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All 15 Flashcards — Biodiversity and resilience
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Question
Define biodiversity.
Answer
Biodiversity is the variety of life in an area, including diversity of habitats, species, and genes.
💡 Hint
3 levels: habitat, species, genetic.
Question
Biodiversity: what are the three levels?
Answer
Habitat diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity.
💡 Hint
Habitat, species, genes.
Question
What happens to food webs when biodiversity is lost?
Answer
Food webs become simpler with fewer connections, so disturbances spread more easily and the ecosystem is less stable.
💡 Hint
Fewer links = weaker web.
Question
Why do low-biodiversity ecosystems have higher collapse risk?
Answer
With fewer species and less redundancy, the loss of one key species can cause cascading effects and system failure.
💡 Hint
Low backup = high risk.
Question
Name the three levels of biodiversity.
Answer
Habitat diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity.
💡 Hint
Habitat, species, genes.
Question
Why does high biodiversity make ecosystems stronger?
Answer
It increases resilience by providing more connections and alternative species that can maintain ecosystem functions after disturbance.
💡 Hint
Backup + connections.
Question
What is a tipping point in an ecosystem?
Answer
A tipping point is a threshold where change becomes difficult or impossible to reverse, leading to a new stable state.
💡 Hint
Threshold → new state.
Question
What is ecosystem resilience?
Answer
Resilience is the ability of an ecosystem to recover from disturbance and keep functioning.
💡 Hint
Bounce back + keep working.
Question
What does “redundancy” mean in one phrase?
Answer
Redundancy means nature has backup species that can do similar jobs.
💡 Hint
Backup plan.
Question
How does high biodiversity increase ecosystem resilience?
Answer
More species create more interactions and alternative pathways, so if one species declines, others can maintain ecosystem functions.
💡 Hint
More options in the food web.
Question
What is a key consequence of low biodiversity?
Answer
Lower biodiversity reduces resilience and increases the chance of ecosystem collapse under stress.
💡 Hint
Less resilience.
Question
How are habitat diversity and species diversity linked?
Answer
More habitat types create more niches, supporting more species and increasing overall biodiversity.
💡 Hint
More habitats → more niches.
Question
How does genetic diversity help species survive change?
Answer
Genetic variation increases the chance that some individuals have traits that tolerate new conditions, helping populations adapt and persist.
💡 Hint
Variation = adaptation potential.
Question
What does “redundancy” mean in an ecosystem?
Answer
Redundancy means multiple species can perform a similar role; if one is lost, others can compensate and keep the system functioning.
💡 Hint
Backup workers.
Question
Define resilience in one sentence.
Answer
Resilience is the ability of an ecosystem to recover after disturbance and continue functioning.
💡 Hint
Recover + function.
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Biodiversity
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