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Why is genetic diversity important?
It allows a species to adapt to changing environmental conditions, such as new diseases or climate shifts.
Explain the impact of low species diversity.
If one species is wiped out, there may not be another to take its place, potentially leading to ecosystem collapse.
Why does habitat diversity matter?
Different habitats support different species; more habitat diversity means more overall biodiversity.
What does a high Simpson's Diversity Index indicate?
A high value indicates high species richness, suggesting a more diverse and potentially more stable ecosystem.
What does a population bottleneck do?
It reduces genetic diversity, making the population more vulnerable to extinction.
How does biodiversity relate to ecosystem stability?
Higher biodiversity generally leads to greater ecosystem stability and adaptability.
What characterizes an ideal ecosystem in terms of richness and evenness?
High richness (many species) and high evenness (balanced population sizes among species).
How does biodiversity affect ecosystem resistance?
Biodiversity generally increases ecosystem resistance, making it more difficult for disturbances to significantly impact the ecosystem.
How does biodiversity affect ecosystem resilience?
Biodiversity increases ecosystem resilience, allowing the ecosystem to recover more quickly after a disturbance.
Describe the relationship between habitat loss and species specialization.
Loss of habitat often leads to the loss of specialist species, as they are highly dependent on specific habitat features.
Why is genetic diversity important?
Allows species to adapt to changes like diseases or climate shifts.
Why is species diversity important?
Different species have different roles; more species = more stable ecosystem.
Why is habitat diversity important?
Different habitats support different species; more habitat diversity = more biodiversity.
What is the impact of low species diversity?
Ecosystems are less stable and more vulnerable to collapse if a species is lost.
What characterizes an ideal ecosystem in terms of richness and evenness?
High richness (many species) and high evenness (balanced populations).
How does biodiversity affect ecosystem stability?
Higher biodiversity generally leads to greater ecosystem stability and adaptability.
What is the impact of habitat loss?
Leads to loss of specialist species and reduced numbers of species with large territorial needs.
How does biodiversity relate to ecosystem resistance and resilience?
Biodiversity increases both ecosystem resistance (ability to withstand disturbance) and resilience (ability to recover).
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.