Unit 2 Vocab Flashcards
Biodiversity
the diversity of life forms in an environment and is crucial for the population to survive
specialist
small range of species in an ecosystem
generalist
wide range of species in an ecosystem
upwelling
helps stir up nutrients from deep in the ocean
invasive species
A species that spreads rapidly across large areas and causes harm
species evenness
the relative proportion of individuals within the different species in a given area (indicates whether there is a dominant species)
species richness
the number of species in a given ecosystem (given a sense of the level of biodiversity in an ecosystem)
resilience
the rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disruption
resistance
in an ecosystem, a measure of how much a disruption can affect flows of energy and matter
geographical range
areas of the world in which a species lives
realized niche
the range of abiotic and biotic conditions under which a species actually lives.
ecological tolerance
the suite of abiotic conditions under which a species can survive, grow, and reproduce (aka as fundamental niche)
periodic disruption
occurring regularly, such as the cycles of day and night or the daily and nightly cycle of the moon’s effects on ocean tides.
random disruption
occurring with no regular pattern such as volcanic eruptions or hurricanes.
episodic disruption
occurring somewhat regularly, such as cycles of high rain and low rain that occur every 5 to 10 years.
