1Biodiversity Defintion
the variety of species and ecosystems
2Genetic Diversity
The number of different alleles possessed by a species.a change to the allele frequency or gene code occurs, a smaller proportion is affected if there are many more alleles compared to only a small amount
3Species Diversity
the number of different species at a particular time in a particular ecosystem
the more species, a change is likely to only affect a small proportion of them rather than the entire or half the population due to different niches and adaptations of abiotic factors.
4Ecosystem Diversity
number of different ecosystems or biomes and the variation between them
5Ecology
the study of plants and animals
6abiotic factors
Non-living factors (e.g., salinity and pH of soil, oxygen percentage, temperature etc.)
7biotic factors
Living factors (interactions with other organisms, predator-prey relationships, competition, symbiosis)
8Distribution
the measure of diversity for where a species is found
9abundance
measure for diversity for how many of a species there is
10Quadrats
Ecological sampling. area marked out with a frame for the purpose of gathering data related to populations of organisms in each area.
11Quadrats useful for
Several quadrats placed randomly around a habit can provide information regarding abundance and density of species (useful for percentage frequency)
12Transects
Line marked out randomly through a habitat. Every organism on the line at regular intervals or within the transect is recorded. Two methods: Line Transects and Belt Transects
13Line Transects
are time efficient and can minimise disturbance to environment however not as precise (only really measures distribution)
14Belt Transects
extend out a specific distance to either side of the line and provide accurate estimations of distribution and abundance.
15Species Richness
number of different species within an area (only informs about distribution)
16Species Evenness
(relative abundance): Tells you how many of a species there is in relation to the total number of individuals.
17Simpsons Diversity Index (SDI)