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Unit 2 Vocab BioGeo

Key Concepts:

Terms in this set (32)

Adaptation
A characteristic that improves an individual's ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.
Adaptive Radiation
An evolutionary pattern in which many species evolve from a single ancestral species
Allochthonous Endemism
From one place, but the moved to another place because the first place was lost/became inhabitable
Ancestral Biotas
Species that are from here
Autochthonous Endemism
Native to the place it is found
Barriers
something that blocks the way
Biodiversity
the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
Center of Origin
location where a species or other taxon first evolved.
Convergence
joining of parts
Cosmopolitan Species
A species with a broad distribution
Disjunction
related but separate geographically
Dispersal
the movement of organisms from one place to another
Distribution
The arrangement of something across Earth's surface.
Diversification
making something more diverse and therefore increasing genetic variation
Endemic Species
species that are native to and found only within a limited area
Evolution
Change in a kind of organism over time; process by which modern organisms have descended from ancient organisms.
Extinction
A term that typically describes a species that no longer has any known living individuals.
Fire Ecology
A branch of ecology that focuses on the origins of wildland fire and its relationship to the environment more hospitable for their regeneration and growth
Glaciation
a process by which glaciers form and spread
Island Biogeography
The study of rates of colonization and extinction of species on islands or other isolated areas based on size, shape, and distance from other inhabited regions
Persistence
continuance in a course of action despite difficulties
Phylogeography
the use of evolutionary trees in answering questions about the geographic distribution of organisms
Population
A group of individuals that belong to the same species and live in the same area
Provincialism
Collection of species that add to an areas identity
Rangeland
distribution of a species is the geographical area or habitat where the species live.
Specialization
the development of skills in a specific kind of work
Speciation
the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.
Species
A group of similar organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring.
Taxon
group or level of organization into which organisms are classified
Theory of Evolution
states that organisms change and develop over time to adapt an increase rate of survival
Variation
Any difference between individuals of the same species.
Vicariance
the physical splitting of a habitat
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