Biodiversity Flashcards
Define Genetic Diversity
The variety of different genes and gene combinations of a particular species
Define Species Diversity
The variety of species on earth or in a particular region, including bacteria and protists
Ecosystem Deversity (Ecological)
The variety of terrestrial or aquatic ecosystems on earth or in an area
What is the meaning of the term Functional Diversity?
The different biological and chemical processes necessary for the survival of different ecosystems, communities, and species, such as energy flow and nutrient cycling
Describe species richness
The number of different types of species in an area
Describe species evenness
The relative abundance of each species in an area
True or False;
Higher species evenness = higher diversity
True
Simpsons Index of Diversity is written as:
D=N(N-1)/∑n(n-1)
where N= total # of organisms in all species
and n= total #of organisms in each species
True or False:
The smaller the value of D, the larger the diversity
False
The Larger the value of D, the larger the density
species diversity dertermines?
whether an ecosystem is stable or not
What is Ecosystem Stability?
This is determined by whether an ecosystem can withstand, repair, and recover from changes or damage over time.
How does an ecosystem recover if a species is lost?
if an ecosystem is stable, there will be other species on the same trophic level or niche as the species that was lost. Some may be able to take over, keeping the ecosystem resilient to external forces.
True or false:
The greater diversity, the greater the stability
True
The effect of Anthropogenic impact on species Diversity
Although a species may be able to take over for another species in its niche, it will not be able to perform all the functions the previous species could have. This can be dangerous for biological communities as well as human quality of life.
What is the role of a keytone species?
Keytone species define ecosystems. Without these species, the ecosystem would be different or collapse altogether.
