Lecture 23: Biodiversity & Global Ecology: Studying biodiversity

Question 1

Tools for studying biodiversity

Answer 1

1. fossil record
2. Information stored in DNA
3. Biodiversity inventories

Question 2

Tools for studying biodiversity - Fossil record

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Tools for studying biodiversity - Information stored in DNA

Answer 3

diversity within and among species, and the history of diversification

Question 4

Tools for studying biodiversity - Biodiversity inventories

Answer 4

collection and cataloguing of current biodiversity

Question 5

what does the fossil record of pollen decomposition tell us?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

relationship between fossil pollen and oxygen isotope

Answer 6

• 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)

Question 7

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

Answer 7

a phylogenetic tree

Question 8

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

Answer 8

• shorter the branches
• more closely related

Question 9

The ____________________ of a phylogenetic tree tells us about the __________________

Answer 9

• branching pattern
• history of speciation

Question 10

__________ can also be used to ___________________ a phylogenetic tree.

Answer 10

• Fossils
• time-calibrate

Question 11

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

Answer 11

• Dated
• rate and pattern of species accumulation

Question 12

phylogenetic tree - “nodes”/splits

Answer 12

• point of branching
• historical speciation events

Question 13

phylogenetic tree - terminal branches

Answer 13

• tips of the tree
• the species living today

Question 14

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

Answer 14

reconstruct how the environment is associated with species production

Question 15

Most diversification occurs within ________________________________

Answer 15

the ecological zone of origin

Question 16

phylogenetic trees that show different ecological zones - adaptive shifts

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Branching event going across an environmental gradient could mean what?

Answer 17

That environmental gradient is responsible for that species production

Question 18

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

Answer 18

• digital initiatives
• freely accessible

Question 19

what is the encyclopedia of life (EOL)

Answer 19

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

Question 20

The biodiversity index combines ___________________________

Answer 20

species richness and abundance

Question 21

What are the scales of our biodiversity inventory?

Answer 21

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

Question 22

biodiversity inventory - local diversity (alpha diversity)

Answer 22

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

Question 23

biodiversity inventory - regional diversity (gamma diversity)

Answer 23

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

Question 24

biodiversity inventory - beta diversity

Answer 24

• 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

Question 25

___________ diversity among local sites means ____________________ scale

Answer 25

- High beta - higher diversity at the regional

Question 26

____________ diversity also means that local communities are _____________________

Answer 26

- Greater beta - more distinct in their composition

Question 27

Sørensen similarity index

Answer 27

- 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

Question 28

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

Answer 28

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

Question 29

vary in niche structure - total community niche space

Answer 29

- more total niche space to pack species into - i.e., possible with greater habitat complexity

Question 30

vary in niche structure - Niche overlap among species

Answer 30

more species packed on top of each other

Question 31

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

Answer 31

each species packed into a narrower niche space

Question 32

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

Answer 32

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

Question 33

The ____________ of a species is a __________________________________

Answer 33

- shape and size - function reflection of adaptive fit to a certain niche

Question 34

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 ___________________

Answer 34

- Morphology - niche space occupied by species

Question 35

Morphology and measuring niche space - we can ask:

Answer 35

- total morphological space - morphologies overlap - morphological specialization

Question 36

we can ask - total morphological space

Answer 36

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

Question 37

we can ask - morphologies overlap

Answer 37

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

Question 38

we can ask - morphological specialization

Answer 38

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

Question 39

Intrinsic value of biodiversity

Answer 39

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

Question 40

Instrumental value of biodiversity

Answer 40

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

Question 41

Biodiversity underpins ______________________, so without biodiversity ______________________________________

Answer 41

- the ecological systems we depend on - our industries and economies will collapse over the long term

Question 42

Broad categories of biodiversity services

Answer 42

1. Provisioning services 2. Regulating services 3. Supporting services 4. Cultural services

Question 43

Provisioning services: The ___________________ of biodiversity that _______________

Answer 43

- direct products - humans use

Question 44

provisioning services - examples

Answer 44

- Construction materials - Plant-derived foods - Animal-derived foods - Fibers - Water - Medicines (known and unknown)

Question 45

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

Answer 45

- maintaining the beneficial balance - we depend on - abiotic and ecosystem processes

Question 46

regulating services - examples

Answer 46

- Climate regulation - Flood control - Excess nutrient and toxin uptake - Water purification

Question 47

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

Answer 47

- Benefits of biodiversity - ecosystems to exist and persist - directly beneficial biotic processes and services

Question 48

supporting services - examples

Answer 48

- Primary production - Soil formation - Nutrient fixation and driving nutrient cycles - Pollination

Question 49

Broad categories of biodiversity services - cultural services

Answer 49

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