Unit 2 Flashcards
Adaption
A trait that improves an individual’s fitness
Biodiversity
The variety of life on earth, species, habitat, and genetic
Endemic species
A species that is only found in one area
Evolution
Process by which animals adapt to survive
Generalist
A species that can live under a wide range of abiotic and biotic conditions, this is due to a number of alternative habitats and food sources
Habitat
The natural home on environment of organism
Mass extinction
A large extinction of species in a relatively short period of time
Mutation
Change in DNA of organism that changes physiology / way organism interacts with environment
Natural selection
Process by which evolution occurs best fit for environment reproduces.
Niche
A particular environment where organism preforms particularly well
Specialist
A species specializes to live in a specific habitatI have specialized food source
Species
A group of organisms similar and capable of reproducing together
Invasive species
An alien species whose introduction causes loss of biodiversity
Keystone species
A species that plays a for more important role in its community than its population size suggests
Pioneer species
The first species to colonize an area, typically moss
Primary succession
Ecological succession occurring in surfaces of rock devoid of Soil
Resilience
Ability of an ecosystem to recover after disturbance
Secondary succession
Succession of life in areas that have been disrupted but not devoid of soil
Intrinsic value
Value indecent of any benefit to humans ( true value)
Biodiversity hotspot
A region w/ significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation
Conservation
Study of conservation of nature and biodiversity
Cites
Conservation on International trade in endangered species (control trade of species )
Ecosystem services
Important environmental benefits that ecosystem provides to people
Supporting services
Natural ecosystem provides support to humans ex pollination or food crops
Cultural service
The inspiring beauty of nature has value and provides humans w/ economic and health benefits
Regulating services
Ecosystem helps to regulate environmental conditions(ex. Carbon cycling via tropical rainforests)
Provisioning services
A good humans can use directly ex: lumber
Extirpation
The termination of species in specific area but not globally
Habitat fragmentation
Human development breaks up habitat and creates smaller more isolated population
Inbreeding
When relatives w/ similar gene types breed and produce offspring (causing impaired ability to survive)
Latitudinal gradient
Pattern of species diversity where species numbers are highest at low latitudes and decrease towards poles on earth
Mass extinction event
A disruptance to ecosystem that has resulted in a mass extinction
Red list
A list of world wide threatened species
Species richness
Number of species in a given area
Species evenness
Relative proportion of (common or rare ) different species in given area
Endangered species act
Act that prohibits harm to any species listed by vs wildlife services
Theory of island biogeography
Island diversity is determined by size and distance from mainland
Extinction
The dying out of a species
Bottleneck effect
A reduction in genetic diversity due to severe reduction in population size
Founder effect
A change in genetic diversity due to small population colonizing on island
Habitat diversity
Range of habitat/ecosystem in given area (improved species diversity)
Species diversity
Variation of species in ecosystem (ecosystem becomes more resilient to disruptions)
Genetic diversity
Genetic variability within species ( improves likelihood species will survive disruption)
