APES unit 2 learning

Invasive species

non native organism that spreads widely in ecosystems

indicator species

organisms that reflect the health of an ecosystem, often sensitive to environmental changes.

foundation species

species that have a strong role in structuring a community and supporting other species.

endangered species

species that is at risk of extinction due to habitat loss, low population numbers, or other threats.

threatened species

species that are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future due to population decline or habitat degradation.

endemic species

species that are native to and restricted to a specific geographic area.

generalist species

can thrive in a wide variety of environments

specialist species

thrives in narrow environmental conditions

biodiversity

the variety of living organisms in an ecosystem, including genetic species and habitat levels

genetic diversity

total variety of genetic characteristics (alleles) present within a population

species diversity

the number of different species and the relatable abundance

habitat diversity

the range of different physical habitats or ecosystems available in a particular region

species richness

total # of unique species represented in a community

species evenness

comparative balance or abundance of individual belonging

founder effect

reduction in genetic variation that occurs when small group of individuals becomes isolated

population bottleneck effect

sharp reduction in the size of a population due to an environmental event, leading to drastic loss of genetic diversity