Apes Unit 2 Flashcards
Genetic Diversity
Variety of genes in a population or species. The more genetically diverse a population is,
the better it can respond to environmental stressors
Habitat Diversity
Loss of habitat leads to a loss of specialist species, followed by a loss of generalist
species. It also leads to reduced numbers of species that have large territorial requirements
Specialist
need very specific resources to survive. Narrow niche—narrow range of tolerance. Ex: panda needs bamboo
Generalist
more likely to survive bc they can adapt better and dont need as specific things to live. Broad niche—wide range of tolerance. Ex: racoons can live in urban areas or forrests
Population Bottleneck
when a population’s size is reduced for at least one generation. Ex: Natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and fires.
founder effect
when a new colony is started by a few members of the original population. This small population size means that the colony may have reduced genetic variation from the original population.
Niche
The ecological role each species plays in an ecosystem. Includes everything that affects survival and reproduction: Water, space, sunlight, food, and temperatures
Species diversity
A measurement of species richness and species evenness.
Species richness
number of species found in a community or ecosystem.
Species diversity
a measurement of species richness combined with evenness
-meaning it takes into account not only how many species are present but also how evenly distributed the numbers of each species are.
Habitat fragmentation
The process during which a large expanse of habitat is transformed into a number of smaller patches of smaller total area isolated from each other by a matrix of habitats unlike the original.
Habitat Corridor
An area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by human activities or structures.
Invasive Species
An organism that is not indigenous, or native to a particular area. They can cause great economic and environmental harm to the new area. Ex: lionfish
Two things that we look at when looking at island biogeography:
Immigration of species
Extinction of species
Affects on equilibrium in island biogeography
Island size
Distance from the mainland
what can you predict by looking at the equilibrium point island biogeography graph
number of species on the island
Ecological Tolerance:
The range of abiotic conditions, such as temperature, salinity, flow rate, and sunlight that an organism can endure before injury or death results.
Indicator Species
An organism whose presence, absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition. Ex: frogs and toads bc they are sensitive to pollution
what type of species can be used to diagnose the health of an ecosystem
Indicator species can signal a change in the biological condition of a particular ecosystem
Foundation Species
Species that have a strong role in structuring (creating habitats) a community. Ex: elephant that clears trees to create a habitat
which species can occupy any trophic level in a food web
Foundation species
Survival of the Fittest
Darwinian evolutionary theory as a way of describing the mechanism of natural selection
Founder Effect
a case of genetic drift caused by a small population with limited numbers of individuals breaking away from a parent population.
Starting a new population with a small gene pool.
Fundamental Niche
The full range a species can occupy without interference from other species.
Realized Niche
The set of conditions actually used by a given species.
Evolution through natural selection
organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
evolution through random processes
Gene mutations that are favorable to the survival of the organism.
evolution through artificial selection
identification by humans of desirable traits in plants and animals, and the steps taken to enhance and perpetuate those traits in future generations.
what are the 2 types of ecological succession
primary and secondary
what are the stages of succession
bare rock, lichens, small plants and lichens, grasses, bushes, conifor/evergreen trees, then oak and hardwood trees
where does primary succession occur
lifeless areas, such as regions in which there is no soil
what is secondary succession
plants and animals recolonize a habitat after a major disturbance—such as a devastating flood, wildfire, landslide, lava flow, or human activity
how long does primary and secondary succession
primary - 300
secondary - 150
what can happen if a keystone species is removed
trophic cascade (every level will have a change)
pioneer species and examples
first Species in a newly created environment. lichens, mosses, annual plants
what are the effects of a disturbed ecosystem
total biomass, species richness, net productivity
provisioning services
products that the ecosystem provides such as water, sunlight, timber
regulating services
the benefits that ecosystems provide in regulating processes such as climate regulation, water purification, pest control
cultural services
non material benefits an ecosystem provides that are recreational, aesthetic, spiritual
supporting services
this supports the other services like soil formation and nutrient cycling, biogeochemical cycles, photosynthesis
