Biodiversity and Ecological Tolerance

Vocabulary flashcards covering the definition, scales, measurements, edge effects, and ecological tolerance limits of biodiversity based on the lecture material.

Biodiversity

A measure of variety of living things from genes to species to ecosystems.

Genetic Biodiversity

Varying DNA/traits within a species, such as dogs with different traits like chihuahuas and poodles.

Species Biodiversity

Varying species in a given area, such as deer, birds, and bugs all in a forest ecosystem.

Habitat/Ecosystem Biodiversity

Varying habitat types in a larger region, such as a river running through a meadow in a forest.

Abundance

The number of organisms in an area.

Richness

The number of different species present in an area.

Evenness

Describes the relative abundance of each species compared to each other.

Complexity

The combination of the number of trophic levels and richness at each level.

Diversity

The combination of richness and abundance in a community.

Ecosystem Diversity

The number of kinds of ecosystems present in an area.

Edge Effects

Describe what happens on the borders between ecosystems (called ecotones).

Ecotones

Borders between ecosystems where overlapping ecosystems support more biodiversity in species.

Ecological Tolerance Limits

The range of abiotic conditions, such as temperature, oxygen levels, salinity, and sunlight that an organism can endure before injury or death results.

speciation

new species can develop if a population is separated and can't share genes.

bottleneck

Loss of genetic diversity when a population is greatly reduced in size due to some event

founder effect

A small subset of the population migrates and establishes a new population with just their genes

specialists

Occupy a narrow niche and use a specific set of resources

Ex: Pandas only eat bamboo

Less adaptable to changing conditions due to specialized needs

generalists

Occupy a broad niche and use a wide variety of resources

Ex: Raccoons eat whatever

会

More adaptable to changing conditions due to higher tolerance

endemic species

A species that is unique to a specific geographic location and is not found anywhere else in the world

Vulnerable to extinction

• Ex: Lemurs are only found on the island of Madagascar.

increases biodiversity

Stable environmental conditions with only minor disturbances (storms, small fires, etc.), which protects specialists

Natural selection and evolution leading to speciation and specialization

High habitat diversity allowing for more niches, etc.

decreases biodiversity

Unstable environmental conditions and/or major disturbances (human development, large fires, etc.)

Extinction

Low habitat diversity

Geographic isolation so species have trouble finding mates

Invasive species outcompete native ones

invasive species

nonnative species introduced (often by humans) that are typically generalists, may not have a natural predator on the island, and can outcompete island specialists

habitat fragmentation

Breaking up and separating parts of habitats, usually by humans building dividers (roads, housing developments, crop fields, etc.)

financial services

from selling wood OR indirectly saving money from tree roots preventing mudslides that destroy roads and buildings)

ethical/intrinsic

(i.e. enjoyment of the beauty of nature during a hike

provisioning

providing goods

regulating

Regulating our environment, such as trees lowering temperatures, storing carbon, and preventing erosion

cultural

Services of human value, like recreation/tourism, mental/spiritual health, and aesthetics

supporting

Services that make the other 3 possible, such as nutrient cycling, soil formation, and photosynthesis

periodic

consistent and repeated

episodic

occasional and irregular

random

without warninf

pioneer species

Pioneer species move in first, building the foundation

climax community

Climax community forms as the most biodiverse final stage of the process

soil formation

Soil builds slowly over time to create different layers.

burrowere

distribute nutrients

primary succession

An ecosystem grows from rocks where no life was before

secondary succession

ecosystem grows from soil and dead matter after a disaster wiped out the previous ecosystem, like with forest fires

keystone species

species that defines the ecosystem and has a dramatically large effect on all other species, where the ecosystem would collapse without them

indicator species

species whose presence or abundance indicates specific ecosystem conditions and can be used to diagnose the health of an ecosystem