Unit 2 Flashcards
Biodiversity
variety of life in an ecosystem
Cultural Ecosystem service
intangible aesthetics provided by nature
Ecological tolerance
a measurement of a species’ ability to handle change in abiotic factors
Ecosystem services
an essential service that supports life and makes economic activity possible
Endemic Species
a species that is unique to a specific area
Evolution
the process in which a species changes over time and adapts to its environment
Generalist species
species that have a wide niche or range of tolerance and are more suited for changing conditions
Genetic diversity
variety of genes found in population of species that can be visible or non visible
Indicator species
a sensitive organism that points out changes in the ecosystem (usually to an abiotic factor)
Invasive species
Non-native species that has a negative effect on the ecosystem, usually because they have no predators and outcompete native species
Island biogeography theory
the theory that concludes that islands that are large and close to the mainland will have the most biodiverse communities when colonizing. Also, the islands that are smaller and farther from the mainland will have more specialist species and will have greater extinction rates
Keystone species
a species that has an unproportionally large effect on its environment
Mutation
a change in genes that could affect many generations of the species
Natural disruptions
natural phenomena that causes damage to the ecosystem, examples include tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanoes
Natural Selection
when a species goes extinct because it doesn’t have the right genes to survive (aka survival of the fittest)
Optimal Zone
the range of an abiotic factor when a species is most comfortable
Pioneer species
some of the first species to appear in an ecosystem, examples include lichens, mosses and weeds
Primary succession
a form of ecological succession after an extreme disturbance where the ecosystem starts as bare rock with no soil
Provisioning service
tangible goods that nature provides to humans
Regulating ecosystem service
a service provided by the ecosystem that moderates natural phenomena including pollination
Resilience
the ability to recover quickly after a disturbance
Secondary succession
a type of ecological succession where soil is still present after a disturbance
Specialist species
species that are the best at surviving in one ecosystem and are more prone to extinction with an environmental change
Speciation
when a species develops new characteristics and can no longer mate, it separates off and becomes a new species
