BIODIVERSITY
State 3 factors contributing to the biodiversity in an area
Genetic, habitat, species richness/evenness
Define evolution
the change in heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations
State a direct and indirect threat to biodiversity
poaching and habitat loss
State an in-situ and ex-situ conservation strategy
national parks and zoo
When an organism sleeps all winter.
What is hibernation?
Describe what the Simpson’s Diversity Index and its usage
measures ecological biodiversity where it accounts for both species richness (number of species) and evenness
Describe how competition leads to a “struggle for survival” in natural selection.
When species produce more offspring than the environment can support, the carrying capacity may be exceeded. This leads to a struggle for survival, where not all individuals can survive.
Describe Tragedy of the Commons
The Tragedy of the Commons occurs when individuals overuse a shared resource for personal gain. Because everyone acts in their own interest, the resource becomes depleted or damaged, harming the entire community.
A consumer that only eats producers.
What is a primary consumer?
A consumer that eat both plants and animals?
What is an omnivore?
Explain how biodiversity can contribute to the resilience in an ecosystem
Biodiversity allows different species to perform key roles, so ecosystems recover faster and stay stable when disturbances occur.
Explain how advantageous characteristics become more common in a population over generations.
Advantageous traits increase in a population over generations as individuals with them survive and reproduce more.
Explain how overharvesting can lead to the extinction of a species.
Removes individuals faster than a species can reproduce, causing population decline and potentially leading to extinction.
Consumers that only eat other animals
What is a carnivore?
Substances that organisms need for healthy growth, development, and functioning.
What are nutrients?
Distinguish species richness and evenness
Species richness is the number of species in an ecosystem, while species evenness shows how evenly individuals are distributed among them.
Distinguish between genetic variation and selection pressure in the process of natural selection.
Genetic variation is differences between individuals; selection pressure is an environmental factor that favors certain traits.
Distinguish between direct and indirect human threats to biodiversity, giving an example of each.
Direct threats are human actions that immediately reduce species numbers, like poaching. Indirect threats affect biodiversity by altering the environment, such as climate change.
Organisms that break down dead organisms and add nutrients to the soil for plants to use.
what is a decomposer
The ability for a plant to make its own food using sunlight
What is photosynthesis?
To what extent is the IUCN list effective in protecting biodiversity?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List is partly effective because it identifies endangered species and guides conservation efforts. However, it does not enforce protection, so its success depends on how well governments act on its information.
To what extent does natural selection guarantee the survival of the best-adapted individuals in a population?
Natural selection does not fully guarantee survival of the best-adapted individuals. While they have a higher chance of surviving and reproducing, chance events and environmental changes can still affect survival. Less-adapted individuals may also survive and reproduce, so survival is not certain.
To what extent is human activity the main cause of biodiversity loss compared to natural factors?
Human activity is a major cause of biodiversity loss, altering habitats, overexploiting species, and introducing invasive species, with impacts far greater than natural factors.
Evaluate the effectivness of ONE ex-situ conservation
Zoos are a form of ex-situ conservation that are moderately effective. They help prevent extinction through captive breeding, as seen with species like the giant panda, and raise public awareness about conservation. However, their success is limited because animals may struggle to survive if reintroduced into the wild, and issues like inbreeding and captivity welfare can arise. Overall, zoos are useful but work best alongside efforts to protect species in their natural habitats.
A species that is introduced into a new ecosystem that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment.
What is an invasive species?