Unit 2

• adaptation: the process by which an organism changes to suit its environment
• background extinction: normal extinction of various species as a result of changes in local environmental conditions
• bioaccumulation: the build-up of chemicals inside of living organisms (when a substance is consumed by a consumer and accumulates faster than it is excreted)
• biodiversity hotspot: an area of high biodiversity that is under threat from human activity
• biomagnification: the increase in the concentration of a contaminant in a food chain
• buffer zone: areas created to enhance the protection of a conservation area, often peripheral to it, inside or outside
• climax community: most stable, “endpoint” of succession
• colonization: introduction of invasive species to a new area
• deforestation: the removal of trees from an area of land, usually for agriculture
• ecological restoration: to restore an ecosystem to a better state
• genetic drift: change in population (often decreases genetic diversity)
• bottleneck: a chance occurrence that reduces individuals drastically therefore reducing genetic variation
• founder effect: a few individuals leave to start a new population, lowering their genetic diversity
• generalist species: survive in a wide range of conditions (varied diet, omnivores, etc)
• specialist species: survive in a narrow range of conditions and have a limited diet. Susceptible to habitat disruptions.
• ecological tolerance: range of conditions (temperature, salinity, pH, or sunlight) that an organism or species can endure before injury or death
• ecosystem diversity: the variety of ecosystems found on Earth/in an area
• ecotourism: tourism that aims to protect the environment and educate visitors about the area
• edge effect: the boundary between natural habitats and developed or disturbed land
• endemic species: species that are found in a particular area and nowhere else
• foundation species: species that created and enhanced a habitat that benefits other species
• founder effect: when a small group leaves the whole and reduces their genetic variability
• generalist species: species that can live in a wide range of habitats and conditions
• genetic diversity: measure of the variability among individuals within a single species (creates strength)
• genetic drift: a change in the genetic composition of a population over time as a result of random mating
• global extinction: major groups of species are wiped out over a short time period (compared to normal/background extinction)
• habitat corridors: connections between isolated reserves to allow species to move and migrate more
• habitat fragmentation: a process by which large and contiguous habitats get divided into smaller, isolated patches of habitats
• habitat island: any habitat surrounded by a different one
• indicator species: species that can be used to determine the presence or absence of a particular species in an ecosystem
• intrinsic/existence value: inherent value, not determined by use
• keystone species: a species that is essential to the functioning of an ecosystem
• local extinction: occurs when a species is no longer found in an area it once inhabited but is still found elsewhere in the world
• mass extinction: complete disappearance of a species
• MPA (marine protected areas): areas of the sea that are protected from fishing and other human activities
• multi-use land: lands that may be used for recreation, grazing, timber, harvesting, and mineral extraction
• national forest: area of federally-owned land where logging and grazing are permitted under more heavily-managed conditions
• national park: a reserve that is managed for scientific, educational, and recreational use, and sometimes for its beauty or unique land-forms
• NWR (National Wildlife Refuge): federal public lands managed for the primary purpose of protecting wildlife
• old-growth forest: an uncut or regenerated forest that has not been seriously disturbed by human activities or natural disasters for 200 years or more