All Flashcards
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.
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.
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.