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Biodiversity
- The measure of the different species in an ecosystem
- Eg. More biodiversity in the rainforest than in the arctic
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Protect
- To keep from going extinct
- Usually refers to species that are endangered
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Biodiversity hotspot
- An area with a large amount of biodiversity
- Eg. The rainforest in South America
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Community
- A group of species that interact with each other within an ecosystem
- Includes competitors, predators and symbiotic relations
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Dominant species
- The species that has the largest biomass in an ecosystem
- Major trouble if they are destroyed
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Keystone species
- A species with a vital role in an ecosystem
- Usually has smaller population
- Eg. Otters
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Captive breeding
- The breeding of animals in captivity
- Usually to increase low populations of certain species
- Eg. California condor
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Ecosystem engineer
- A species that changes an ecosystem to such an extent that it creates a new ecosystem
- Eg. Beaver
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Succession
- The change of an ecosystem over a shortish period of time.
- Eg. Beaver ponds
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Habitat loss
- The loss of a population's habitat
- Usually due to humans
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Deforestation
- The cutting down of forests by humans
- Usually for logging, always refer to its effect on wildlife
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Alien species
- Species not normally found in a certain area that have been found there
- Usually put there by humans for various reasons
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invasive species
- Alien species that cause harm to the ecosystem they are introduced to.
- Eg. Zebra mussels, humans (it's true!)
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Overexploitation
- The overuse of a particular resource
- Usually by humans
- eg. atlantic cod
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extintion
- the total annihilation of a species
- eg. the dodo
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biodiversity crisis
- the term used to describe the current problem of extreme rates of extinction
- caused by humans
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restoration ecology
- the science of returning an ecosystem to its original form
- eg. cleaning oil spills
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reforestation
- the planting of trees to replace logged ones
- done by humans
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biocontrol
- use of one species to destroy an invasive species
- eg. bringing ferrets in to take care of mice
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bioremediation
- the use of organisms to change an ecosystem to its original form
- eg. bacteria at oil spills
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bioaugmentation
the use of organisms to replenish an ecosystem's nutrients
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