APES Chapter 2 WIP

Ecosystem Diversity

The number of different habitats available in a given area.

Species Diversity

The number of different species in an ecosystem and the balance or evenness of the population sizes of all species in the ecosystem.

Genetic Diversity

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

Richness

The total number of different species found in an ecosystem

Evenness

A measure of how all of the individuals organisms in an ecosystem are balanced between the different species.

Bottleneck Event

Environmental disturbance that reduces genetic diversity

Resilience

Ability of an ecosystem to return to its OG conditions after a major disturbance.

Ecosystem Services

Goods and services provided by natural ecosystems that are beneficial to humans

Human Disrupt Ecosystem Services

Human activities disrupt the ability of ecosystems to function, which decreases the value of ecosystem services they provide

Regulating Services

Benefit provided by ecosystem processes that moderate natural conditions like climax, air quality, biodiversity, soil quality.

Supporting Services

Natural processes that sustain ecosystems, allowing them to support life and all of the other ecosystem services

Cultural Services

Revenue from recreational activities & profits from scientific discoveries made in ecosystems.

Ecological Tolerance

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

Optimal Range

Range where organisms survive, grow and reproduce

Zone of Physiological Stress

Range where organisms survive, but experience some stress such as infertility, lack of growth, decreased activity, etc.

Zone of Intolerance

Range where the organism will die

Natural Disturbances

A natural event that disrupts the structure and/or function of an ecosystem

Periodic Natural Disruption

Natural Disruption that occurs with regular frequency

Episodic Natural Disruption

Natural disruption with occasional events with irregular frequency

Random Natural Disruption

Natural disruption with no regular frequency