Biodiversity Flashcards

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What does biodiversity mean?

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Biodiversity refers to the wide variety of living things — plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms — found in a given area or on Earth.

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What is an ecosystem?

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An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and with their non-living environment (soil, water, sunlight, temperature).

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What does interdependence mean in nature?

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Interdependence means living things rely on each other to survive. Example: bees need flowers for food, and flowers need bees for pollination.

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What is a food web?

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A food web shows all the feeding relationships in an ecosystem — who eats whom. It is more complex than a food chain because most animals have many food sources.

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Why do scientists classify living things?

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Classification organizes living things into groups based on shared characteristics, making it easier to study, compare, and communicate about them.

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What is the difference between a vertebrate and an invertebrate? Give one example of each.

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Vertebrates have a backbone (e.g., a salmon or dog). Invertebrates have no backbone (e.g., a butterfly or earthworm). About 97% of all animal species are invertebrates.

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What is an extinct species?

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An extinct species no longer exists anywhere in the world. Once gone, it cannot return. Example: the dodo bird.

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What is an endangered species?

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An endangered species is at serious risk of becoming extinct if the threats to its survival are not reduced. Example: the monarch butterfly.

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What is the difference between 'threatened' and 'extinct'?

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A threatened species is still alive but faces risks. An extinct species is completely gone — no individuals survive anywhere on Earth.

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What is habitat loss and why does it threaten wildlife?

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Habitat loss happens when natural areas (forests, wetlands) are destroyed, usually by construction or farming. Animals lose the space, food, and shelter they need to survive.