Unit 3 - Biodiversity Flashcards
Biodiversity
Variety of different species, genetic variety within species, variety of ecosystems within those ecosystems, and diversity of natural services.
Genetic diversity
the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species
Population bottleneck
Drastic reduction in population size with a corresponding reduction of genetic diversity
- due to natural or anthropogenic causes
Species richness
number of species present
Species eveness
how close in numbers each species in an environment is.
Species diversity
genetic diversity within a species
Disturbance/disruption
any natural or anthropogenic even that disrupts a natural system
Ecosytem diversity
Earth’s variety of ecosystems that each contain unique species and genetic diversity
Habitat diversity
the variety of habitats within an ecosystem, which supports a wide range of species and genetic diversity
Specialist
species with narrow ecological niches
Generalists
species with wide ecological niches
Endemic
the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location
Habitat Fragmentation
the process during which a large expanse of habitat is transformed into a number of smaller patches
Corridor
connections across the landscape that link up areas of habitat
IUNC Red List
International Union for Conservation of nature red list of threatened species
Endangered Species Act
In the United States by EPA, based on scientific data, not economics
Critical habitat
Designated habitats necessary for species survival, designated by EPA
CITES
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Floura
- protects endangered plants and animals through trade
Ecosystem services
benefits humans gain from natural processes
Provisioning services
products obtained from ecosystems
Supporting services
service necessary for the production of all other services
Regulating services
benefits obtained from regulation of ecosystems
Cultural services
nonmaterial benefits obtained from ecosystem
Island
any body of land surrounded by water
Biogeography
where species/biomes exist through space and time
Theory of Island Biogeography
describes species richness, evolutionary diversity, and community structure of islands based on geographic characteristics
Immigration rate
number of species/indivguels coming to the island
Extinction rate
the rate at which animals go extinct on islands
- typically a constant background rate
Adaptive radiation
Once a species gets to an island with many unoccupied niches, they rapidly evolve into different species to fill niches
Edge effect
changes in a population or community along the boundary of a habitat
Ecological tolerance/ law of tolerance
ability of an organism to endure unfavourable environmental conditions
Adaptation
any heritable trait that helps an organism, such as a plant or animal, survive and reproduce in its environment.
Fitness
reproductive success and reflects how well an organism is adapted to its environment.
Natural Selection
the process through which populations of living organisms adapt and change
Natural Disturbances
Anything that disturbs an ecosystem
EX: fires, insect outbreaks, disease epidemics, droughts, floods, hurricanes, windstorms, landslides, avalanches, and volcanic eruptions.
Cyclical Natural Distubances
predictable event occurring at repeating intervals in a self-perpetuating cycle
Episodic natural disturbances
occur occasionally and at irregular intervals
Random natural disturbances
occur very infrequently and are truly random
often cataclysmic
Mass extinction
when the extinction rate significantly exceeds the background extinction rate, extinction of above 66% of all species
Ecological succession
the process by which the mix of species and habitat in an area changes over time.
Primary succession
when a new patch of land is created or exposed for the first time
Secondary succession
when a climax community or intermediate community is impacted by a disturbance.
Pioneer speices
Species that arrive first in a newly created environment
Climax community
An ecological community in which populations of plants or animals remain stable and exist in balance with each other and their environment.
Keystone species
an organism that helps define an entire ecosystem
Foundation species
species that have a strong role in structuring a community.
Indicator species
an organism whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition.
Invasive species
a non-native species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human, animal, or plant health.
