Biogeography

Ecology = the study of living organisisms in their environment

Biogeography = patterns and distribution of life on the earth and its processes

Abiotic = non living

Biotic = living competition

Intraspecific = within species

Interspecific = between speciies

Ecosystem engineers = adapt their environment and create new niches for other species

Habitat = physical and chemical factors an animal experiences with the resources it needs to survive

Niche = Biotic and Abiotic factors and the animals interactions within the environment

Measure of species richness not abundance

Disturbances cause habitats to form. Without them it would be competitive exclusion in which there is a species that it high in the food chain leaving no competition so no biodiversity. If there are disturbances it stops competitive exclusion as it creates different habitats.

Simpson Index:

• Calculating the odds that if two individuals were picked at random they would be of different species 

  D = 1 – [ ∑s ( ns / Nt)2 ]