Biodiversity Quiz Flashcards
science
Biodiversity
The number and variety of organisms found in a specific region.
Species
A group of organisms that have similar traits and are able to produce fertile offspring.
Genetic Diversity
The variety of genes or inherited traits that are present in a species.
Species Diversity
The number of different species and the quantity of each species in an ecological community.
Ecosystem Diversity
The variety of ecosystems in the biosphere.
Dynamic Equilibrium
Describes the balance between different parts of the ecosystem.
Resilience
The ability of an ecosystem to maintain balance even in the face of significant disturbances.
Desert
A biome that receives very little rain.
Grassland
A biome where grasses are the dominant plants.
Tropical rainforest
Forests that grow near the equator and experience heavy annual rainfall.
Temperate
The term describing any region of Earth between the tropics and the polar circles.
Taiga
A forest biome consisting mostly of cone bearing evergreen trees.
Wetlands
An aquatic ecosystem that has a thin layer of water covering soil that is wet most of the time.
Estuaries
A coastal area where freshwater from rivers mixes with salt water from seas or oceans.
Ecosystem Services
The benefits experienced by organisms, including humans, which are provided by healthy ecosystems.
Supporting services
Ecosystems that allow for the existences of all other ecosystem services.
Provisioning services
Ecosystem services that provide products from an ecosystem.
Regulating services
Benefits that are received through the regulation of ecosystem processes.
Cultural services
Benefits that people obtain through their experiences with the ecosystem.
Biome
A geographic area on Earth that contains ecosystems with similar biotic and abiotic features.
What is Canopy Fogging (data collection method)
Low dose of insecticide is sprayed on the top of trees, large sheets or screens are placed on the ground. When the insects die, they fall onto the sheets or screens. From here the scientists can identify them, and count them.
What is Transect Sampling (data collection method)
A long rope is placed through a habitat. Every organism that touches the rope is identified and counted. This method can be used in both land and aquatic habitats.
What is Mist Netting (data collection method)
fine mesh nets are used to humanely capture animals in land and aquatic ecosystems. A large net is stretched across an area, and when a bird or bat flies into the net, it is removed, identified, and counted. In aquatic habitats, fish, shellfish and other aquatic organisms are captured.
What are Aerial Photographs (data collection method)
photos are taken from above, usually from an airplane. This method is especially useful when tracking migrating animals.
