Free Services (No Subscription Required)
Providing food, fresh water, and timber are examples of this type of ecosystem service.
Provisioning Services
Between two islands the same distance from shore, this one will likely have more species.
A trait that increases an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.
adaptation
This type of succession occurs on bare rock with no soil, such as after a lava flow.
Primary succession
These species are sensitive to environmental changes and can signal ecosystem health, like frogs or dragonfly nymphs.
indicator species
Recreation, tourism, and aesthetic value are part of this category
Cultural Services
The most favorable conditions for survival and reproduction are called this
optimal range
These species play a significant role in the structure of the ecosystem.
keystone species
This type of succession occurs after a disturbance where soil is already present.
secondary succession
The process by which individuals with advantageous traits survive and reproduce more than others.
natural selection
Nutrient cycling and soil formation are examples of this foundational category of services.
Supporting Services
This term describes the full range of environmental conditions an organism can survive in.
ecological tolerance
An ecological community has 30 oak trees, 20 squirrels, and 10 deer. What is the species richness of this community?
3
These are the first organisms to colonize areas during primary and secondary succession.
pioneer species
With a warming climate, this process common to many bird species happens much earlier in the season now.
migration
Pollination and climate regulation fall under this category of ecosystem services.
Regulating Services
How does the biodiversity on islands close to the mainland compare to islands that are farther away?
Biodiversity is higher the closer to the mainland.
Two ecosystems have the same number of species, but one has more equal population sizes—this ecosystem has a higher ________
evenness
What are the last species to colonize an area during succession?
climax community
The point at which water temperature becomes too hot for a fish species to survive is called the zone of ______.
intolerance
Filling in wetlands for development degrades this ecosystem service
Supporting Services
Areas outside the optimal range where organisms experience stress are called these zones
zones of physiological stress
A population of cheetahs has very low genetic variation due to this past event that reduced their numbers drastically.
population bottleneck
What are the first species to grow on bare rocks in primary succession?
Lichens/Mosses
the ability of an ecosystem to return to its original conditions after a major disturbance (wind storm, fire, flood, clear-cutting, etc.)
ecosystem resilience