EVS 411 Exam 3

Hypoxia

Low levels of oxygen in the environment.

Anoxic

No oxygen levels present in the environment.

Impact Threshold

The population level at which systems are less likely to recover from disturbances.

Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH)

Suggests that maximum diversity occurs at intermediate levels of disturbances.

Diversity Recovery

Diversity is highest when there is a healthy pool of recruits aiding in area recovery.

Competition and Diversity

Higher diversity occurs when competition among species is equivalent.

Reef Community Development

The process of progression from bare substrate to colonization, succession, and ultimately climax community.

Types of Disturbances on Reefs

Includes hurricanes, Acanthaster, oil spills, bleaching, disease epizootic, blast fishing, and flood/runoff sedimentation.

Resilience in Coral Reefs

The ability of a system to remain stable despite disturbances, affected by factors like overfishing and nutrient levels.

Resistance in Corals

The capability of individual corals or populations to withstand changes without altering their state.

Resilient Corals

Populations able to recover despite changes in the system, influenced by event intensity, duration, and frequency.

Adaptation

Genotypic changes over time that favor survival, leading to new species and local adaptations.

Acclimation

Phenotypic changes in response to environmental change, typically reversible and not inherited.