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Biodiversity Vocab
Module 3 Biodiversity
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 disturbances. |
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 plants. |
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 existence 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. |