Topic 7: Components of Biodiversity Flashcards
How can a species be limited if one population of the species dies out (extinct)?
The extinct species may have lost some of its genetic diversity, this may limit its ability to adapt to changing conditions
What are components of biodiversity?
Genetic diversity, species diversity, ecosystem diversity
What is genetic diversity?
The number and frequency of all the alleles within the population
What is species richness defined as?
The number of different species in an ecosystem
What does species diversity comprise of?
The number of different species and the proportion of each species in the ecosystem
What is the relative abundance?
It is the proportion of each species in the ecosystem
What happens in the community with a dominant species?
The community has a lower species biodiversity than one with the same species richness but no particularly dominant species
What is ecosystem diversity?
Ecosystem diversity refers to the number of distinct ecosystems within a defined area
