Biodiversity Vocabulary

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Keystone species

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A species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend; if removed, the ecosystem would change drastically.

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Native species

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Species that normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem.

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Biodiversity and ecosystem stability

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An ecosystem with a lot of biodiversity is probably more stable than one without much diversity.

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Indicator species

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A species that provides a sign of the quality of the ecosystem's environmental conditions.

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Endangered species

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A species whose numbers are so small that it is at risk of extinction.

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Invasive species

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Non-native species that spread widely in a new habitat, often harming native species and ecosystems.

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Endemic species

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Species that are native to and found only within a specific geographic area.

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Biodiversity

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The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

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Ecosystem services

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The benefits that humans derive from ecosystems, including provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services.

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Habitat destruction

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The process in which natural habitat is rendered unable to support the species present.