Unit 2 Vocab

Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity Continued Vocabulary Words

Biodiversity

Biodiversity

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Genetic

Relating to genes or heredity; the biological information that determines traits in organisms.

Species

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

Habitat

The natural environment in which a species or community of species lives.

Population Bottleneck

A sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events or human activities.

Ecosystem disruption

A significant disturbance that alters the structure and function of an ecosystem.

Specialist

A species that has a narrow ecological niche and specific habitat requirements.

Generalist

A species that can thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can utilize a variety of resources.

Species Richness

The number of different species represented in a given ecological community.

Ecosystem Services

The benefits that humans derive from ecosystems, including provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services.

Provisioning

Ecosystem services that provide tangible goods, such as food, water, and raw materials.

Regulating

Ecosystem services that regulate natural processes, such as climate regulation and water purification.

Cultural

Ecosystem services that provide non-material benefits, such as recreational, aesthetic, and spiritual enrichment.

Supporting

Ecosystem services that maintain the conditions for life on Earth, such as nutrient cycling and soil formation.

Anthropogenic

Resulting from the influence of human beings on nature.

Island Biogeography

The study of the ecological relationships and distribution of species on islands.

Communities

Groups of different species that live together in a particular area and interact with one another.

Invasive Species

Non-native species that spread widely and cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health.

Ecological Tolerance

The range of conditions (such as temperature, humidity, and food availability) that a species can withstand.

Periodic

Occurring at regular intervals.

Episodic

Occurring occasionally and not at regular intervals.

Random

Occurring without a specific pattern or predictability.

Geological time

The vast time scale over which geological and biological processes occur.

Migration

The movement of organisms from one place to another, often seasonally.

Adaptation

The process by which a species becomes better suited to its environment through evolutionary changes.

Ecological Succession

The process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time.

Primary Succession

The development of a biological community in an area where no soil exists, such as after a volcanic eruption.

Secondary Succession

The recovery of an ecosystem after a disturbance that does not completely destroy it, such as after a fire.

Keystone Species

A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.

Indicator Species

A species whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition.

Pioneer Species

The first species to colonize previously disrupted or damaged ecosystems.

Realized Niche

The actual conditions and resources in which a species lives and thrives, reflecting its adaptations and interactions with other species.

Fundamental Niche

The complete range of environmental conditions and resources an organism can theoretically utilize or occupy without competition.

Trophic Cascade

A phenomenon where a change in the population of one species, typically a predator, leads to a ripple effect throughout the ecosystem, affecting multiple trophic levels.

Resource Partitioning

A process where different species or individuals in a community use resources in different ways or at different times to reduce competition.

Evenness

Definition: A property referring to a number being divisible by two without a remainder. In a broader context, it can also describe a state of balance or uniformity in various systems, such as in mathematics or social situations.

Example: 2, 4, 6, and 8 are all examples of this type of number.

Key Point: This concept is often contrasted with its opposite, which is oddness.