Classification, biodiversity and conservation: Practice Questions

Which taxonomic rank represents the most inclusive group in the Eukarya domain within the standard taxonomic hierarchy?

In an ecological survey of a rocky shore, a student recorded the following data for two different sites to calculate Simpson’s Index of Diversity \( (D) \):

Site A: 5 species present, with almost equal numbers of individuals per species.
Site B: 5 species present, but 95% of the individuals belong to just one species.

Which statement correctly compares the biodiversity of these two sites based on the assessment of species richness and species evenness?

A student sampled the macroinvertebrate populations in two separate ponds, Pond X and Pond Y, to assess their biodiversity. Each pond contained exactly three species, and 50 individuals were counted in total for each pond. The distribution of individuals is as follows:

Pond X: Species 1 = 40; Species 2 = 5; Species 3 = 5
Pond Y: Species 1 = 17; Species 2 = 17; Species 3 = 16

Simpson’s Index of Diversity (\(D\)) is calculated using the formula: \(D = 1 - \sum \left( \frac{n}{N} \right)^2 \). Which statement is correct?

Which taxonomic rank represents the most specific level of classification within the Eukarya domain hierarchy before the species level is reached?

A biologist is comparing the cell structures of two different organisms. One belongs to the domain Archaea and the other to the domain Bacteria.

Which characteristic would be found in both of these organisms?

State two structural differences between organisms classified in the domain Archaea and those in the domain Bacteria.

A researcher is assessing the biodiversity of a grassland area. Explain why using Simpson’s Index of Diversity (D) provides a more accurate measure of biodiversity than simply counting the total number of different species present.

In an ecological study investigating the impact of human trampling on a grassland, a researcher measures the Simpson’s Index of Diversity (\( D \)) at various distances from a public footpath. The data collected for species richness and evenness is found to be non-normally distributed. Explain why Spearman’s rank correlation is more appropriate than Pearson’s linear correlation for this analysis, and describe what a calculated value of \( r_s = +0.87 \) indicates about the relationship between distance from the path and biodiversity.

(a) Explain what is meant by the three-domain system of classification and name the three domains into which all organisms are classified.

(b) State two structural differences between the organisms found in the domain Archaea and those in the domain Eukarya.

(c) Scientists use different concepts to define what constitutes a species. Contrast the morphological species concept with the ecological species concept.

A student used a frame quadrat to estimate the population of a specific plant species in two different fields. To compare the biodiversity of these areas, Simpson’s Index of Diversity (D) was calculated using the formula:
\( D = 1 - \left( \sum \left( \frac{n}{N} \right)^2 \right) \)

(a) Explain what the values \( n \) and \( N \) represent in this formula.

(b) In Field A, the value of \( D \) was calculated as 0.85. In Field B, the value was 0.25. State which field has higher biodiversity and explain what a high value of \( D \) indicates about the stability of an ecosystem.

(c) Describe how the student could use a belt transect to assess the distribution of plants across a gradient, such as from the edge of a forest to the center of a field.