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T4.2-4.3
Dynamic &Resilient Ecosystems/Biodiversity
Term | Definition |
---|---|
succession | series of predictable changes that occur in a community over time |
pioneer species | the first species to populate an area |
primary succession | when a new patch of land is created or exposed for the first time and organisms must start from scratch |
secondary succession | series of changes that occur in an area where the ecosystem has been disturbed, but where soil and organisms already exist |
climax community | final stage of succession; species remain stable |
biodiversity | the number and variety of different species in an area |
keystone species | a species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem |
extinction | the disappearance of all members of a species from Earth |
invasive species | an organism not native to a particular area that can cause harm to native organisms by outcompeting them or taking over |
endangered species | a species of animal or plant that is seriously at risk of extinction |
background extinction | an extinction that occurs over a long period of time |
mass extinction | an extinction that kills many different species in a very short time |
lichens | fungi and algae growing in a symbiotic relationship; an important pioneer species. |