Biodiversity
Contents
Key Stage 3
Meaning
Biodiversity is the amount of genetic variation within species and between different species. The more genetic variation, the greater the biodiversity.
About Biodiversity
- Biodiversity between different species is important to maintain complex food webs. When one species in a food web becomes extinct it can cause many others to become extinct.
- Biodiversity within a species is important to help a species produce healthy and fertile offspring. If a species is reduced to close family members their offspring can be deformed or inherit genetic conditions.
- To help preserve biodiversity scientists have created gene banks where sperm, eggs and seed from many different species are stored.
Examples
- Most Labradors have bad hips because they are all descended from a small number of dogs. They don't have enough biodiversity breed with another labrador with better hips pass on those better hips.
- There are so few pandas left in China there is very little biodiversity. That means if one of them has a genetic condition that makes them unhealthy, this condition will be passed on to most of the pandas in the next few generations, making it even harder for them to survive.
Key Stage 4
Meaning
Biodiversity is the amount of genetic variation within species and between different species. The more genetic variation, the greater the biodiversity.
About Biodiversity
- Biodiversity within a species is important to help a species produce healthy and fertile offspring.
- Greater biodiversity in a species means there will be greater variation in that species. If the ecosystem changes then a species with greater variation can evolve more quickly and the species is more likely to survive.
- If a species is reduced to close family members their offspring can be deformed or inherit genetic conditions.
Extra Information
References
AQA
- Biodiversity, page 91-94, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Biodiversity, pages 103, 107, 108, 111, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA
- Biodiversity, pages 116-119, GCSE Biology; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Biodiversity, pages 270, 280-2, GCSE Biology, Hodder, AQA
- Biodiversity, pages 275, 280, 281, 284, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Biology, CGP, AQA
- Biodiversity, pages 286-311, GCSE Biology; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
- Biodiversity, pages 323-5, 362-5, GCSE Biology; Student Book, Collins, AQA
- Biodiversity, pages 340, 345, 346, 349, GCSE Biology, CGP, AQA
- Biodiversity; maintenance of, page 119, GCSE Biology; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Biodiversity; maintenance of, page 94, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA
- Biodiversity; Maintenance of, pages 110-12, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA
- Biodiversity; maintenance of, pages 284, 285, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Biology, CGP, AQA
- Biodiversity; maintenance of, pages 349, 350, GCSE Biology, CGP, AQA
Edexcel
- Biodiversity and humans, pages 134-135, GCSE Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel
- Biodiversity, pages 293-295, GCSE Biology, CGP, Edexcel
- Biodiversity, pages 69, 70, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Biodiversity, pages 99, 100, GCSE Biology; The Revision Guide, CGP, Edexcel
- Biodiversity, preserving, pages 136-137, GCSE Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel
- Biodiversity; and humans, pages 190-191, GCSE Biology, Pearson, Edexcel
- Biodiversity; preserving, pages 192-193, GCSE Biology, Pearson, Edexcel
OCR
- Biodiversity, pages 184-191, Gateway GCSE Biology, Oxford, OCR
- Biodiversity, pages 62-64, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
- Biodiversity, pages 75, 81-84, Gateway GCSE Biology; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
- Biodiversity; maintenance of, page 64, Gateway GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR
- Biodiversity; maintenance of, page 83, Gateway GCSE Biology; The Revision Guide, CGP, OCR