D4.2 Stability and Change Kognity

50 vocabulary flashcards covering ecosystem stability, biodiversity, succession, human impacts, pollution and restoration concepts from the lecture.

Ecosystem Stability

Ability of an ecosystem to maintain structure and function over time despite disturbances.

Resistance (Ecology)

Capacity of an ecosystem to remain unchanged when subjected to disturbances.

Resilience (Ecology)

Capacity of an ecosystem to recover to original state after disturbance.

Tipping Point

Critical threshold where small changes cause large, often irreversible ecosystem shifts.

Tropical Rainforest

Oldest, most biodiverse terrestrial biome; warm, wet, layered forests near equator.

Great Barrier Reef

World’s largest coral reef system; 20 + million years old, highly diverse marine habitat.

Biodiversity

Variety of genes, species and ecosystems in a given area.

Species Diversity

Number and relative abundance of different species in a community.

Habitat Diversity

Variety of habitat types within a geographic area.

Genetic Diversity

Range of genetic traits within a population or species.

Energy Flow

One-way transfer of solar energy through producers to consumers and decomposers.

Supply of Energy

Amount and continuity of usable energy entering an ecosystem, mainly from sunlight.

Nutrient Recycling

Continuous movement of chemical elements between organisms and environment.

Nutrient Cycling

Biogeochemical pathways of elements like carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus through ecosystems.

Range of Tolerance

Span of environmental conditions under which a species can survive and reproduce.

Limiting Factor

Environmental variable that restricts population growth when in short supply.

Positive Feedback (Rainforest)

More trees → more transpiration → more rainfall → supports more trees; self-reinforcing loop.

Mesocosm

Controlled, medium-scale experimental ecosystem used to model natural processes.

Scientific Model

Simplified representation of a real system used to explain, predict or test hypotheses.

Bioaccumulation

Build-up of persistent chemicals in an organism over time.

Biomagnification

Increase in pollutant concentration at successive trophic levels of a food chain.

Microplastics

Plastic particles < 5 mm formed intentionally or from fragmentation of larger plastics.

Macroplastics

Larger visible plastic debris such as bottles, bags, nets and packaging.

Eutrophication

Nutrient enrichment of water bodies causing algal blooms and oxygen depletion.

Sustainability

Meeting present needs without compromising ability of future generations to meet theirs.

Sustainable Harvesting

Removing maximum renewable resource quantity without reducing ecosystem stability long-term.

Overexploitation

Harvesting a resource faster than it can naturally renew, leading to decline.

Deforestation

Permanent removal of forest cover, often for agriculture or development.

Amazon Rainforest

~80 million-year-old, largest tropical forest; vital carbon sink and biodiversity hotspot.

Coral Reef

Marine ecosystem built by coral polyps; high productivity and species richness.

Boreal Forest (Taiga)

Subarctic coniferous forest biome enduring cold winters and short summers.

Sonoran Desert

North American desert with bi-seasonal rains supporting highest desert plant diversity.

Keystone Species

Organism whose influence on community structure is disproportionately large relative to abundance.

Trophic Cascade

Chain reaction through food web triggered by addition/removal of top consumer.

Habitat Modification

Environmental changes created by organisms that shape conditions for other species.

Primary Succession

Community development on previously lifeless substrate like lava or retreating glacier.

Secondary Succession

Recovery sequence following disturbance in previously inhabited area with soil present.

Cyclic Succession

Predictable, recurring sequence of community stages that repeat over time.

Climax Community

Stable, mature ecological community in final stage of succession.

Arrested Succession

Interruption of normal succession keeping community at earlier stage.

Rewilding

Restoring natural processes and native species to degraded ecosystems.

Species Reintroduction

Returning locally extirpated species to their historical range.

Habitat Restoration

Actions to recover degraded environments and support native biodiversity.

Carbon Footprint (Agriculture)

Total greenhouse-gas emissions from farming activities and supply chain.

Soil Erosion

Removal of topsoil by wind or water, intensified by poor land management.

Dust Bowl

1930s Great Plains soil-erosion crisis caused by drought and unsustainable farming.

Agrochemicals

Synthetic fertilisers and pesticides applied in agriculture, affecting soils and waters.

Keystone Predator

Top predator like sea otter whose hunting maintains ecosystem balance.

Atlantic Cod Collapse

Overfishing-driven decline of North Atlantic cod stocks after 1960s catch boom.