Ch. 54 - Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology

Problem 2

Chapter 53, Problem 2

What community property does the red arrow in the model represent? a. high resilience b. low resistance c. high resistance

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Observe the graph and identify the key elements: the y-axis represents biomass, the x-axis represents time, the blue arrow indicates a disturbance, and the red arrow indicates a property of the community.

Understand the concept of community properties: resilience refers to the ability of a community to recover after a disturbance, while resistance refers to the ability of a community to remain unchanged when faced with a disturbance.

Analyze the graph: after the disturbance (blue arrow), the biomass decreases significantly, indicating that the community was affected by the disturbance.

Focus on the red arrow: it points to the recovery phase of the biomass over time after the disturbance.

Conclude that the red arrow represents high resilience, as it shows the community's ability to recover its biomass after the disturbance.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Resilience

Resilience refers to the ability of a community or ecosystem to recover from disturbances. A resilient system can return to its original state after a disruption, maintaining its structure and function. In the context of the graph, a high resilience would be indicated by a quick recovery of biomass after the disturbance.

Resistance

Resistance is the capacity of an ecosystem to withstand disturbances without significant changes to its structure or function. A community with high resistance shows little change in biomass when faced with disturbances, while low resistance indicates a greater impact. The distinction between resistance and resilience is crucial for understanding how ecosystems respond to stressors.

Disturbance Dynamics

Disturbance dynamics involve the patterns and processes through which disturbances affect ecosystems. These can include natural events like fires or human activities that alter biomass and community structure. The red arrow in the model likely indicates a recovery phase, highlighting how ecosystems can rebound after disturbances, which is essential for understanding community properties.

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Textbook Question

What does species richness refer to? Select True or False for each statement. T/F the number of species in an area T/F the evenness of species in an area T/F the functional diversity of a species in an area T/F the phylogenetic diversity of species in an area

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Textbook Question

What is a biodiversity “hotspot”?

a. an area where an all-taxon survey is under way

b. a habitat with high NPP

c. an area with high species richness and high threat to those species

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Open Question

What does ecosystem service refer to? Select True or False for each statement.

T/FBenefits that humans derive from organisms and ecosystems.

T/FBenefits that non-human animals derive from their prey.

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Textbook Question

Why is the common phrase 'humans and animals' not accurate in biology? Suggest one way that a more scientific outlook could boost conservation efforts.

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