Unit 2: Biodiversity Flashcards by Gianna V.

Ecosystem diversity

the number of diff. habitats available in
a given area

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Species diversity

the number of diff. species in an ecosystem and the balance or evenness of the pop. sizes of all species in
the ecosystem

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Richness

Richness (r) is just the total number of different
species found in an ecosystem

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Genetic diversity

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

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Higher biodiversity = _______ ecosystem/
population health

Higher biodiversity = higher ecosystem/
population health

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Evenness

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

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Species

A group of organisms that is distinct form other groups in its
morphology (body form and structure), behavior, or biochemical properties.
Species must produce fertile offspring

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Speciation

The evolution of new species

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Background extinction rate

The average rate at which species become
extinct over the long term.

Should be 1 species per million per year.

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Bottleneck Event

An env. disturbance (natural disaster/human hab.
destruction) that drastically reduces pop. size & kills
organisms regardless of their genome

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Higher species diversity = ______ ecosystem resilience

higher

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Restoration ecology

Restoration ecology The study and implementation of restoring damaged ecosystem

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Provisioning Service

Goods taken directly
from ecosystems or
made from nat.
resources (wood,
paper, food)

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Regulating

Nat. ecosystems
regulate climate/air
quality, reducing
storm damage &
healthcare costs

Trees in a forest sequester (store) CO2 through photosynthesis which
reduces rate of climate change & lessens damage caused by rising sea
level & reduces crop failure from drought
ἽἽ
● Trees filter air by absorbing air pollutants which reduces health care costs
for treating diseases like asthma and bronchitis
● Wetland plant roots filter pollutants, leading to cleaner groundwater that
we don’t have to pay as much to purify with expensive water treatment
plants

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Supporting

Services that support
all of the other
services.
Habitat and genertic
diversity

Natural ecosystems support processes that support all the others.
Providing living spaces for plants or animals and maintaining a
diversity of plants and animals, are ‘supporting services’ and the
basis of all ecosystems and their services.
Examples
● Habitatats for species
ἽἽ
● Maintenance of Genetic biodiversity
️

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Cultural

Money generate by
recreation (parks,
camping, tours) or
scientific knowledge

Examples
● Beautiful landscapes draw tourists who pay to enter parks, spend
money at local stores/restaurants, or camping fees
ἽἽ
● Fishermen pay for fishing licenses to catch fish in clean rivers
Disrupted by deforestation,
pollution, urbanization
ἽἽ
● Scientists learn about plant compounds that can lead to creation
of new medicines which are sold for profit

Ecosystem services

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

How are Provisioning services interupted?

Disrupted by overharvesting, water pollution,
clearing land for ag/urbanization
ἽἽ

How are cultural services disrupted?

disrupted by deforestation,
pollution, urbanization
ἽἽ

Island Biography

Study of ecological relationships & community structure on islands

What are the two rules of Island Biography

The larger the island, the greater the ecosystem diversity
● Greater ecosystem diversity = more food & hab. resources
● More niches, or “roles” organisms can play in the ecosystem

Islands closer to the “mainland” support more species
Island Biogeography
● Easier for colonizing organisms to get to island
from mainland
● More colonizing organisms = more genetic
diversity in new pop.

Natural selection

Natural selection: organisms that are better adapted to their env. survive
and reproduce more offspring

Selective pressure/force

Selective pressure/force: the
environmental condition that kills
individuals without the adaptation
Predation (hawk) = selective
pressure

Range of tolerance

Range of conditions such as temperature, salinity, pH, or sunlight
that an organism can endure before injury or death

Optimal range

Optimal range: range where organisms survive, grow, and reproduce

Zone of physiological stress

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

Zone of intolerance

Zone of intolerance: range where the organism will die Ex: thermal shock, suffocation, lack of food/water/oxygen

Periodic disturbance

Periodic: occurs with regular frequency (ex: dry-wet seasons

Episodic disturbance

Episodic: occasional events with irregular frequency (ex: hurricanes, droughts, fires

Random disturbance

Random: no regular frequency (volcanoes, earthquakes, and asteroids) ἽἽ ἽἽ

Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis

Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis The highest diversity of species in an ecosystem is maintained by a level of disturbance intermediate between frequent and rare disturbance. If disturbance is frequent the succession may fail to develop beyond the pioneer phase. If disturbance is rare, the climax will be established and diversity reduced according to the competitive exclusion principle Ex. Fire

Primary Succession

Primary Succession: starts from bare rock in an area with no previous soil formation Moss & lichen spores carried by the wind grow directly on rocks, breaking them down to form soil

Secondary Succession

Secondary Succession: starts from already established soil, in an area where a disturbance (fire/tornado/human land clearing) cleared out the majority of plant life Grasses, sedges, wildflowers, and berry bushes have seeds dispersed by wind or animal droppings

Invasive Species to know

Emerald Ash Borer Spread by wood packing materials of ships/planes & fire wood Cane Toad Introduced to eat cane beetles causing sugarcane crop loss in Australia Became invasive due to huge appetite Drove declines in other amphibians and small reptiles Pythons (FL) Brought to Florida as pets, released into wild by owners Decimated mammal populations in Everglades ~90-95% Aggressive hunters with no natural predators

Anrthopogenic activties

Poaching Invasives Climate change Special food/needs

⛰️ CITES:

⛰️ CITES: International agreement for countries to set up agencies to monitor import and export of endangered species (as specified by IUCN Red List)

⛰️ Endangered Species Act:

⛰️ Endangered Species Act: US law giving USFWS power to designate species as endangered or threatened, monitor trade, and purchase land critical to these species’ habitats

Specialists

Less likely to move to new habitat Less likely to adapt to new conditions Disadvantaged by rapidly changing habitat conditions

Generalists

More likely to move to new habitat More likely to adapt to new conditions Advantaged by rapidly changing habitat conditions