3.1 Introduction to Biodiversity Flashcards
definition of biodiversity
the variety of life that occurs within an ecosystem
definition of species diversity
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what can be used to describe and compare communities?
diversity indices
when comparing communities that are similar: what could low biodiversity mean?
- pollution
- eutrophication
- recent colonisation
definition of habitat diversity
the range of different habitats in an ecosystem/biome
definition of genetic diversity
the range and richness of genetic material present in a population of a species
examples of habitats
- forest
- grassland
- desert
- mountain
what can a high level of genetic diversity indicate?
a higher probability that some individuals within a community possess the genes best suited to any changes in the environment
give an example of an animal/where it comes from with low genetic diversity. does it have a high/low risk of extinction
lemur - Madagascar
high risk of extinction
give an example of an animal/where it comes from with high genetic diversity. does it have a high/low risk of extinction
red fox - three continents (europe, america, asia)
low risk of extinction
why is quantification of biodiversity important?
conservation efforts
area of high biodiversity - can be identified, explored
area of low biodiversity - conservation tactics can be implicated
what is species richness?
a measure of the number of different species in an area
more species -> richer environment
what is species evenness?
the commonness or rarity of a species
what two variables contribute to species diversity?
- species richness
- species evenness
why is species diversity important?
high species diversity can be an indication of an ecosystem in balance
it can show
- resilience
- different species fulfill different roles within an ecosystem
- higher species diversity - higher genetic diversity