Cambridge Pre-U Syllabus - Cambridge International Examinations

40
5.2 Measuring and conserving biodiversity
Content
Biodiversity
Sampling techniques as ecological tools
Principles of conserving biodiversity
The species-area concept
Integrated management strategies
Cambridge Pre-U Draft
Learning outcomes
Candidates should be able to:
a) explain what is meant by biodiversity with reference to different levels; ecosystem, community, species
and genetic;
b) use, or interpret secondary data from, quantitative and qualitative techniques for measuring biodiversity
and abundance, including diversity indices, percentage cover, species density, direct counts, relative
abundance scales (e.g. ACFORN)
c) explain how to estimate population size using mark-release-recapture and the Lincoln index
d) discuss the importance of conservation and the types of information needed to inform conservation
strategies
e) explain the concept of the keystone species and discuss the consequences of the loss of such species
on biodiversity
f) discuss the importance of conserving biodiversity for social, ethical, medical, economic and
environmental reasons
g) outline the species-area concept in terms of the positive correlation between the species-richness of an
ecosystem and its area.
h) discuss the implications of the species-area concept in conservation strategies including the danger of
habitat fragmentation and the importance of corridors
i) discuss the SLOSS debate [Single Large Or Several Small reserves]
Practical learning outcomes
Candidates should be able to:
i) undertake an ecological survey of at least one ecosystem using appropriate methods, such as open and
grid quadrats, point quadrats, line transect, belt transect and methods for measuring abiotic factors
ii) determine the diversity of an ecosystem by calculating Simpson’s index of diversity or another
appropriate index
iii) determine the population of a small animal using the mark, release recapture method and calculate the
Lincoln index (alternatively this may be modelled)