Glossary
Biodiversity
The variety of life in an ecosystem, encompassing diversity within and between species.
Example:
A tropical rainforest, with its vast array of plant, animal, and microbial life, is a prime example of an ecosystem with high biodiversity.
Ecosystem Resilience
The measure of how quickly an ecosystem recovers and returns to its original state after a disturbance.
Example:
After a wildfire, a highly ecosystem resilient forest might quickly regrow from its seed bank and surviving root systems, restoring its previous community structure within a few years.
Ecosystem Resistance
The measure of how much a disturbance affects an ecosystem's functioning, indicating its ability to withstand change.
Example:
A diverse prairie ecosystem with deep-rooted grasses might exhibit high ecosystem resistance to drought, continuing to thrive despite dry conditions.
Genetic Diversity
The variation of genes within a single species or population, providing the raw material for adaptation.
Example:
A population of wild potatoes with many different genes for disease resistance has high genetic diversity, making them more likely to survive a new blight.
Keystone Species
A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its ecosystem relative to its abundance, often maintaining the structure of the ecological community.
Example:
If sea otters, a keystone species, disappear from a kelp forest, sea urchin populations can explode and decimate the kelp, leading to ecosystem collapse.
Species Diversity
The variety of different species present within a specific ecosystem.
Example:
A coral reef teeming with numerous types of fish, corals, and invertebrates demonstrates high species diversity.