Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

General Ecology > Lecture 23: Biodiversity & Global Ecology: Studying biodiversity > Flashcards

Lecture 23: Biodiversity & Global Ecology: Studying biodiversity Flashcards

1
Q

Tools for studying biodiversity

A
  1. fossil record
  2. Information stored in DNA
  3. Biodiversity inventories
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Tools for studying biodiversity - Fossil record

A

the deep historical archive of how biodiversity has changed over the history of the earth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Tools for studying biodiversity - Information stored in DNA

A

diversity within and among species, and the history of diversification

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Tools for studying biodiversity - Biodiversity inventories

A

collection and cataloguing of current biodiversity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what does the fossil record of pollen decomposition tell us?

A

the fossil record of pollen decomposition tells us about plant biodiversity throughout history and its relationship with the environment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

relationship between fossil pollen and oxygen isotope

A
  • different pollen = different plant species
  • lower oxygen isotope = warmer climate
  • Increase in plant diversity is associated with a decrease in oxygen isotope (meaning high temperatures)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

DNA is used to construct family trees of groups of organisms – __________________

A

a phylogenetic tree

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Species are clustered based on how similar their DNA is – the _______________ connecting two modern species, the _______________ they are (fewer genetic differences have accumulated)

A
  • shorter the branches
  • more closely related
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

The ____________________ of a phylogenetic tree tells us about the __________________

A
  • branching pattern
  • history of speciation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

__________ can also be used to ___________________ a phylogenetic tree.

A
  • Fossils
  • time-calibrate
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

_________ phylogenetic trees allow us to understand the ______________________________ within and among groups of organisms, and globally within focal time periods

A
  • Dated
  • rate and pattern of species accumulation
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

phylogenetic tree - “nodes”/splits

A
  • point of branching
  • historical speciation events
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

phylogenetic tree - terminal branches

A
  • tips of the tree
  • the species living today
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

A phylogenetic tree plus inventory data for current species allows us to ____________________________________________________

A

reconstruct how the environment is associated with species production

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Most diversification occurs within ________________________________

A

the ecological zone of origin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

phylogenetic trees that show different ecological zones - adaptive shifts

A

Adaptive shifts to a new ecological zone are more difficult and infrequent as you move up the tree

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Branching event going across an environmental gradient could mean what?

A

That environmental gradient is responsible for that species production

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Major _____________ are underway to compile collections data into comprehensive and _____________ databases

A
  • digital initiatives
  • freely accessible
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

what is the encyclopedia of life (EOL)

A

A Wikipedia for every species on earth, edited by professional specialists

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

The biodiversity index combines ___________________________

A

species richness and abundance

21
Q

What are the scales of our biodiversity inventory?

A
  1. local diversity (alpha diversity)
  2. regional diversity (gamma diversity)
  3. beta diversity
22
Q

biodiversity inventory - local diversity (alpha diversity)

A

the measure of diversity at the finest spatial scale a study is interested in

23
Q

biodiversity inventory - regional diversity (gamma diversity)

A

the total number of species in all areas where a study samples alpha diversity

24
Q

biodiversity inventory - beta diversity

A
  • turnover in the composition of alpha diversity from place to place within a geographic region
  • calculated from assessing alpha diversity at numerous locations within a region of gamma diversity
25
Q

___________ diversity among local sites means ____________________ scale

A
  • High beta
  • higher diversity at the regional
26
Q

____________ diversity also means that local communities are _____________________

A
  • Greater beta
  • more distinct in their composition
27
Q

Sørensen similarity index

A
  • one of the most common and simplest measures of beta diversity
  • Sørensen values range from 0 to 1
  • 0 = completely dissimilar
  • 1 = all species shared
28
Q

Communities that differ in the number of species they contain can also vary in niche structure in what 3 key ways

A
  1. Total community niche space
  2. Niche overlap among species
  3. Niche breadth (degree of specialization)
29
Q

vary in niche structure - total community niche space

A
  • more total niche space to pack species into
  • i.e., possible with greater habitat complexity
30
Q

vary in niche structure - Niche overlap among species

A

more species packed on top of each other

31
Q

vary in niche structure - Niche breadth (degree of specialization)

A

each species packed into a narrower niche space

32
Q

how can biodiversity researchers can learn about the structure of biodiversity patterns, and the processes driving them?

A

by tracking how the 3 key ways niche structure can vary with changing measures of beta diversity

33
Q

The ____________ of a species is a __________________________________

A
  • shape and size
  • function reflection of adaptive fit to a certain niche
34
Q

because the shape and size of a species is a reflection of adaptive fit to a certain niche, __________ can therefore tell us a lot about the ___________________

A
  • Morphology
  • niche space occupied by species
35
Q

Morphology and measuring niche space - we can ask:

A
  • total morphological space
  • morphologies overlap
  • morphological specialization
36
Q

we can ask - total morphological space

A

How big is the total morphological space (a proxy to niche space) occupied by the species found in a certain location?

37
Q

we can ask - morphologies overlap

A

How much do species morphologies overlap (proxy to niche overlap)?

38
Q

we can ask - morphological specialization

A

Does morphological specialization (proxy to niche breadth) vary across communities?

39
Q

Intrinsic value of biodiversity

A

moral, ethical, or religious conviction that humans should not be driving other organisms and ecological systems to extinction

40
Q

Instrumental value of biodiversity

A

commitment to the protection and maintenance of biodiversity and ecological systems for the purposes of maintaining human health and economic prosperity

41
Q

Biodiversity underpins ______________________, so without biodiversity ______________________________________

A
  • the ecological systems we depend on
  • our industries and economies will collapse over the long term
42
Q

Broad categories of biodiversity services

A
  1. Provisioning services
  2. Regulating services
  3. Supporting services
  4. Cultural services
43
Q

Provisioning services: The ___________________ of biodiversity that _______________

A
  • direct products
  • humans use
44
Q

provisioning services - examples

A
  • Construction materials
  • Plant-derived foods
  • Animal-derived foods
  • Fibers
  • Water
  • Medicines (known and unknown)
45
Q

Regulating services: the role of biodiversity in ___________________________ of ecological systems that ________________ –biodiversity regulating ___________________________.

A
  • maintaining the beneficial balance
  • we depend on
  • abiotic and ecosystem processes
46
Q

regulating services - examples

A
  • Climate regulation
  • Flood control
  • Excess nutrient and toxin uptake
  • Water purification
47
Q

Supporting services: _______________________ that provide the foundation needed for _________________________ – biodiversity that generates ________________________________.

A
  • Benefits of biodiversity
  • ecosystems to exist and persist
  • directly beneficial biotic processes and services
48
Q

supporting services - examples

A
  • Primary production
  • Soil formation
  • Nutrient fixation and driving nutrient cycles
  • Pollination
49
Q

Broad categories of biodiversity services - cultural services

A

aspects of biodiversity that provide aesthetic, recreational, and emotional benefits

General Ecology (23 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions