Biodiversity Loss & Ecological Processes

Question 1

What are ecosystem functions?

Answer 1

ecological processes that control the fluxes of energy, nutrients, and organic matter through an environment

ecological processes that maintain ecosystems

Question 2

What are ecosystem services?

Answer 2

the suite of benefits that ecosystems provide to humanity

Question 3

Identification: Physical and chemical diversity of ecotones and habitats in oceans, lakes, and streams

Answer 3

Ecosystem Diversity

Question 4

Identification: Population diversity and phenotypic variation within species, including behavioral variation

Answer 4

Intraspecific Diversity

Question 4

Identification: Diversity of biological communities and species

Answer 4

Community and Species Diversity

Question 5

Identification: Genetic variation within individuals or populations to the genetic diversity of entire ecosystems

Answer 5

Genetic Diversity

Question 6

Diversity of realized ecological functions and niches (ex. the diversity of pollutant degradation pathways)

Answer 6

Functional Diversity

Question 7

What are th 5 things that a functionally diverse ecosystem should have?

Answer 7

Habitat, services, interspecies relationships, food sources, environment

Question 8

Modified T or F: Ecosystem services are processes that maintain ecosystems

Answer 8

False - functions

Question 9

An ecosystem consists of all living things interacting with _______

Answer 9

each other and the abiotic environment

Question 10

What do all systems have in common?

Answer 10

one way energy flow (food chain), cycling of nutrients and materials (carbon or nitrogen cycle)

Question 11

Explain Cardinale et. al 2012’s conceptual framework

Answer 11

global change affects biodiversity and ecosystem functions

biodiversity affects ecosystem functions and ecosystem services

Ecosystem functions affect ecosystem services

Ecosystem services affect people

People are the main drivers of global change

Question 12

Give an example per type of ecosystem service

Answer 12

Cultural (Aesthetic values, spiritual and religious values, recreation and eco-tourism, mental and physical health)

Provisioning (food, raw mat, medicinal resources, fresh water)

Regulating (Air qual, climate, water, erosion, water purification and waste treatment, disease and pet, pollination, moderation of extreme events)

Supporting (nutrient cycling, photosynthesis, soil formation)

Question 13

Whats are the 6 consensus statements of BEF?

Answer 13

1. low biodiversity, low efficiency
2. high biodiversity, high stability of EF
3. low biodiversity, high rate of change in EF
4. high biodiversity, high presence of key species, high functional traits
5. diversity across different actors in the food web > diversity within the same kind of variety (ex. all herbivores)
6. functional traits of organisms greatly impact ecosystem functions (can lead to extinction of an EF)

Question 14

What are the 4 emerging trends of BEF?

Answer 14

1. Ecosystems are open, dynamic systems
2. Inc. in spatial and temporal scale = more ecological complexities
3. maintaining multiple ecosystem processes requires higher levels of biodiversity
4. Ecological consequences of biodiversity loss can be predicted from evolutionary history

Question 15

What are the research gaps in balancing BES and BEF?

Answer 15

1. complexity
2. useful, scalable tools, models
3. integration into policy, economics, etc.

Question 16

What is the PENCAS ACT (2024)?

Answer 16

Integration and adoption of environmental economics framework into national resource management
Monitoring and reporting of natural resources (natural capital)