Chapter 2: The Living World: Biodiversity (copy)

Biodiversity

The variability among species, between species, and of ecosystems.

Genetic diversity

The range of all genetic traits, both expressed and recessive, that make up the gene pool for a particular species.

Species diversity

The number of different species that inhabit a specific area.

Ecosystem diversity

The range of habitats that can be found in a specific area.

Population Bottleneck

A large reduction in the size of a single population due to a catastrophic environmental event.

Minimum Viable Population Size

The number of individuals remaining after a bottleneck that can exist without facing extinction from a natural disaster.

Generalist Species

Species that live in different types of environments and have varied diets.

Specialist Species

Species that require unique resources and often have a very limited diet.

Species Richness

The number of different species represented in an ecological community or region.

Law of Tolerance

States that the existence, abundance, and distribution of species depend on their tolerance level to physical and chemical factors in the environment.

Ecological Succession

The gradual and orderly process of ecosystem development brought about by changes in community composition.

Pioneer Species

Earlier successional plants or animals that are the first to colonize a barren area.

Primary Succession

The evolution of a biological community’s ecological structure in which plants and animals first colonize a barren, lifeless habitat.

Secondary Succession

A type of ecological succession in which plants and animals recolonize a habitat after a major disturbance.

Keystone Species

A species whose presence contributes to a diversity of life and whose extinction would lead to the extinction of other forms of life.

Indicator Species

Organisms whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition and indicates the health of an ecosystem.