Conservation Bio Midterm 2 prep

Species Richness

The number of different species represented in a given ecological community, landscape, or region.

Habitat Loss

The reduction in the area or quality of habitats that support species, often due to human activity.

Habitat Fragmentation

The process by which larger habitats are broken into smaller, isolated sections, negatively impacting species survival.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrous oxide.

Climate Variability

The variations in climate patterns over time, including changes in temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather events.

Rapid Evolution Hypothesis

The idea that species can evolve rapidly in response to immediate climatic changes.

Plasticity Hypothesis

The concept that species can adjust their growth and reproductive strategies within a generation in response to environmental changes.

Migration Hypothesis

The view that species will shift their geographic distribution in response to climate change.

Interhemispheric Temperature Asymmetry

The difference in average surface air temperatures between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Inbreeding Depression

Reduced biological fitness in a population due to inbreeding, which can lead to a decline in population health.

Ecological Trap

A situation where animals settle in habitats that appear suitable but lack the resources needed for successful reproduction.

Ecosystem Decay Hypothesis

The idea that biodiversity loss accelerates due to the degradation of ecosystems, particularly in smaller habitat fragments.

Carbon Sequestration

The process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide in natural carbon reservoirs like forests and wetlands.

Biodiversity Conservation

Efforts and strategies aimed at protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems to preserve biodiversity.

Source-Sink Dynamics

Population dynamics involving areas where species can successfully breed and areas where they cannot sustain their population.

Allee Effects

A phenomenon in ecology where individuals in low-density populations have difficulty finding mates, leading to reduced reproductive success.

Acidification

The decrease in pH of water bodies, often due to increased levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the atmosphere.

Novel Environments

New habitats that result from human-induced changes in the environment, which may cause adaptive challenges for existing species.

Adaptation

A biological process where species develop traits that enhance their survival and reproduction in a specific environment.

Progression

• edge is created and forest area is removed.

• Initially, there is more light and wind and a greater variation in temperature.

• These added variables can result in tree mortality, under-story release and changes in species composition, including the addition of invasive plants

Remnant forest

 a piece of forest that hasn’t been clear cut for fields as it's not physically possible or not profitable

Retired grasslands

Acts as a buffer region to help make the transition from the crop to the remnant forest less harsh

Habitat source

 births exceed deaths, driving emigration

Habitat sink

deaths exceed births, requiring immigration

Dispersal limitation

 Far more unoccupied suitable habitat in the source but not used.

Density dependence

 population growth rate slows, as populations grow in density and size

The isolation enigma

Dispersal with isolation becomes increasingly important for gene flow, but natural selection can rapidly act against traits promoting gene flow.

Lost dispersal

The disruption of dispersal-based social behaviour in migratory warblers.

Appearance enigma

Remnant habitat looks like a suitable habitat, but something is profoundly absent (“habitat degradation”)

Extinctions debts

the future extinction of species due to past habitat loss and isolation