IB ESS HL 3.1 Biodiversity and Evolution Question Bank

there was genetic variety in aquatic species/mutations accumulated over years;
b. certain features may have adaptation/advantage for terrestrial existence;
c. individuals with these features could colonize terrestrial habitat;
d. they would be more likely to survive/survival of the fittest/experience less competition (natural selection);
e. they produce offspring like themselves/feature will become more abundant;
f. individuals with feature may be unable to breed with others without feature /speciation occurs / reproductive/geographical barrier will give rise to new terrestrial species;

Diversity:
a. a greater diversity of plant and herbivore species would mean there are more species to take over the role of any that would be lost/creates a more complex food web;
b. a wider variety/diversity set of plant species will support a wider range of herbivores/increase habitat diversity;
c. a wider variety/diversity of plant species will be able to exploit a wider range of abiotic conditions;
d. more plant species/greater plant diversity will be more likely to include species that will survive a change in conditions;
e. a wider variety/diversity plant species will increase interspecific competition resulting in evolution of more species;
f. a wider variety/diversity of herbivorous species will support a wider range of predators;
g. a wider variety/diversity of herbivore species will occupy a wider range of niches adding to the complexity of the system;

Abundance:
h. a greater abundance/larger populations of plant species means greater primary productivity which supports a greater abundance/larger populations of herbivores;
i. a greater abundance/larger populations of plant species is less likely to become extinct from the ecosystem;
j. a greater abundance/larger populations of herbivores will support a greater abundance/larger populations of predators;
k. a greater abundance/larger populations of herbivores will be less likely to become extinct in the ecosystem;