Podcast
Questions and Answers
What happens if one species fails in an ecosystem?
What happens if one species fails in an ecosystem?
What is a characteristic of a stable ecosystem?
What is a characteristic of a stable ecosystem?
Why do populations cycle through periods of high and low numbers?
Why do populations cycle through periods of high and low numbers?
What is an example of a stable ecosystem?
What is an example of a stable ecosystem?
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What happens when one species goes extinct in a rainforest?
What happens when one species goes extinct in a rainforest?
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Why do rainforests have high levels of genetic diversity?
Why do rainforests have high levels of genetic diversity?
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What is a threat to the stability of rainforests?
What is a threat to the stability of rainforests?
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What is a consequence of the global decline of rainforests?
What is a consequence of the global decline of rainforests?
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Why are rainforests experiencing a global decline?
Why are rainforests experiencing a global decline?
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What is necessary to prevent the extinction of rainforests?
What is necessary to prevent the extinction of rainforests?
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What is an advantage of high ecological diversity in an ecosystem?
What is an advantage of high ecological diversity in an ecosystem?
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What characterizes the population sizes in stable ecosystems?
What characterizes the population sizes in stable ecosystems?
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Why are rainforests considered stable ecosystems?
Why are rainforests considered stable ecosystems?
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What is a key factor in maintaining ecological diversity in rainforests?
What is a key factor in maintaining ecological diversity in rainforests?
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What is a major threat to the stability of rainforests?
What is a major threat to the stability of rainforests?
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What is a consequence of the overuse of resources in rainforests?
What is a consequence of the overuse of resources in rainforests?
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Why are interventions necessary to prevent the extinction of rainforests?
Why are interventions necessary to prevent the extinction of rainforests?
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What is a characteristic of populations in stable ecosystems?
What is a characteristic of populations in stable ecosystems?
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What is a benefit of having multiple species that can fill similar ecological roles?
What is a benefit of having multiple species that can fill similar ecological roles?
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Why are rainforests considered resilient ecosystems?
Why are rainforests considered resilient ecosystems?
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Study Notes
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stability
- Environmental problems facing the planet include habitat loss and degradation, climate change, invasive species, pollution, overuse of natural resources, and deforestation, which all contribute to a decrease in biodiversity.
What is Biodiversity?
- Biodiversity is the measurement of diversity observed within living systems.
- It is an indicator of an ecosystem's health and stability.
- Ecosystems with high biodiversity can rebound faster from disturbances and are less impacted by extinction events.
Types of Biodiversity
- Biodiversity can be applied to many systems at multiple scales.
- It considers the diversity of an ecosystem at multiple levels, including:
- The number of species within an ecosystem
- The diversity of genes within a species or ecosystem
- The diversity of ecosystems within a landscape, continent, or planet
- The scale of biodiversity can range from incredibly small to incredibly large.
Species Biodiversity
- Species biodiversity is the most common type of biological diversity measurement.
- It considers the total number of species within a given area.
- Species diversity can be specified to a specific type of organism or at varying levels of the phylogeny.
- The total number of species on the planet is estimated to be between 3.5 million and over 100 million.
Genetic Biodiversity
- Genetic biodiversity considers the diversity of genomes within an ecosystem.
- It can be measured at different scales, including:
- Diversity of nucleotides between individuals of a single population and species
- Diversity of genome size between species in an ecosystem
- Low genetic diversity can make a population more susceptible to detrimental genetic mutations or disease.
Ecological Biodiversity
- Ecological biodiversity considers the number of different ecosystems.
- It is often concerned with large scales, such as the number of ecosystem types within a continent.
- Ecological biodiversity can be measured at small scales, including microclimates and niches.
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stability
- Biodiversity is closely related to ecosystem stability.
- In ecosystems with few species, niches may be empty or have only one or two species, making them vulnerable to collapse.
- In ecosystems with high diversity, niches are full and have overlapping species, making them more stable.
- A stable ecosystem is one where species evenness, density, and population size remain relatively constant.
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Description
Learn about the impact of biodiversity on ecosystem stability and the major threats affecting our planet, including habitat loss, climate change, and pollution. Understand how these threats decrease ecosystem biodiversity. Get ready to test your knowledge!
