Biodiversity and conservationEdexcel A-Level Biology B: Flashcards

Exam questions on Biodiversity and conservation

1. Students sampled ground-dwelling invertebrates in Woodland A. They found six species and recorded the number of individuals of each: 12, 6, 4, 3, 3 and 2. They used the index of diversity, D = N(N-1) / sum of n(n-1), where N is the total number of individuals and n is the number of individuals of each species.
   Woodland B also has six species and 30 individuals, but 22 of the individuals belong to one species. Without calculating, state whether D for Woodland B is higher or lower than for Woodland A and explain why.2 marks
2. Cheetahs went through a population bottleneck in the past and now all living cheetahs are very closely related. Studies show very little variation in their alleles. Many males produce abnormal sperm, many cubs die young, and conservationists fear that a single new disease could spread through almost the whole population.
   Zoos run a captive breeding programme for cheetahs. Suggest how the programme could maintain as much genetic diversity as possible.2 marks
3. A tropical rainforest on an island contains thousands of species. One plant species in it, the rosy periwinkle, is the source of vincristine, a drug used to treat leukaemia. The forest is used by local people for timber and food, absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide, regulates local rainfall and attracts tourists. The government is considering clearing part of the forest to grow oil palms.
   Explain the economic reasons for maintaining the biodiversity of the rainforest.3 marks