True or False?
Biodiversity increases further away from the equator.
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True or False?
Biodiversity increases further away from the equator.
False.
Biodiversity decreases further away from the equator (north and south).
Define the term ecosystem.
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (biotic—plants and animals) sharing the environment with non-living (abiotic—light, water, soil, etc.) components.
What does species richness mean?
Species richness means the total number of species in a community. It provides a direct link between biodiversity and the number of species.
State the meaning of genetic diversity.
Genetic diversity is the total amount of genetically different information found within a species.
What is the Living Planet Index (LPI)?
The Living Planet Index (LPI) is a measure of the state of the world's biological diversity based on average changes in the population of vertebrate species from terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats.
Define biome.
A biome is a very large ecosystem on a global scale, such as tropical rainforests, savannahs, or deserts.
What is an indicator species?
An indicator species is a certain species used as an indication of environmental conditions, often used as evidence in the planning and conservation of an area.
True or False?
Approximately 50% of global biodiversity lives within tropical rainforests.
True.
Approximately 50% of global biodiversity lives within tropical rainforests.
Define evenness indices.
Evenness indices show how evenly spread individuals are in a community of different species.
What is the population number in terms of biodiversity?
The population number is the amount of a genetically distinct population within a particular species.
Define ecosystem services.
Ecosystem services are the benefits that humans derive from ecosystems, including provisioning, supporting, cultural and regulating services.
What are provisioning services?
Provisioning services are ecosystem services that provide direct material benefits to humans, such as food, medicines, water and fuel.
True or False?
Cultural services are material benefits provided by ecosystems.
False.
Cultural services are non-material benefits provided by ecosystems, such as spiritual experiences, pleasure, and exercise.
What does the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) suggest?
The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) suggests that economic development initially leads to environmental deterioration, but as economic growth peaks, society turns to improving environmental management and levels of degradation reduce.
What is a limitation of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC)?
A limitation of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) is that pollution is not solely a product of income but is influenced by many factors, such as government regulations, population levels, and a country's level of development.
Define genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques, such as wheat that is resistant to certain moulds or drought-resistant crops.
True or False?
All highly developed economies (HDEs) reduce their environmental degradation post-industrialisation.
False.
Not all highly developed economies (HDEs) reduce their environmental degradation post-industrialisation, particularly if the economy continues to grow.
What does exporting environmental degradation mean?
Exporting environmental degradation refers to the practice of highly developed economies (HDEs) reducing their domestic environmental impact by importing goods from countries with less stringent environmental regulations, effectively shifting the environmental burden to other nations.
What are regulating services?
Regulating services are ecosystem services that regulate ecosystem processes, such as water and air quality and flood regulation.
What are supporting services in the context of ecosystem services?
Supporting services are ecosystem services that underpin the production of all other ecosystem services, such as photosynthesis and nutrient cycling.