Biodiversity and Conservation Concepts

These flashcards cover important vocabulary and concepts related to biodiversity and conservation, providing definitions for key terms.

Biodiversity

The variety of life on Earth.

Habitat diversity

The range of different habitats or ecosystems present in a region; higher habitat diversity usually supports higher species diversity.

Species diversity

A measure of the number of species, richness, and their relative evenness within a community.

Genetic diversity

The variety of genes within a species' population, allowing populations to adapt to environmental change and reducing vulnerability to disease and extinction.

Evolution

The change in populations of organisms over generations, driven by genetic variation.

Natural selection

Individuals with advantageous traits survive and reproduce more successfully, causing those traits to become more common in the population.

Speciation

The formation of new species when populations become reproductively isolated and diverge genetically over time.

Simpson's reciprocal index

A measure of species diversity that accounts for both richness and evenness.

Invasive (alien) species

Non-native species that spread rapidly and cause ecological or economic harm by outcompeting native species or disrupting ecosystems.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

A global organization that compiles the Red List, categorizing species' conservation status, and provides international guidance on biodiversity protection.

Tragedy of the commons

A situation where individuals exploit shared resources for personal benefit, leading to overuse and degradation of the resource for the entire community.

Ex situ

Conservation methods that protect species outside their natural habitats, such as in zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks, or captive breeding programs.

In situ

Conservation that protects species within their natural habitats, such as through protected areas, reserves, or ecosystem restoration.

Flagship species

A charismatic or well-known species used to raise public awareness and support for broader conservation goals.

Keystone species

A species that plays a disproportionately large role in maintaining ecosystem structure and function; its removal leads to significant ecological changes.

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

An international treaty aimed at conserving biodiversity, promoting sustainable use of its components, and ensuring fair sharing of genetic resource benefits.

Edge effect

Changes in population or community structure that occur at the boundary between two habitats; edges often have different environmental conditions and can affect biodiversity.

Wildlife corridor

A strip of natural habitat connecting fragmented ecosystems, allowing movement, migration, and gene flow between animal populations.

Buffer zone

An area surrounding a protected region where limited human activity is allowed to reduce pressure on the core conservation zone and promote ecological stability.

Rewilding

A conservation strategy that restores natural processes and wilderness areas, often through species reintroductions, reduced human intervention, and ecological restoration.