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- https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/Gettysburg_College/02%3A_Principles_of_Ecology_-_Gettysburg_College_ES_211/05%3A_Biodiversity/5.02%3A_Introduction_to_the_Biodiversity_HierarchyTo effectively conserve biodiversity, we need to be able to define what we want to conserve, determine where it currently occurs, identify strategies to help conserve it, and track over time whether o...To effectively conserve biodiversity, we need to be able to define what we want to conserve, determine where it currently occurs, identify strategies to help conserve it, and track over time whether or not these strategies are working. The first of these items, defining what we want to conserve, is complicated by the remarkable diversity of the organisms themselves. This is a product of the genetic diversity of the organisms.
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Ecology/Biodiversity_(Bynum)/11%3A_Ecosystem_DiversityAn ecosystem is a community plus the physical environment that it occupies at a given time. An ecosystem can exist at any scale, for example, from the size of a small tide pool up to the size of the e...An ecosystem is a community plus the physical environment that it occupies at a given time. An ecosystem can exist at any scale, for example, from the size of a small tide pool up to the size of the entire biosphere. However, lakes, marshes, and forest stands represent more typical examples of the areas that are compared in discussions of ecosystem diversity.
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/General_Biology_1e_(OpenStax)/1%3A_The_Chemistry_of_Life/1%3A_The_Study_of_Life/1.2%3A_Themes_and_Concepts_of_BiologyFrom its earliest beginnings, biology has wrestled with three questions: What are the shared properties that make something “alive”? And once we know something is alive, how do we find meaningful leve...From its earliest beginnings, biology has wrestled with three questions: What are the shared properties that make something “alive”? And once we know something is alive, how do we find meaningful levels of organization in its structure? And, finally, when faced with the remarkable diversity of life, how do we organize the different kinds of organisms so that we can better understand them? As new organisms are discovered every day, biologists continue to seek answers to these and other questions.
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Workbench/General_Biology_I_and_II/06%3A_Unit_VI-_Ecology/6.1%3A_Ecosystems_and_the_Biosphere/4.4.01%3A_Ecology_of_EcosystemsAn ecosystem is a community of living organisms and their interactions with their abiotic (non-living) environment. Ecosystems can be small, such as the tide pools found near the rocky shores of many ...An ecosystem is a community of living organisms and their interactions with their abiotic (non-living) environment. Ecosystems can be small, such as the tide pools found near the rocky shores of many oceans, or large, such as the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. Ecosystem ecology is the integrated study of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components of ecosystems and their interactions within an ecosystem framework. This field examines how ecosystems work and relates this to their components
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Workbench/General_Ecology_Ecology/4.2%3A_Population_Ecology/4.2.01%3A_The_Scope_of_EcologyEcology is the study of the interactions of living organisms with their environment. One core goal of ecology is to understand the distribution and abundance of living things in the physical environme...Ecology is the study of the interactions of living organisms with their environment. One core goal of ecology is to understand the distribution and abundance of living things in the physical environment. Attainment of this goal requires the integration of scientific disciplines inside and outside of biology, such as biochemistry, physiology, evolution, biodiversity, molecular biology, geology, and climatology.
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/Gettysburg_College/01%3A_Ecology_for_All/21%3A_Landscape_Ecology_and_Island_Biogeography/21.02%3A_Important_Terms_in_Landscape_EcologyAccording to Richard Forman and Michel Godron, a landscape is a heterogeneous land area composed of a cluster of interacting ecosystems that is repeated in similar form throughout, whereby they list w...According to Richard Forman and Michel Godron, a landscape is a heterogeneous land area composed of a cluster of interacting ecosystems that is repeated in similar form throughout, whereby they list woods, meadows, marshes and villages as examples of a landscape's ecosystems, and state that a landscape is an area at least a few kilometers wide (1981).
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/General_Biology_1e_(OpenStax)/8%3A_Ecology/46%3A_Ecosystems/46.1%3A_Ecology_of_EcosystemsAn ecosystem is a community of living organisms and their interactions with their abiotic (non-living) environment. Ecosystems can be small, such as the tide pools found near the rocky shores of many ...An ecosystem is a community of living organisms and their interactions with their abiotic (non-living) environment. Ecosystems can be small, such as the tide pools found near the rocky shores of many oceans, or large, such as the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil.
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/Monterey_Peninsula_College/Raskoff_Environmental_Science/05%3A_Biodiversity_and_Conservation/5.08%3A_Community_DiversityA community comprises the populations of different species that naturally occur and interact in a particular environment. Some communities are relatively small in scale and may have well-defined bound...A community comprises the populations of different species that naturally occur and interact in a particular environment. Some communities are relatively small in scale and may have well-defined boundaries. Some examples are: species found in or around a desert spring, the collection of species associated with ripening figs in a tropical forest, and those clustered around a hydrothermal vent on the ocean floor. Other communities are larger, more complex, and may be less clearly defined.
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/Monterey_Peninsula_College/Raskoff_Environmental_Science/07%3A_Food_and_Agriculture/7.04%3A_Soil_Profiles_and_ProcessesThe word “soil” has been defined differently by different scientific disciplines. In agriculture and horticulture, soil generally refers to the medium for plant growth, typically material within the u...The word “soil” has been defined differently by different scientific disciplines. In agriculture and horticulture, soil generally refers to the medium for plant growth, typically material within the upper meter or two. Soil consists predominantly of mineral matter, but also contains organic matter (humus) and living organisms. The pore spaces between mineral grains are filled with varying proportions of water and air.
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/Monterey_Peninsula_College/Raskoff_Environmental_Science/02%3A_Environmental_Systems/2.05%3A_A_Cell_is_the_Smallest_Unit_of_LifeThe atom is the smallest and most fundamental unit of matter. Atoms combine to form molecules, which are chemical structures consisting of at least two atoms held together by a chemical bond. In plant...The atom is the smallest and most fundamental unit of matter. Atoms combine to form molecules, which are chemical structures consisting of at least two atoms held together by a chemical bond. In plants, animals, and many other types of organisms, molecules come together in specific ways to create structures called organelles. Organelles are small structures that exist within cells and perform specialized functions. As discussed in more detail below, all living things are made of one or more cell
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/Monterey_Peninsula_College/Raskoff_Environmental_Science/05%3A_Biodiversity_and_ConservationThis chapter discusses biodiversity's significance, threats, preservation methods, geological changes, current extinction events, and conservation efforts, highlighting its crucial role in ecosystems ...This chapter discusses biodiversity's significance, threats, preservation methods, geological changes, current extinction events, and conservation efforts, highlighting its crucial role in ecosystems and the necessity for protection and sustainability.
