Understanding Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Generalist species

Broad niche, eat a variety of foods, live in different places, tolerate variety of conditions.

Specialist species

Narrow niche, eat just a few foods or only inhabit one small range of conditions.

Generalist species

Broad niche, eat a variety of foods, live in different places, tolerate variety of conditions.

Specialist species

Narrow niche, eat just a few foods or only inhabit one small range of conditions.

Keystone species

A plant or animal that plays a unique and crucial role in the way an ecosystem functions.

Density-independent factors

Things and events that limit the size of a population regardless of the density of the population.

Density-dependent factors

Where the effects on the size or growth of a population vary with the density of the population itself.

Ecosystem diversity

The number of different habitats available in a given area.

Species diversity

The number of different species in an ecosystem and the balance or evenness of the population sizes of all species in the ecosystem.

Genetic diversity

How different the genes are of individuals within a population (group of the same species).

Species richness

The total number of different species found in an ecosystem.

Evenness

A measure of how all of the individual organisms in an ecosystem are balanced between the different species.

Genetic diversity benefits

The more genetic diversity in a population, the better the population can respond to environmental stressors like drought, disease, or famine.

Bottleneck event

An environmental disturbance that drastically reduces population size & kills organisms regardless of their genome.

Inbreeding depression

When organisms mate with closely related 'family' members, leading to a higher chance of offspring having harmful genetic mutations.

Ecosystem resilience

The ability of an ecosystem to return to its original conditions after a major disturbance.

Biodiversity

The variety of plant and animal species in an ecosystem.

Ecosystem Services

Goods and services provided by natural ecosystems that are beneficial to humans (often monetarily of life-sustaining).

Cultural Services

Revenue from recreational activities (hunting/fishing licenses, park fees, tourism-related spending) & profits from scientific discoveries made in ecosystems.

Provisioning Services

Goods/products directly provided to humans for sale/use by ecosystems.

Regulating Services

Benefit provided by ecosystem processes that moderate natural conditions like climate and air quality.

Supporting Services

Natural ecosystems support processes we do ourselves, making them less costly and easier for us.

Anthropogenic Activities

Human activities that disrupt the ability of ecosystems to function, decreasing the value of ecosystem services.

Overfishing

The act of catching too many fish at once, leading to fish population collapse and economic consequences.

Deforestation

The clearing of trees, which disrupts regulating services like CO2 sequestration and air quality filtration.

Pollinator Habitat Loss

The loss of habitats for bees and other insects, disrupting supporting services like crop pollination.

Wetland Plant Roots

Roots that filter pollutants, leading to cleaner groundwater and reducing costs for water purification.

Trees in a Forest

They sequester CO2 through photosynthesis, reducing the rate of climate change and lessening damage from rising sea levels.

Beautiful Landscapes

Natural features that attract tourists, generating revenue through park fees and local spending.

Scientific Discoveries

Knowledge gained from ecosystems that can lead to the creation of new medicines sold for profit.

Natural Resources

Materials provided by ecosystems, such as wood, paper, food, and medicinal compounds.

Ecological Consequences

Natural impacts resulting from disruptions to ecosystem services.

Economic Consequences

Monetary impacts resulting from disruptions to ecosystem services.

Recreational Activities

Activities such as camping and tours that generate money and are supported by natural ecosystems.

Health Care Costs

Expenses related to treating diseases that can be reduced by regulating services provided by ecosystems.

Late 1990s

The period when the concept of ecosystem services was developed.

US EPA's Website

An online resource that describes ecosystem services.