Unit 2 - The Living World: Biodiversity Flashcards

1
Q

biodiversity

A

a measure of richness (# of different species) and evenness (# of individuals of each species) in a given area

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2
Q

species diversity

A
  • the number of diff species in an ecosystem
  • the balance/evenness of the population sizes of all species in the ecosystem
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3
Q

genetic diversity

A

how different the genes are of individuals within a population (group of the same species)

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4
Q

ecosystem diversity

A

variations in species, communities, habitats, and processes in a given region

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5
Q

higher biodiversity

A

higher ecosystem or population health

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6
Q

richness (r)

A

is the total number of different species found in an ecosystem

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7
Q

evenness

A

is a measure of how all of the individuals organisms in an ecosystem are balanced between the different species

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8
Q

bottleneck event

A
  • an environmental disturbance that drastically reduces population size and kills organisms regardless of their genome
  • reduces genetic variation
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9
Q

inbreeding depression

A
  • when organisms mate with closely related family members
  • higher chance of offspring having harmful genetic mutations because they receive similar genotypes from parents
  • smaller populations are more likely to experience inbreeding
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10
Q

ecosystem resilience

A
  • the ability of an ecosystem to return to it’s original conditions after a major disturbance
  • high species diversity = high ecosystem resilience
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11
Q

ecosystem services

A

goods that come from natural resources or services or functions that ecosystems carry out that have measurable economic/financial value to humans

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12
Q

provisioning

A
  • goods produced directly from ecosystems or made from natural resources (wood, paper, food, fish, honey)
  • ex: fish, hunting, lumber, paper
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13
Q

regulating

A
  • natural ecosystems regulate climate/air quality, reducing storm damage and healthcare costs
  • ex: trees in a forest store CO2 through photosynthesis which reduces rate of climate change and lessens damage caused by rising sea level and reduces crop failure from drought
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14
Q

supporting

A
  • natural ecosystems support processes we do ourselves, making them cheaper and easier (bees pollinate crops)
  • provide a service that would be costly to humans to generate
  • ex: wetland plant roots filter pollutants, leading to cleaner groundwater; we don’t have to pay as much to purify water with expensive water treatment plants
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15
Q

cultural

A
  • money generated by recreation (parks, camping) or scientific knowledge
  • ex: national parks, fisherman pay for fishing licenses to catch fish in clean rivers
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16
Q

island biogeography: larger islands

A
  • support more total species
  • the larger the islands, the greater the ecosystem diversity
  • greater ecosystem diversity = more food and habitat resources
  • more niches, or “roles” organisms can play
  • as size of island increases, biodiversity increases
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17
Q

island biogeography: islands closer to the mainland

A
  • easier for colonizing organisms to get into island from mainland
  • more colonizing organisms = more genetic diversity in new populations
  • as distance from the mainland increases, biodiversity decreases
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18
Q

relative abundance

A

the number of individuals per species

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19
Q

describe 5 way that humans have disrupted ecosystem services on earth

A

a) Deforestation has led to cutting down and releasing excess amounts of carbon back into the atmosphere leading to climate change.

b) Pesticides have led to the reduction in the bee population which has decreased rates of pollination.

c) Clearing wetlands have led to less flood control and more damage from storm systems.

d) Bottom trawling has led to the destruction of coral reefs which provide habitats for fish and other species.

e) Overuse of water and draining aquifers, water can’t replenish quickly enough to keep up with demand

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20
Q

ecological range of tolerance

A
  • The conditions in which an organism can survive.
  • Many different physical, abiotic (non- living) factors influence where species live, including temperature, humidity, soil chemistry, pH, salinity and oxygen levels.
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21
Q

zone of optimum

A

the area where the population is in ideal conditions allowing organisms to thrive

22
Q

zone of physiological stress

A

range where organisms survive but experience some stress, such as infertility, lack of growth, decreased activity

23
Q

zone of intolerance

A

range where the organism will die

24
Q

generalist species

A

survive in a wide range of conditions and has a varied diet. often omnivores

ex: racoon

25
Q

specialist species

A
  • survive in a narrow range of conditions and have a limited diet. susceptible to habitat disruptions
  • ex: pandas
26
Q

ecological resistance

A

ability of an ecosystem to maintain normal functions and processes during a disturbance

27
Q

ecological resilience

A

ability of an ecosystem to recover after a disturbance

28
Q

natural disturbance

A
  • a natural event that disrupts the structure and or function of an ecosystem
  • can be even greater than human disruptors
  • ex: tornados, hurricanes, forest fires, disease, volcanic eruption
29
Q

periodic

A

occurs with regular frequency

30
Q

episodic

A

occasional events with irregular frequence

31
Q

natural climate change

A
  • earths climate has varied over geologic time for numerous reasons
  • slight changes in earth’s orbit and tilt cause mini ice ages and warmer periods
  • sea level has varied over geologic time as glacial ice on earth melts and forms
32
Q

genetic diversity exists because

A
  • random mutations while DNA is being copied create new traits
  • crossing over in parent chromosomes creates new combinations of genes
33
Q

adaptation

A
  • a new trait that increases an organisms fitness (ability to survive and reproduce)
34
Q

natural selection

A

organisms that are better adapted to their environment and reproduce more offspring

35
Q

selective pressure/force

A

the environmental condition that kills individuals w/o the adaptation

36
Q

ecological succession

A

a series of predictable stages of growth that a forest goes through

37
Q

primary succession

A
  • starts from bare rock in an area with no previous soil formation
  • mass and lichen species carried by the wind grow directly on rocks, breaking them down to form soil

ex: newly formed islands, after volcanic eruption

38
Q

secondary succession

A
  • starts from already established soil in an area where a disturbance (fire/tornado/human land clearing) cleared out the majority of plant life

ex: after a fire or flood

39
Q

benefits of fire

A
  • Removes leaf litter and ground vegetation which can trigger forest regrowth.
  • Maintains native species especially those adapted to withstand fire (or those whose seeds aren’t released except with fire).
  • Thins the forest canopy so sunlight can reach the forest floor and saplings can grow.
  • Prescribed fires are controlled and implemented at intervals.
40
Q

What biomes need fire for plant germination?

A

prairie, savannas, and coniferous forests

41
Q

pioneer species

A
  • appear first, when the ground is simply bare rock or soil after a disturbance
  • characteristics: seeds spread by wind or animals, fast growing, tolerant of shallow soil and full sunlight

ex: moss, lichen, wildflowers, raspberries, grasses, or sedges

42
Q

stages of succession are characterized by

A
  • which types of plant species dominate the ecosystem
  • different species are adapted to the conditions of different stages
43
Q

mid-successional species

A
  • appear after pioneer species have helped develop deeper soil with more nutrients by their cycles of growth/death
  • characteristics: relatively fast growing, larger plants that need deeper soils with more nutrients than pioneers, sun tolerant
44
Q

late successional/climax community species

A
  • appear last, after soil is deepened and enriched with nutrients by cycles of growth and death by early and mid successional species
  • characteristics: large, slow growing trees that are tolerant of shade and require deep soils for large root networks

ex: maples, oaks, other large trees

45
Q

keystone species

A
  • this species is crucial to keep the ecosystem in balance
  • often a dominant predator whose removal allows a prey population to explode and often decreases overall diversity

ex: otter, wolf

46
Q

indicator species

A

species that can be used to infer the ecosystem health

ex: tiger salamander, golden toad

47
Q

provisioning is disrupted by

A

overharvesting, water pollution, clearing land for agriculture/urbanization

48
Q

regulating is disrupted by

A

deforestation

49
Q

supporting is disrupted by

A

pollinator habitat loss and filling in wetlands for development

50
Q

cultural services are disrupted by

A

deforestation, pollution, urbanization