What is the definition of biological diversity (biodiversity)?
variety of life on Earth, including animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms.
What are the three main components of biodiversity?
Genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
What is genetic diversity?
genetic variation within a population and between populations of a single species
What is species diversity?
variety of species within a particular region or habitat.
What is ecosystem diversity?
variety of different habitats within a region and their ecological interactions.
What general term describes the essential benefits that healthy ecosystems provide to humans?
Ecosystem services.
Ecosystem services that provide products humans obtain from nature, such as food, water, and medicines, are called
provisioning services
What category of ecosystem services includes benefits like climate regulation, water purification, and pollination?
regulating services
Ecosystem services that are critical to biosphere viability, such as oxygen production and nutrient cycling, are known as
supporting services
What term describes the non-material benefits people obtain from nature, such as recreational and aesthetic experiences?
cultural services
difference between extinction and extirpation?
Extinction is the complete global loss of a species, while extirpation is a regional loss where the species exists elsewhere
what threats are there to biodiversity? (4)
habitat loss (human activity, fires), invasive species, and overexploitation, climate change
What term describes the harvesting of plants and animals at unsustainable rates, leading to population declines and extinctions?
overexploitation
what are the service benefits of biodiversity? (4)
provisioning, regulating, supporting, cultural
