Biodiversity and conservation: terms & patterns exam 1

conservation biology

An integrated field of science:

Ecology, evolutionary, geography, environmental

Economics, ethics, law, policy

Sociology and anthropology

Ecological footprint

describes the space and area that a person needs to support their needs

Human population growth

population is increasing but at a decreasing rate, leaving resource allocation an issue

Biodiversity

complete range of species and biological communities on earth

biological species concept

groups of actually or potentially interbreeding populations, which are reproductively isolated from other such groups (problems with asexual species and hybrids)

morphological concept

uses phenotypic traits

phylogenetic concept

uses phylogenies, assumes evolutionary history

molecular species concept

"barcoding" to ID species, limited by the need to ID an organism for the first time to begin with

species richness

refers to the literal number of species

Alpha diversity

number of species in a community

Gamma diversity

number of species in a whole region

Beta diversity

change in number of species from community to region (Gamma/Alpha)

species evenness

relative abundance of each species
not just about unique species, but also the number of individuals.

Shannon diversity index

measures species diversity by including both richness and evenness 
higher value=higher diversity

functional diversity

traits an organism has allow it to play into specific niches in communities

faciliate interactions and ecosystem processes

community diversity

diversity at a broader level, how species interact is critical for ecosystem functionality
predation, herbivory, competition, etc

Keystone Species

have a disproportionately large impact relative to population size (ex. starfish)

Trophic cascades

removal of a top predator impacts all trophic levels

ecosystem diversity

the physical environment shapes identity and abundance of species in region and the species in the region shape the physical environment

species accumulation curve

gives the expected number of observed species or distinct classes as a function of sampling effort

14% of all species have been desrcibed

Pattern of where species are found

greater biodiversity in latitudinal areas near the equator (temperature, climate, land mass)

cradle explanation

more species forming at tropics, rate of extinctions stable

museum explanation

rates of species origination are stable, but higher rate of extinction seen at the poles

Global diversity hotspots

near equator, coasts, islands

ecosystem function

ecological processes that control the flow of energy, nutrients, and organic matter through the environment

ex. primary producing, biomass, nutrient cycling, decomposition

measured by plant biomass

Pattern of diversity in the wild

biodiversity strongly enhances ecosystem function in nature ecosystems (more), than in controlled environments

ecosystem stability

the maintenance of the same state via

resistance- maintaining the same state despite disturbance

resilience- return to the original state post-disturbance

Intrinsic value

Species have inherent value and should be protected

Because it exists in the world, it deserves to be here

Instrumental value

value from Ecosystem services (what we are taking from the ecosystem, what is doing for us)

Relational value

Nature is part of my identity

How you relate to nature

Cultural connection to or appreciation of nature

Ecosystem services

provided by nature that improve and sustain human well-being

provisioning service

benefits extracted directly from nature (ex. food, fuel, fiber, medicines, etc...)

regulating services

benefits provided by processes that moderate natural phenomena (ex- climate regulation, water purification, erosion prevention, etc...)

supporting services

underlying natural processes that maintain ecosystems (ex- soil formation, nutrient cycling, primary production, basically all of the things that ensure that an ecosystem persists)

cultural services

non-material benefits which contribute to the development and well-being of people. this is notoriously difficult to quantify. (ex. spirituality and religions, recreation, aesthetic, heritage)

direct use

harvested resource

productive use

sold for use elsewhere

indirect use

benefit from process, not resource (ex. seagrass preventing a storm surge). These are often renewable

option value

potential future benefits

existence value

non-use, appreciation

ecotourism

visiting natural areas to experience the unique and often fragile biological communities (ex. national parks)

Globally extinct

all individuals are gone

Extinct in the wild

 living individuals only in captivity

Locally extinct/extirpated

extinct from an area that used to be in its range

Functionally extinct

Very small numbers, can no longer fulfill its ecological role

Species Area Curve

Rate at which extinction should occur, how many species an area should be able to accommodate

pattern of species and islands

- immigration is highest on islands close to the mainland (source)

- extinction is highest on smaller islands (sp. area curve)

- the most speciose islands are near a mainland and large

patterns of global habitat loss

nearly all biomes have experienced habitat loss (mostly in the last 50/60 years)

- losses linked to patterns of biodiversity. richly diverse areas are more vulnerable

- variation in projected loss as a result of human usability

Degradation

not physically taking things out, but weve done something toreduce the quality

Habitat can be physically intact but reduced in quality due to human activity

Ex- oil spills

Eutrophication

Excess nutrients in water leads to algal bloom

Decomposition of algae deplets O2

When they die its a problem

Lack of O2 can lead to massive fish kills

Fragmentation

the process where large, continuous natural habitats are divided into smaller, isolated patches by human activities such as urban development, roads, agriculture, and logging, or natural events

creation of barrier (ex- roads)

Causes: logging, cultivation, roads, cities

fragment shape

shape of a fragment changes the potential for edge effects

fragment configuration

fragment isolation yields decreased colonization and dispersal

overexploitation

taking more than the population can regenerate via natural population growth

Maximum sustainable yield (MSY)

Maximum amount we can take without decreasing their population

Maximum economic yield (MEY)

maximum difference between revenue curve and costs curve

Bioeconomic equilibrium (BE)

Where costs and revenues are equal, past this point=money lost