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Questions and Answers
Which term is defined as the number of species that differ in occurrence between two habitats?
What process involves sorting species in the regional pool among localities based on their adaptations and interactions?
According to the information provided, what happens to species as habitat area increases?
What type of relationship exists between area and species when analyzed on a regular scale?
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Which theory takes into account both area and isolation when explaining species richness on islands?
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What is the main conclusion drawn by MacArthur and Wilson in relation to island species richness?
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According to the Equilibrium theory of island biogeography, what happens to extinction rates on smaller islands?
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Which statement best describes the SLOSS (single large or several small) debate?
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What hypothesis explains the higher biodiversity at lower latitudes?
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What factor has helped in designing nature reserves by understanding its impact on populations?
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Which factor is NOT a predictor of marine biodiversity, according to the text?
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What is the main contributor to species turnover, according to the text?
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What process involves sorting species in the regional pool among localities based on their adaptations and interactions?
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What factor leads to a decrease in habitat area and an increase in patch number, edge size, and isolation?
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Why do small habitats with small populations have a higher risk of extinction?
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Which region contains North America, Europe, and Asia as part of the landmass?
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What kind of relationship exists between area and species according to the species-area curve?
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What is the primary factor that influenced marine biodiversity according to the 2010 research findings?
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Which type of habitat has a higher likelihood of high species turnover?
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What is the legacy effect of human activity on ecological systems mentioned in the text?
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What effect does an increase in edge habitat have on species abundance?
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How do declining populations in habitat patches get sustained?
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What does the equilibrium theory of island biogeography incorporate?
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What is the SLOSS debate related to?
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What drives marine biodiversity in different latitudes?
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How are Earth's historical climates related to current diversity?
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How is genetic diversity affected by corridors between habitat patches?
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What mechanism results in an equilibrium point of species richness on an island?
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Which regions contain unique groups of organisms due to the separation and joining of continents?
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What is the primary factor that determines the number of species in a given location?
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What does landscape ecology examine?
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What is a legacy effect?
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What is an example of a legacy effect?
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How have humans influenced habitat heterogeneity?
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What is the role of humans as ecosystem engineers?
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What is one possible way to mitigate the negative effects of human activities on ecological systems?
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What is the difference between local diversity and regional diversity?
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Why does species richness often increase from the local to landscape scale?
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What does habitat heterogeneity refer to?
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Study Notes
Landscape Ecology
- Examines ecological patterns and processes at large spatial scales
- Considers the spatial arrangement of habitats at different scales and examines how they influence individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems
Legacy Effects
- Long lasting influence of historical processes on the current ecology of an area
- Examples: eskers (old glacial stream beds), human activities (ridge and furrow farming, hedges, lines of trees, quarries, and mines)
Habitat Heterogeneity
- Natural forces continue to cause habitat heterogeneity
- Human activity has influenced the intensity, frequency, and ecological influence of natural forces
- Humans act as ecosystem engineers by constructing buildings, dams, irrigation channels, etc.
Species Richness
- Often increases from the local to landscape scale because habitat diversity increases along this gradient
- Local diversity = the number of species in a relatively small area of homogenous habitat
- Regional diversity = the number of species in all of the habitats in a geographic area
- Beta diversity = the number of species that differ in occurrence between two habitats
- Species turnover = high species turnover where heterogeneity is high, most likely
- Regional species pool = the collection of species that occurs within a region, a source of species of all local sites within a region
- Species sorting process of sorting species in the regional pool among localities according to their adaptations and interactions
Species-Area Curve
- Graphical relationship in which increase in area is associated with increases in the number of species
- Equation: S = cA^z, where c and z are constants fitted to the data
Fragmentation
- Human activities have caused widespread fragmentation of large habitats throughout the world
- Fragmentation decreases habitat area and increases patch number, edge size, and isolation
- Small habitats have small populations which are more likely to go extinct
- Fragmentation causes an increase in the amount of edge habitat compared to the original unfragmented habitat
- Declining populations in habitat patches can be sustained by the dispersal of organisms between patches via habitat corridors
Habitat Corridors
- Increase gene flow and genetic diversity
- Can be pieces of preserved habitat or constructed for the specific purpose of allowing species dispersal
- The quality of habitat between fragments helps to determine whether organisms can move between fragments
Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography
- A theory stating that the number of species on an island reflects a balance between the colonization of new species and the extinction of existing species
- Assume the species pool of potential colonizers is a fixed size, rate of new species declines
- Given that the island continues to experience colonization and extinction of species, these opposing forces should result in an equilibrium point of species richness on the island
- Smaller islands should have a higher extinction rate
- Islands nearer to source should have higher colonization rates
Global Patterns of Biodiversity
- Highest near the equator and declines towards the poles
- Oceans have increased species richness at lower latitudes
- Two hypotheses: continuous accumulation of species (tropics and time) or speciation and extinction in equilibrium (higher speciation or lower extinction in tropics)
Biogeographic Regions
- The separation and joining of continents established six distinct biogeographic regions that contain unique groups of organisms
- Pangea - single landmass, Laurasia - North America, Europe, Asia, Gondwana - South America, Africa, Antarctica, India, Australia
- Over the past 250 million years ago, climates on Earth have experienced dramatic changes
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Description
Test your knowledge of landscape ecology, including ecological patterns, spatial scales, and legacy effects. Covers the study of habitats and their influence on individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems.
