Glossary
Biodiversity
The variety of life on Earth, encompassing the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems.
Example:
A vibrant coral reef teeming with diverse fish, invertebrates, and algae showcases high biodiversity.
Ecosystem Resilience
The ability of an ecosystem to recover quickly and return to its original state after a disturbance.
Example:
After a wildfire, a grassland that quickly regrows its native plants demonstrates high ecosystem resilience.
Ecosystem Resistance
The ability of an ecosystem to remain unchanged or minimally affected when subjected to a disturbance.
Example:
A highly biodiverse forest might show strong ecosystem resistance to a mild drought, with minimal tree loss.
Evenness
A measure of biodiversity that describes how evenly distributed the populations of each species are within an ecosystem.
Example:
A forest with roughly equal numbers of oak, maple, and pine trees shows high species evenness.
Genetic Diversity
The variety of genes within a single species, allowing for adaptation to changing conditions.
Example:
A field of corn with many different genetic strains is more likely to survive a new pest outbreak than a field of genetically identical corn.
Habitat Diversity
The variety of different habitats available in a given area, which supports a wider range of species.
Example:
A national park containing mountains, forests, rivers, and deserts exhibits high habitat diversity, supporting a wide range of life.
Population Bottleneck
A sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events or human activities, leading to a significant loss of genetic diversity.
Example:
The northern elephant seal population experienced a severe population bottleneck in the 19th century, reducing their genetic variation significantly.
Richness
A measure of biodiversity that refers to the number of different species present in an ecosystem.
Example:
A scientist counts 50 different types of insects in a meadow, indicating high species richness.
Simpson’s Diversity Index
A common quantitative measure used to calculate the richness of an ecosystem, ranging from 0 (low richness) to 1 (high richness).
Example:
Calculating a high Simpson's Diversity Index for a wetland suggests a healthy and varied community of organisms.
Species Diversity
The variety of different species present in an ecosystem.
Example:
The Amazon rainforest is renowned for its incredible species diversity, hosting millions of different plant and animal species.