All Flashcards
Cause: Population bottleneck. Effect?
Reduced genetic diversity, increased vulnerability to disease and environmental changes, and higher risk of extinction.
Cause: Loss of habitat diversity. Effect?
Loss of species that depend on those habitats, leading to a decrease in overall biodiversity.
Cause: Low species evenness. Effect?
One or a few species dominate the ecosystem, making it less stable and more vulnerable to disturbances.
Cause: High biodiversity. Effect?
Increased ecosystem stability, greater resilience to disturbances, and enhanced ecosystem services.
Cause: Forest clearing for agriculture. Effect?
Reduces genetic diversity, species diversity, and habitat diversity, decreasing ecosystem resistance and resilience.
Cause: Climate change. Effect?
Can alter habitats, leading to shifts in species distribution and potential loss of species that cannot adapt or migrate.
Cause: Introduction of invasive species. Effect?
Can outcompete native species, reduce species diversity, and alter ecosystem structure and function.
Cause: Pollution. Effect?
Can harm or kill sensitive species, reduce biodiversity, and disrupt ecosystem processes.
Cause: Overexploitation of resources. Effect?
Can lead to the decline or extinction of targeted species, disrupting food webs and ecosystem stability.
Cause: Habitat fragmentation. Effect?
Reduces habitat size, isolates populations, and decreases genetic diversity, making species more vulnerable to extinction.
Define biodiversity.
The variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and the ecological and evolutionary processes that sustain it.
What is genetic diversity?
The variety of genes within a single species.
Define species diversity.
The variety of different species within an ecosystem.
What is habitat diversity?
The variety of different habitats in a given area.
Define population bottleneck.
A sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events or human activities, which reduces genetic diversity.
What is species richness?
The number of different species present in an ecosystem.
What is species evenness?
How evenly distributed the populations of each species are in an ecosystem.
Define ecosystem resistance.
The ability of an ecosystem to withstand or resist changes caused by disturbances.
What is ecosystem resilience?
The ability of an ecosystem to recover quickly after a disturbance.
Define Simpson's Diversity Index.
A quantitative measure that estimates the species diversity of a community. A higher value indicates greater diversity.
What are the effects of a population bottleneck?
Reduced genetic diversity, increased vulnerability to extinction.
How does clearing a forest impact biodiversity?
Reduces genetic, species, and habitat diversity, disrupting ecosystem processes.
What is the effect of low ecosystem resistance?
The ecosystem is severely impacted by a disturbance.
What is the effect of low ecosystem resilience?
The ecosystem takes a long time to recover from a disturbance, or may not recover at all.