4. Ecosystem function, biodiversity and ES production part I Flashcards
What is taxonomic diversity?
- Taxonomic diversity deals with the variety of species.
- Taxonomy organizes species into hierarchical categories, such as kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species, based on shared morphological and genetic traits.
- It is a traditional way of measuring biodiversity and is based on observable and often visible characteristics, making it relatively easy to assess in the field.
- Taxonomic diversity does not provide information about the functional or genetic differences between species.
What is functional diversity?
- Functional diversity assesses the diversity of ecological functions and roles that species play within an ecosystem.
- It focuses on how species interact with each other and their environment, considering aspects like feeding habits, reproductive strategies, and ecological niches.
- Functional diversity can be measured by looking at traits like body size, feeding preferences, and other ecological characteristics to understand how species contribute to the functioning of the ecosystem.
What is phylogenetic diversity?
- Phylogenetic diversity considers the evolutionary relationships between species in an ecosystem based on their genetic and evolutionary history.
- It quantifies the genetic and evolutionary uniqueness of species within a community, taking into account the evolutionary time since their last common ancestor.
- This diversity measure emphasizes the importance of conserving species that represent unique branches on the tree of life, as losing such species can result in a disproportionate loss of evolutionary history.
- Phylogenetic diversity is particularly important for understanding the long-term evolutionary implications of biodiversity loss.
What is alpha diversity?
The diversity observed in a single site.
What is gamma diversity?
The diversity observed in a region containing multiple sites.
What is beta diversity?
A measure of differentiation across sites; it can be gamma/alpha, but it includes many different metrics.
It is designed to capture changes: beta shows the relationship between gamma and alpha diversity.
Why is beta diversity important?
When observing more sites, more species are needed to retain targets functioning (e.g., pollination).
5 fundamentals of conservation planning were discussed. Name at least 2.
- Complementarity: the extent to which an area contributes unrepresented features to an existing network of protected areas
- Irreplaceability: how important a specific area is for the efficient achievement of conservation objectives
- Endemism: the degree to which the species found in an area are unique to that area
- Threat: the degree to which an area is threatened
- Cost: the economic or ecological cost of an area considered for protection
Describe the evolution of frameworks
The evolution of frameworks went from purely utilitarian and human-centric to holistic and flexible. Frameworks have integrated landscape properties, management aspects, and temporal scales.
When do benefits occur?
Benefits occur when the ES supply meets a demand.
Describe what the MEA is and provide a critique.
A systems approach; introduced typology of 4 ESS; milestone; ESS interplay with constituents of well-being; critique: too human centric.
Describe the Daily framework and provide a critique.
Framework focuses on interactions between societies and ecosystem services; critiques: spatial variations in ecosystem services are often overlooked; landscape features not explicitly addressed.
Describe the TEEB framework and provide a critique.
Widely adopted cascade. Focuses on the supply side. Critique: lacks demand-side, landscape management, mechanisms for valorization.
Describe IPBES framework.
Includes NCPs; spatial and temporal dimension; like a circle.
What are the three components of the CLAIM framework?
- Landscape
- Benefits and regional competitiveness
- Mechanisms
