Biodiversity

provisioning services

-services provided by nature
-benefits of biodiversity that humans use, including lumber, fur, meat, crops, water, food, and fiber

regulating services

- basic services that make life possible
-the service provided by natural systems that helps regulate environmental conditions
ex: water and climate regulation

cultural services

benefits of biodiversity that provide aesthetic, spiritual, or recreational value
ex: architecture

supporting services

the basic ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycles and soil formation, that are needed to maintain other services

ecosystem diversity

number of habitats in a given area

species diversity

Number of different species in the biosphere

genetic diversity

the variety of genes within a given species

Species

a group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding.

richness

the number of different species in a community

Eveness

distribution of individuals among the different species

Biodiversity

The number of different species in an area

island biogeography

The study of rates of colonization and extinction of species on islands or other isolated areas based on size, shape, and distance from other inhabited regions

Species richness on land depends on...

rate of immigration to island, rate of extinction on island, island size, distance from mainland

endemic species

species that are native to and found only within a limited area

habitat fragmentation

Breakup of a habitat into smaller pieces, usually as a result of human activities.

wildlife corridors

strips of protected land linking larger areas. They allow animals to move freely and safely between habitats that would otherwise be isolated by human activities.

Evolution by natural selection

The process in which the environment determines which individuals survive and reproduce.

Fitness

Ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment

Adaptation

A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce

gene flow

The process by which individuals move from one population to another and thereby alter the genetic composition of both populations

genetic drift

A change in the allele frequency of a population as a result of chance events rather than natural selection. Random individuals randomly die

bottleneck effect

a reduction in the genetic diversity of a population caused by a reduction in its size

founder effect

A change in the genetic composition of a population as a result of descending from a small number of colonizing individuals- who actually makes it to the new ecosystem

range of tolerance

the limits to the abiotic conditions that a species can tolerate

Law of Tolerance

Degree to which living organisms are capable of tolerating changes in their environment

ecological niche

the sum of a species' use of the biotic and abiotic resources in its environment

fundamental niche

The niche species could potentially occupy.

realized niche

The niche species actually occupies.

generalist species

Species with a broad ecological niche. They can live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions. Examples are flies, cockroaches, mice, rats, and human beings. Compare specialist species.

specialist species

Species with a narrow ecological niche. They may be able to live in only one type of habitat, tolerate only a narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions, or use only one type or a few types of food.

natural disturbances

all natural events that destroy an ecosystem; fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, floods

antropopogenic

means caused or created by human activity ex: deforestation

foundation species

species that plays a major role in shaping a community by creating and enhancing a habitat that benefits other species

keystone species

a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically.

indicator species

Species that serve as early warnings that a community or ecosystem is being degraded.

ecological succession

series of gradual changes that occur in a community following a disturbance

periodic disturbances

occurs with regular frequency (ex: dry-wet seasons)

episodic disturbances

occasional events with irregular frequency (ex: hurricanes, droughts, fires)

random disturbance

no regular frequency (volcanoes, earthquakes, and asteroids)

Natural climate change

natural fluctuations in earth's weather, including changes in temperature, wind patterns, and rainfall due to plate tectonics, ocean variations, Milankovitch cycles, and changes in solar output.

Resistance

the ability for an ecosystem to remain unchanged when undergoing disturbances

resislience

the ability and rate of an ecosystem to recover from a disturbance

ecosystem health

is a term used to reference the current quality/health status of
specific ecosystems, and acts as a tool for us to monitor the health of our
environment.
It is important to monitor the health of our natural systems that provide ecosystem
services that are the foundations of human well-being.

pioneer community

First integrated set of plants, animals, and decomposers found in an area undergoing primary ecological succession.

primary succession

succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists

secondary succession

type of succession that occurs in an area that was only partially destroyed by disturbances

lichen

An organism made of a fungus and either algae or autotrophic bacteria that live together in a mutualistic relationship.

aquatic succession

Water ecosystem changes to terrestrial one. Steps are: Lake, lake fills in with leaves and sediment, becomes meadow, meadow becomes forest.

native species

Species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem

non-native species

Species that migrate into an ecosystem or are deliberately or accidentally introduced into an ecosystem by humans.

invasive species

species that enter new ecosystems and multiply, harming native species and their habitats

HIPPCO

Habitat destruction, Invasive Species, Population growth, Pollution, Climate Change, Overexploitations

*habitat destruction is #1 threat to animals

local extinction

Occurs when a species is no longer found in an area it once inhabited but is still found elsewhere in the world

ecological extinction

the reduction of a species to such low abundance that, although it is still present in the community, it no longer interacts significantly with other species

biological extinction

when a species can no longer be found anywhere on the earth

biomass

renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals