. Species
• Binomial system

  Naming organisms using their genus and species
• The binomial system uses Latin names to avoid confusion with common names
• The genus name comes first and can be abbreviated, the species name follows in lowercase
• Organisms with the same genus name are closely related
• Morphological adaptation

  A structural change which gives an organism a greater chance of survival in its habitat
• Behavioural adaptation

  The way an organism reacts to its environment which aids its survival
• an endangered species means that the numbers of a certain species found in the wild are decreasing and it may become extinct
• Ways to conserve and protect biodiversity and endangered species

  • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
  • Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
  • Captive breeding programmes
  • National parks
  • Seed/sperm banks
  • Local biodiversity action plans
• Biodiversity

  The total number and variety of species in a given area
• Biodiversity

  • Can be studied using sampling techniques
  • Organisms can be classified according to morphological features
• Collecting data - quadrats

  1. Measure out an area to be surveyed

  2. Use a random method to collect coordinates for the vertical and horizontal axes

  3. Select the first coordinate and move that distance along the x-axis

  4. Select the second coordinate and move that distance along the y-axis

  5. Place your quadrat where the coordinates meet
• Quadrat

  A 1 m2 frame, usually made of wood, that may contain wires to mark off smaller areas inside
• Organisms underneath, usually plants, can be identified and counted using a quadrat
• Quadrats may also be used for slow-moving animals, eg slugs and snails
• The more samples that are taken, the more valid the results will be
• It is important to use techniques which randomise each sample to avoid bias
• Estimating population size

  Total grass plants found in sample x (Total area (m2) / Total area sampled (m2))
• Transect

  A line across a habitat or part of a habitat, used to investigate a gradual change in the habitat
• Using a transect

  Observe and record the number of organisms of each species at regular intervals along the transect
• Quadrat

  A square frame of known area used for sampling the abundance and distribution of slow or non-moving organisms
• Zonation

  A gradual change in the distribution of species across a habitat, due to a gradual change in an abiotic (non-living) factor
• Decrease in grass plants along a transect

  Indicates the presence of a well-used footpath
• Estimating percentage cover of moss in a quadrat

  Count the number of sections in the quadrat covered by moss, divide by the total number of sections and multiply by 100
• Biodiversity

  The total number and variety of species in a given area
• Biodiversity

  • Can be studied using sampling techniques
  • Organisms can be classified according to morphological features
• Biodiversity is important for humans as a source of food, industrial materials and the potential for new medicines
• Population numbers of organisms are constantly fluctuating due to competition for resources, predation, disease, and pollution
• Biological control

  The control of a pest by the introduction of a natural enemy or predator