BIOL 2310 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Beta Diversity, Keystone Species, Gamma Diversity
Document Summary
Biodiversity must be considered on these 3 levels: Ecosystem diversity-different biological communities and their association with the chemical and physical environment. Species diversity- reflects the entire range of evolutionary and ecological adaptations of species to particular environments. Morphological species concept- a group of individuals that appear different from others. A group that is distinguished exclusively by such visible traits as form or structure may be referred to as a morphospecies. Biological species concept- a group of individuals that can potentially breed amongst themselves in the wild and that do not breed with individuals of other groups. Evolutionary species concept- a group of individuals that share unique similarities in their dna and hence their evolutionary past. Functional diversity- the diversity of organisms categorized by their ecological roles or traits rather that their taxonomy. Alpha diversity- the # of species found in a given community such as a lake or meadow.
