Biodiversity & Biogeography
Two scales used to measure species biodiversity.
What is species richness, and species evenness (relative abundance)?
The most common anthropogenic (human caused) factor for species decline.
What is habitat loss?
TWO factors that differentiate primary succession from secondary succession.
Soil and time of recovery (primary = no soil; longer time to recover)
Name two ways the frequency of disturbances are described
Periodic, episodic, or random.
A species that lives in only one specific area of the world
What is an endemic species?
According to the theory of island biogeography, these "island" would have the fewest number of different species?
What is far from the mainland and small in size?
As land is fragmented, these species will increase as their respective land also increases.
What are edge species?
Two characteristics of pioneer species.
What is easily dispersed; fast growing, light tolerant, high dormancy
How frequently should an ecosystem experience disturbances to maximize biodiversity?
occasionally; intermediate disturbance hypothesis
What is an adaptation?
What is a trait that by random chance gives an individual a survival advantage in a specific environment. Over time, this trait will become more prevalent in the population as a whole.
Ecosystem A has 5 different species with the following abundances: A - 20%, B - 15%, C - 20%, D - 20%, and E 15%
Ecosystem B has 5 different species with the following abundances: A - 5% B - 25% C - 25%, D - 35%, and E 10%
Which has the higher biodiversity and why?
Ecosystem A
species richness is the same, but A has a more even distribution of each
Horses and European honey bees are examples of this, because they provide a benefit to humans despite them being imported from other environments.
What are non-native, exotic, or introduced species?
TWO examples of primary succession AND TWO examples of secondary succession.
Primary - glacial retreat, volcanic eruption, abandoned parking lot
Secondary - forest fire and abandoned agricultural field
An ecosystem that is highly impacted by a disturbance, but can recover from that event is said to be... (2 parts)
Low resistance; High resiliency
The name given for the normal rate of species extinction.
What is background extinction rate.
One reason why genetic diversity important within a population of a particular species?
Higher chance that a favorable mutation will arise or increases the chances the some individuals in a population will survive/adapt after a disturbance.
Why does the population of invasive grow rapidly after their introduction (main reason!)
No natural predators
How lichen create soils?
Secrete acids that liberate NPK
Two factors are necessary for a species to be considered a 'keystone' species?
Small pop. size & large impact on ecosystem
An event that reduces genetic variation when a population size shrinks.
What is a genetic bottleneck?
The environmental condition that lichen are sensitive to.
Air pollution (NOx in the air)
Describe one of the three solutions mentioned to invasive species
Prevention (i.e. education; cleaning), Eradication (i.e. culling, sterilization), or Containment (i.e. quarantine, restrictions).
Identify relationship between biomass, primary productivity, biodiversity and ecological succession AND explain why.
as succession progresses, all 3 increase
Increased species of plants (especially those larger in size) are more productive. This also supports more species of animals that can find habitats so the biodiversity and biomass go up as well.
3 (out of 5) anthropogenic causes of genetic bottlenecks.
HIPPCO
Habitat loss, invasive species, pollution, climate change, over exploitations
The absence of these species signal an environment under stress.
What are indicator species?