Species diversity

Biosphere

Global ecosystem where all species coexist.

Conservation Prioritization

Identifying species needing urgent conservation efforts.

Genotype

Genetic constitution of an organism.

Species Richness

Count of the number of different species in a defined area.

6 units of conservation

Genotype, species, population (deme), group of populations, community, ecosystem

Biological Species Concept

Species are defined by interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from others

How can populations become reproductively isolated (2)

Allopatric (geographic) and sympatric speciation (same location)

What does the biological species concept exclude

Clonal and parthenogenic species

Morphological Species Concept

Species distinguished by shared/ different physical characteristics

Exceptions to the morphological species concept

2 species that look the same can be different species (orangutans) or vice versa (dogs and wolves - subspecies)

Phylogenetic Species Concept

Species are defined by genetic relationships and where they are on the phylogenetic tree

Hybridization

Crossbreeding between different species or subspecies

Alpha Diversity

Species diversity within a single location (eg a pond)

Beta Diversity

Variation in species composition across an ecological gradient

Gamma Diversity

Turnover of species between sites within a homogenous region

In what way would you sample an area to determine species richness

Systematic (selecting a representative group from a larger population via equal intervals)

Species Accumulation Curve - explain

Graph showing species discovery rates over time. There is a higher rate of species discovery at beginning of survey, rate slows towards end and plateaus)

Which R package is used to determine if youve surveyed enough

VEGAN

Biodiversity Indices

Metrics combining abundance and species richness.

Shannon index compared to simpson

More influenced by rare species

Simpson Index compared to shannon

Less influenced by rare species

Hotspots

Areas prioritized for conservation due to high biodiversity.

Reactive Conservation

Focus on areas with high vulnerability.

Proactive Conservation

Focus on areas with low vulnerability.

Species-based approach

Use information on status of individual species as a guide to prevent extinction

What is rarity

When a species is low in abundance and distribution, and high in specificity

Why may a species be perceived as rare

If it really is rare, or if it is under-recorded, difficult to find, or a vagrant

Using surrogacy

Individual species can be used as representatives for many other species to direct conservation planning

4 Types of species that can be used for surrogacy

Umbrella species, flagship species, indicator species, ecological replacement species

Umbrella Species

Species whose conservation benefits others in ecosystem

Flagship Species

Species that attract conservation funding and attention

Indicator Species

Species whose presence indicates habitat health

Ecological Replacement

Non-native species performing ecological functions of extinct species

Rewilding

Restoring ecosystems by reintroducing native species

Lazarus Species

Species thought extinct but rediscovered

Exotic Species

Non-native species introduced to a new environment