Concepts 20.1-20.3

Question 1

How can ecological communities differ?

Answer 1

• Their species (and the relative abundance of the species)
• The sizes and layers of vegetation (for plant communities)

Question 2

What is species diversity?

Answer 2

The composition of a local ecological community with respect to tis richness (number of species), evenness (distribution of abundance of the species), or both

Question 3

How can increased species diversity increase stability of productivity of a community?

Answer 3

Increase in trait diversity, functional diversity, redundance and opportunity

Question 4

What can functional diversity influence?

Answer 4

• Resource consumption, transformation and provision
• Physical environment
• Chemical environment
• Interactions among species