Biodiversity

• What is biodiversity?

  The variety of living organisms.
• How can biodiversity be measured?

  In terms of species diversity, habitat diversity, and genetic diversity.
• What is species richness?

  The number of species in an area.
• What is species evenness?

  Whether species have similar numbers.
• What are the different types of sampling methods?

  • Random: No particular system, aim is to be representative.
  • Opportunistic: Those encountered first are chosen.
  • Stratified: Population divided into smaller groups based on a characteristic, then sampled.
  • Systematic: Follows a particular pattern.
• Why is sampling important in biodiversity studies?

  It allows us to investigate the population easily since studying the whole population is impractical.
• How is Simpson’s Index of Diversity used?

  • Measures the total number of organisms compared to the total number of organisms of each species.
  • A high index indicates several different species are equally abundant.
  • A low index indicates one or two species dominate over others.
• How can we assess genetic diversity?

  By calculating the proportion of polymorphic gene loci as $\frac{\text{number of polymorphic gene loci}}{\text{total number of loci}}$.
• What are some factors that affect biodiversity?

  • Population growth
  • Deforestation for agriculture
  • Climate change affecting habitats
• What are reasons to maintain biodiversity?

  • Ecological: Protecting species, maintaining resources.
  • Economic: Reducing soil depletion.
  • Aesthetic: Protecting landscapes.
• What is the definition of conservation?

  The protection and management of species and habitats to maintain biodiversity.
• What are examples of in-situ conservation?

  • Marine conservation zones
  • Wildlife reserves
• What are examples of ex-situ conservation?

  • Seed banks
  • Botanic gardens
  • Zoos
• What are some agreements made to protect species and habitats?

  • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
  • Rio Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
  • Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS)
• What is the definition of classification?

  The process of naming and organising organisms into groups based on their characteristics.
• What are the eight groups in the classification hierarchy, from largest to smallest?

  • Domain
  • Kingdom
  • Phylum
  • Class
  • Order
  • Family
  • Genus
  • Species
• What are the two components of a binomial name?

  Generic name and specific name.
• What does the generic name in a binomial name represent?

  The genus the organism belongs to.
• What does the specific name in a binomial name represent?

  The species the organism belongs to.
• What is the advantage of the binomial naming system?

  It is universal; an organism’s binomial name is the same everywhere in the world.
• What are the five kingdoms and three domains?

  Kingdoms:

  • Prokaryote
  • Protoctista
  • Fungi
  • Plantae
  • Animalia

  
  

  Domains:

  • Bacteria
  • Archaea
  • Eukaryota
• How are organisms classified into a kingdom?


  Based on similarities in observable characteristics.
• How was the domain system of classification developed?

  By analysing molecular differences between organisms to determine their evolutionary relationships.
• What is the difference between classification and phylogeny?

  Classification is sorting organisms into groups, while phylogeny investigates evolutionary relationships.
• Explain how natural selection results in evolution.

  • Random mutations result in new alleles.
  • Some alleles provide an advantage against selection pressures.
  • Individuals with advantageous alleles are more likely to survive and reproduce.
  • Their offspring inherit the new allele, leading to evolution of new characteristics.
• How did Darwin and Wallace contribute to the theory of evolution?

  They observed that birds with beak shapes suited to their food are more likely to survive and pass on those traits.
• What are some pieces of evidence for the theory of evolution?

  • Fossils allow comparison of extinct and modern organisms.
  • Genomic DNA sequencing shows relationships to primates.
  • Molecular evidence shows proteins are composed of the same 20 amino acids in all organisms.
• What causes variation in organisms?

  Variation is caused by genetic factors like mutations and environmental factors like climate and diet.
• What is the difference between intraspecific and interspecific variation?

  Intraspecific variation is within the same species, while interspecific variation is between different species.
• What is the difference between continuous and discontinuous variation?

  Continuous variation exists as gradual changes, while discontinuous variation exists as distinct categories.
• Why might we calculate a Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient?

  To measure correlation between two variables and how one variable affects the other.
• How are Spearman’s rank results interpreted?

  Closer to 1 indicates a positive correlation, closer to -1 indicates a negative correlation, and around 0 indicates no correlation.
• What are three types of adaptation? Give examples of each.

  • Anatomical: changes to body structure (e.g., oily fur).
  • Physiological: changes to bodily processes (e.g., venom production).
  • Behavioural: changes to actions (e.g., hibernation).
• Why might organisms from different taxonomic groups show similar features?

  Because they adapted to similar environments despite being from different continents.
• What are some implications of evolution for humans?

  • Bacterial antibiotic resistance makes infections harder to treat.
  • Pesticide resistance can lead to crop destruction.