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Biodiv in Eco VC
Biodiversity in Ecosystems
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| biodiversity | the number and variety of organisms found in a specific region |
| species | a group of organisms that have similar traits and are able to produce fertile offspring |
| genetic diversity | the variety of genes or inherited traits that are present |
| species diversity | the number of different species and the quantity of each species in an ecological community |
| ecosystem diversity | the variety of ecosystems in the biosphere |
| dynamic equilibrium | describes the balance between different parts of the ecosystem |
| resilience | the ability of an ecosystem to maintain balance even in the face of significant distrubances |
| biome | a geographic area on Earth that contains ecosystems with similar biotic and abiotic features |
| desert | a biome that receives very little rain |
| grassland | a biome where grasses are the dominant plant species |
| tropical rain forest | forests that grow near the equator and experience heavy annual rainfall |
| temperate | the term describing any region of Earth between the tropics and the polar circles |
| taiga | a forest biome consisting mostly of cone-bearing evergreen trees |
| wetland | an aquatic ecosystem that has a thin layer of water covering soil that is wet most of the time |
| estuary | a coastal area where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from seas or oceans |
| coral reef | an underwater structure made from outside skeletons of tiny, soft-bodied animals called coral |
| ecosystem services | the benefits experienced by organisms, including humans, which are provided by healthy ecosystems |
| supporting services | ecosystem services that allow for the existences of all other ecosystem services |
| provisioning services | ecosystem services that provide products from an ecosystem |
| regulating services | benefits that are received through the regulation of ecosystem processes |
| cultural services | benefits that people obtain through their experiences with the ecosystem |
| pollution | the contamination of the environment with substances that are harmful to life |
| invasive species | an organism that is introduced into an ecosystem, either by accident or on purpose, that spreads on its own and outcompetes native species for resources |
| habitat destruction | changing a habitat so much that it is no longer usable by the organisms that live there |
| overexploitation | the overuse of animal and plant species by humans |
| climate change | changes in climate pattern over time |
| reforestation | process of planting trees to replace trees that have been cut or burned down |
| reclamation | a process in which mined land is restored with soil and replanted with vegetation |
Created by:
Kuiper
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