Exam 1 Vocab Flashcards
Preservationists vs conservationists vs environmentalist vs ecologist
Preservationists advocate for some places to exist without human interference
Conservationists want to use natural resources carefully
Environmentalists are concerned about environmental quality
Ecologists are intrested in the relationship between organisms and their environment
Biogeography
Where things are located in the world and why
Spacial and temporal homogeneity
How places and temp affect genes over time
Concepts used when determining species(3)
Morphological-smallest groups that are consistently distinct and distinguishable by ordinary means
Biological-group of interbreeding natural populations that cant mate with other groups
Phylogenetic-based on genetics, smallest diagnosable cluster on phylogenetic tree
Cryptic species
One that was misidentified as a specific species and ended up being it own
4 dimensions of biodiversity
Genetic, spatial, functional, temporal
Functional redundancy
Many species having similar functions /niches
-loss of one could be taken over by other
Genetic diversity
Variation of genes of organisms within a species
Genome size
Amount of DNA within a nucleus (monoploidy, polyploidy)
Population diversity
Based on quantitative and spacial characteristics
Genetic and phenotypic variation
Biogeographic barrier
Natural or man made obstacles that prevent movement and mixing of populations
Heterosis
Hybrid vigor
When offspring are more fit than parents
Community diversity
Variation in groups of populations and species that share an environment
Ecosystem diversity
A community and the physical environment it occupies at a given time
Spectral signatures
Imaging taken from satellite shows light waves coming from Earth
Landscape diversity
Referring to a particular area on the spatial scale and and the interactions of biotic and abiotic systems within it
Ecoregions
Large unit of land or water consisting of a geographically distinct assemblage of species communities and natural conditions
Biogeography
Distribution of biodiversity over space and time
- where do species live?
- why?
Biogeographic realms
Divisions of earth
Endemic species vs local endemic
Species unique to a particular area vs species unique to a very small area
- koala to Australia
- tortoises to Galapagos
Historical biogeography
Includes geological history like plate tectonics
Ecological biogeography
Examines dispersal of organisms
-species are not distributed evenly across the globe
High productivity
Large creation of biomass
Adaptive radiation
Evolution of many diverse species from one common ancestor
-Galapagos finches
Species pool
All species within a region
Fundamental niche
Habitats where species can survive and reproduce
Realized niche
Habitat in which the species actually lives and reproduces
Alpha diversity
Species richness in a local area
Beta diversity
Number of species that exist but are not shared between two habitats
Gamma diversity
All species that exist in all habitats
Biotic integrity
Refers to completeness of a biological system and including all elements at appropriate densities
-emphasizes balance
Evolutionary significant units
Taxa- refers to both species and subgroups (races, varieties, populations)
Instrumental value
Materialistic usage
-food, clothing, shelter, medicine, fuel
Ecosystem services
Other than tangible goods, nature provides pollination, composition, removal of pollutants from air, among other things
Ecotone
Transitional area between biomes
Keystone ecosystem
Has significantly greater importance to nearby ecosystems
-salt marshes provide critical nutrients and organic matter to adjacent estuary
Three mechanisms of higher diversity
- more species = more complex food web and more redundancy
- highly diverse ecosystem is less likely to be invaded by a new species
- disease spreads more slowly in area with greater diversity
Why are some ecosystems more diverse than others?
Wet warm places foster more diverse life
Moderate levels of disturbance clears new area for growth
Heathy amount of predation prevents one species from becoming too abundant
Size of ecosystem
