Unit 2 Flashcards
Relative abundance
The number of how many individuals are present in each species
Ecosystem service
the many and varied benefits to humans gifted by the natural environment and from healthy ecosystems.
Supporting ecosystem service
The resources necessary for life (e.g. nutrient cycling, water cycling, soil formation, photosynthesis)
Cultural Ecosystem Service
Nonmaterial benefits people get (ethical values, existence values, recreation, ecotourism)
Regulating Ecosystem Service
Moderate natural phenomena (air quality, climate, water runoff, erosion, natural hazards, pollination)
Provisioning Ecosystem Service
Any material benefit people can extract from nature (food, fiver, biomass fuel, freshwater, natural medicines)
Species richness (r)
total number of different species found in an ecosystem
Species evenness
measure of how all of the individual organisms in an ecosystem are balanced between the different species
Genetic diversity
measure of how different the genomes (set of genes) are of the individuals within a population of a given species
Inbreeding depression
When organisms mate with closely related “family” members. Causes genetic mutation.
Resilience
The ability of an ecosystem to return to its original conditions after a major disturbance.
Zone of physiological stress
range where organisms survive, but experience some stress such as infertility, lack of growth, decreased activity, etc…
Zone of intolerance
range where the organism will die
Optimal range
range where organisms survive, grow, and reproduce
Adaptation
a new trait that increases an organism’s fitness
