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Under the heading, BOOK DEF

the definition for the word exactly as it is written from the online book. Under the heading, PERSONAL DEFINITION, ty
definition as you understand it from the online book in your own words. The CLUE is a hint to help you remember the
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CHAPTER 4: BIODIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION

WORD BOOK PERSONAL CLUE
DEFINITION DEFINITION
SECTION 4.1
1. biodiversity Variety of life on Earth, Variety of life on Earth
including species
diversity, genetic
diversity, ecological
diversity, and functional
diversity.

2. species diversity Variety of species Variety of species in a specific

present in a specific ecosystem and their
ecosystem and their abundance within that
abundance within that ecosystem
ecosystem.
See biodiversity.
Compare genetic
diversity.
3. genetic diversity Variety of genes found Variety of genes found in a
in a population or in a population
species.
See biodiversity.
Compare ecosystem
diversity, functional
diversity, species
diversity.
4. ecosystem Earth’s diversity of Diversity of biological
diversity biological communities communities
such as deserts,
grasslands, forests,
lakes, rivers, and
wetlands.

5. biome Geographical area Geographical area

composed of different
ecosystems and
characterized by a
distinct climate and
certain species
(particularly vegetation)
that are able to survive
there.
6. functional Variety of processes Variety of processes that
diversity that occur with occur in an ecosystem
ecosystems. Examples
include energy flow and
cycles of matter.
See biodiversity,
ecosystem diversity,
genetic diversity,
species diversity.

7. insurance Hypothesis stating that Biodiversity ensures

hypothesis biodiversity ensures ecosystems against a decline
ecosystems against a in their functioning
decline in their
functioning because
many species provide
greater guarantees of
functioning even if
others fail.
SECTION 4.2
8. ecological niche Role that a species An organisms role in their
plays in an ecosystem, ecosystem
encompassing
everything that affects
its survival and
reproduction.

9. habitat Area that provides the The certain place where an

abiotic and biotic organism lives, it provides
factors a species needs everything biotic and abiotic
to survive. factors need to survive
Compare ecological
niche.

10. generalist Species with a broad Species with a broad niche

species niche. They can live in
many different places,
eat a variety of foods,
and tolerate a wide
range of environmental
conditions. Examples
include flies,
cockroaches, mice,
rats, and humans.
Compare specialist
species.
11. specialist Species with a narrow Species with an narrow
species ecological niche. They ecological niche
may be able to live in
only one type of
habitat, tolerate only a
narrow range of
climatic and other
environmental
conditions, or eat only
one type or a few types
of food.
Compare generalist
species.
12. native species Species that naturally Species that naturally
originated in a given originated in an ecosystem
ecosystem and have
become suited to the
environmental
conditions there.
Compare indicator
species, keystone
species, nonnative
species.
13. nonnative Species that migrate Species that migrate into an
species into an ecosystem or ecosystem
are deliberately or
accidentally introduced
into an ecosystem by
humans.
Compare native
species.

14. keystone Species that preserves Species that preserve an

species an ecosystem by ecosystem
controlling the
populations of prey
animals which could
otherwise consume
enough plant matter to
devastate the
ecosystem. Examples
include wolves, sea
otters, alligators, and
sharks.
Compare indicator
species, native
species, nonnative
species.
15. indicator Species whose Species whose presence or
species presence or absence absence indicate
indicates the quality or environmental conditions
characteristics of
certain environmental
conditions.
Compare keystone
species, native
species, nonnative
species.
SECTION 4.3
16. biological Process by which Process by which species
evolution species change change genetically over
genetically over time. time.

17. natural Process by which Individuals with certain

selection individuals with certain genetic traits are more likely
genetic traits are more to survive
likely to survive and
reproduce under a
specific set of
environmental
conditions, thereby
passing these traits on
to their offspring.
See adaptation,
biological evolution,
mutation.
18. fossil Preserved remains or Preserved remains of
traces of prehistoric prehistoric organisms
organisms. Includes
mineralized or petrified
skeletons, bones,
teeth, shells, leaves,
seeds, or impressions
of such items, as well
as impressions of
animal activity such as
tracks, trails, and
burrows.
19. genetic Variety in the genetic Variety in the genetic
variability makeup of individuals makeup of individuals in a
in a population. population.
20. mutation Permanent change in Permanent change in the DNA
the DNA sequence
within a gene in any
cell. See mutagen.

21. adaptation Any heritable trait that Any trait that gives an
gives an individual organism an advantage
some advantage over
other individuals in a
given population.
See biological
evolution, mutation,
natural selection.

SECTION 4.4
22. speciation Formation of a new Formation of new species
species from a branch through reproductive isolation
of an existing species
through reproductive
isolation.
Compare biological
extinction.

23. geographic Separation of Separation of populations

isolation populations of a of a species into different
species into different areas.
areas. It may occur
because of a search for
food, a natural event
(such as a hurricane,
earthquake, or volcanic
eruption), or a physical
barrier, either natural
(such as a mountain or
valley) or created by
humans (such as a
dam or a clearing in a
forest).
24. reproductive Halt in the exchange of Halt in the exchange of
isolation genes due to the genes due to the
separation of separation of populations.
populations.
Eventually, members of
isolated populations
may have very different
genetic makeup and no
longer be able to
interbreed, meaning
they have become two
distinct species.
25. biological Complete Complete disappearance
extinction disappearance of a of a species from Earth.
species from Earth. It
happens when a
species cannot adapt
to survive and
reproduce in response
to changes in their
environment and
cannot move to a new
environment with more
favorable conditions.
Compare speciation.
See also endangered
species, mass
extinction, threatened
species.
26. endemic Species that is found in Species that is found in
species only one area. Such only one area.
species are especially
vulnerable to extinction.

27. background Naturally low rate at Naturally low rate at which

extinction rate which species have species have disappeared
disappeared
throughout most of
Earth’s history.
Compare mass
extinction.
28. mass extinction Significant rise in Significant rise in extinction
extinction rates well rates
above the background
 extinction rate.
Compare background
extinction rate.
29. artificial Process by which humans select one or
selection humans select one or more desirable genetic
more desirable genetic traits
traits in the population
of a plant or animal
species and then use
selective breeding to
produce populations
containing many
individuals with the
desired traits.
Compare genetic
engineering, natural
selection.
30. genetic Scientific manipulation Scientific manipulation of
engineering of genes in order to genes
select desirable traits
or eliminate
undesirable ones. It
allows scientists to alter
an organism’s genetic
material by adding,
deleting, or changing
segments of its DNA in
a process called gene
splicing.
Compare artificial
selection, natural
selection.
31. synthetic Technology that Technology that enables
biology enables scientists to scientists to make new
make new sequences sequences of DNA
of DNA and to use
such genetic
information to design
and create new cells,
tissues, organisms, and
devices, and to
redesign existing
natural biological
systems.