8.5,6,7: Species Diversity Flashcards
What is species diversity (biodiversity)?
The variety of different organisms within a community
What is species richness?
- the number of different species
What is relative abundance?
The proportion each species represents of all of the individuals in the community
Why is biodiversity important in an ecosystem? (2)
- biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity
- the greater the biodiversity, the more resilient the ecosystem
What is the simpson’s diversity index?
Calculate diversity based in species richness and relative abundance
What is the formula for diversity index?
Diversity index = 1 - Σ(n/N)^2
Where:
N is the total number of organisms of all species
n is the total number of a particular species
What does high and low diversity index mean in terms of biodiversity?
High means high biodiversity, low means low biodiversity
High-diversity communities are more resistant to ____ ______.
Invasive species
What are invasive species?
- organisms that became established outside of their native range/ecosystem, usually by human activity
What is an example of an invasive species? What will occur to the environment?
A ship bringing produce from another country may have insects in the crates holding the produce.
- this will cause harm to the environment
- they will grow and reproduce quickly
What occurs if an invasive species are introduced to an ecosystem?
- intentional or unintentional, introducing invasive species can allow the species to exploit a new niche that is free of predators or competitors
If an ecosystem has high biodiversity, what will occur to the invasive species?
The higher the biodiversity, the less likely the invasive species will be to survive
