Conservation Biology Ecosystem Diversity and Services (lecture 4)

Ecosystem

An interacting system composed if a biological community plus the associated physical and chemical environment

Biological community

All the species that live in a particular location

Ecosystem Diversity

1. The variation in ecosystems in an area

2. The complexity of the ecological proce3sses and interactions that occur within an ecosystem

Functionality

Processes normally associated with ecosystem are functioning well

Resilient

Tending to recover quickly after being harmed or affected by something

Food Web

Shows pathways of energy within an ecosystem

Trophic Level

A way species can be organized based on where they are in the food web

Primary producers

Organisms that create their food through photosynthesis / chemosynthesis

Primary Consumers

Herbivores, Grazers

Secondary Consumers

Eats primary consumers

Tertiary Consumers

Eats Secondary Consumers

Quaternary consumers

• Eat Tertiary consumers

• Top Predators

Bottom-Up Control

Population level and activity of lower tropic levels regulate the activity of the ecosystem above

Top-Down Control

Population level and activity of higher trophic levels regulate the overall activity of the ecosystem below

Trophic Cascade

When top-down control involved 3+ trophic levels

Density-mediated control

Predators directly reduce the numbers of prey by consuming them

Trait mediated control

Predators indirectly reduce the number of prey (ex. risk cues)

Mesopredator release

A population increase in Mesopredators due to decreased predation from higher-order predators

Keystone species

A species that plays a critical role in an ecosystem. the ecosystem would not function without it

Ecosystem Engineers

Species that alter the physical habitat in important ways (ex. gopher tortoise dens)

Insurance Hypothesis

Increased species diversity leads to increased ecosystem stability

Ecosystem service

Any benefit that an ecosystem provides to society

Provisioning Service

Obtaining products from the environment

Regulating services

Regulate the natural environment for the betterment of society

Cultural Services

Provide enjoyment

Supporting Services

Necessary for the existence of all other ecosystem services