15: Types of Biodiversity Flashcards
What are the 3 types of biodiversity?
- species diversity
- genetic diversity
- ecosystem diversity
What is species diversity?
the number of species in a region (species richness)
- important for the function of communities and food webs
What is genetic diversity?
variety of genes among individuals in a species
- allows species to adapt to environmental changes
What is ecosystem diversity?
richness and complexity of a biological community
- provides life sustaining services
What are examples of ecosystem diversity?
number of niches, trophic levels, habitats etc.
What animal lacks genetic diversity?
cheetahs, they are similar genetically
- like twins
Is biodiversity equally distributed around the world?
No
What are biodiversity hotspots?
they are located around the equator, high temperature, a lot of sunlight regions
What is extinction?
occurs when the last member of a species dies
What are mass extinctions?
moments in Earth’s history where many of the existing species have died
How many mass extinctions have there been so far?
5
What is background extinction rate?
extinction rate that is always present, species are becoming extinct all the time
Are we in the middle of a 6th mass extinction?
yes, around 1 million species have been driven to extinction because of humans (ALOT)
What does extant mean?
existing
How many extant species are there?
hard to say, species is a complicated concept and many places on Earth have not been explored
How many species have been identified so far?
1.2 million species
How many species are still to be identified?
perhaps another 10 million species are out there
How does the 6th mass extinction even differ from the others?
- its the first to be caused by a single species (humans)
- it is occurring within only a few decades, not thousands or millions of years
- habitats are being eliminated (no space for recovery)
How much of the Earth’s net productivity do humans use?
40%
