Part 1: biodiversity Flashcards
Study of organisms or a species
autecology
A group of individuals that all belong to the same species. Geographically based
living in a particular area & scale.
population
A group or association of populations of two or more different species occupying the samee geographical area in a particular time and interact with one another. All the biotic factors of an area.
community
The study of interactions between species.
community ecology / synecology
The living organisms (all the populations) in an area and the non living aspects of the environment. Biotic + Abiotic factors in an area.
ecosystem
the variability among living organisms from all sources including inter alia terrestrial marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part: this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. 3 levels: genetic & species & ecosystem
Multi dimensional
different facets
can’t be captured by a single number
biodiversity
A group of individuals that actually or potentially interbreed in nature (= Reproductive isolation)
The type of organism.
Human invented concept with different problems:
- formation of hybrids
- asexually reproduction bacteria
- reproductive isolation even if they are the same species.
species
the number of species in a sample or area
richness
equality in abundance between species
evenness
The amount of naturally occurring genetic variation among individiuals of the same species. Diversity within species.
Biodiversity within species.
genetic diversity
range of environmental conditions in which a species can survive.
The area that a species will occupy
Dependent on the environmental conditions.
niche
Species that has a very narrow niche/range.
specialist species
species that has a wide niche/range
generalist species
The likeness of a species to survive a change in environmental conditions. How a species response is to new circumstances.
adaptability
Selective breeding of species. Artificial selection to pass on desirable traits of the species while omitting the undesirable ones. A few individuals with desirable traits are selected and propagated.
domestication
Wild plant species that are genetically related to cultivated crops. Could be interesting for breeding. They are continuously evolving: Subjected to natural selection.
Not agronomically desirable but can have other desirable characteristics like resistances.
crop wild relatives
New offsprings are different and the best adapted will survive. Sexual reproduction.
natural selection
New offsprings have exactly the same genetic information. Asexual reproduction.
grafting
Crossing crop wild relatives with domesticated crops to produce new varieties with desirable traits.
crop improvement
homogenization of local communities. (often less specialist species and more generalist species)
The process by which ecosystems become increasingly similar over time caused by:
- anthropogenic disturbances: loss of specialist in favor of generalist
- biological invasions: loss of rare indigenous species in favor of the spread of a few invasive species
biotic homogenization
Extinction where more then 75% of the present species goes extinct.
5 in the past 540 million years. Mostly caused by warming and cooling events.
The rate and magnitude can be measured.
mass extinction
Region where a species occurs & is part of the regional species pool.
geographical range
How many individuals that are left.
The population size
abundance
The average decline of populations that are monitored.
limitations
- tropics are under represented even though they have the largest species diversity (LDG)
- many groups aren’t covered ex. insects
living plant index (LPI)
inventory of the global conservation status of species by the IUCN (threads & other information).
- extinction rate is evaluated based on objective criteria
- critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity
Classified in categories from extinct to threatened to not evaluated.
red list
international union for conservation of nature
Organization behind the red list, also greenlist of protected and conserved areas (green status of species)
IUCN
Intergovernmental Science-policy platform for Biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Makes a global assessment reports on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
IPBES