genetic diversity
all genetic characteristics within a species or population
species diversity
number/abundance of species living in a particular location
ecosystem diversity
largest scale of biodiversity, the variation of ecosystems
rarity
infrequency/scarceness of species in an ecosystem
endemic
species native to or only founding a certain area
species richness
number of different species found in an ecological area
species evenness
how close in numbers/abundance each species in an area is
species abundance
number of individuals per species in an area
habitat loss
threat to wildlife that is caused by destruction, fragmentation, etc.
deforestation
the clearing of a large area of trees
habitat fragmentation
habitat loss because of the division of habitats into smaller and more isolated areas
habitat patch/fragment
smaller specific area of a habitat that can be used for breeding/resources, can be a result of fragmentation
corridor
thin strip/habitat area that connects wildlife populations that have been separated
edge effect
change in population or community structure that occurs at the boundary of two habitats
overfishing
fishing so much that the fish cannot sustain their population, until finally there are no fish to catch
global fishery collapse
caused bu extreme amounts of overfishing
dead zone
area usually in bottom waters where there is not enough oxygen to sustain life
algal bloom
rapid increase in the population of algae in an aquatic area
POP
toxic chemical that adversely affects human health and the environment
biomagnification
the process of POPs accumulating in the body fat of living organisms and becoming more concentrated as they move from one organism to another
endocrine disruptor
disturbance to the endocrine system (commonly from chemical exposure)
overexploitation
harvesting that occurs at a rate exceeding the ability of an organism to maintain its population numbers
bushmeat
any species of terrestrial wildlife, usually from the tropics, that are consumed for food (ex: nonhuman primates)
bycatch
fish/marine organisms that are caught unintentionally during commercial fishing for a different species
bioaccumulation
process by which substances are absorbed quickly in the tissues of an organism