Extinction debt refers to the phenomenon where a species is at risk of extinction in the future despite currently still existing in a habitat or ecosystem. This can occur when environmental changes or habitat loss have already caused significant declines in population or reproductive success, making it likely that the species will eventually go extinct even if immediate conditions might seem suitable for its survival. The concept of extinction debt is often associated with habitat fragmentation, climate change, or other human-induced pressures that impact ecosystems.
Geodispersal refers to the process through which organisms spread or disperse across geographical regions, leading to an increase in their distribution and range. This term is often used in the context of ecology and biogeography to describe how species expand their habitats or populations over time, particularly in relation to physical barriers like mountains, rivers, or oceans.
A land bridge is a natural connection between two larger landmasses that allows for the movement of plants, animals, and humans across previously separated regions. Historically, land bridges have played a significant role in the migration and evolution of species by providing pathways for them to move into new areas. One of the most well-known examples of a land bridge is the Bering Land Bridge, which once connected Asia and North America during the last Ice Age.
Landscape ecology is a subfield of ecology that focuses on the study of landscapes and the interactions between ecological processes and spatial patterns within those landscapes. It examines how the arrangement of habitats, ecosystems, and species across a geographical area influences ecological dynamics and processes. Key concepts in landscape ecology include: 1. **Spatial Patterns**: Landscape ecologists analyze how spatial arrangements of different ecosystems, land uses, and habitat types affect ecological functions and the distribution of species.
Native species are organisms, including plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, that originate and naturally occur in a specific geographical area or ecosystem. These species have evolved to thrive in their environment and have established relationships with other species and the habitat in which they live. Key characteristics of native species include: 1. **Evolutionary History**: Native species have adapted to the local climate, soil, and conditions over many generations.
The Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) is a global, collaborative initiative aimed at providing access to data on marine biodiversity. It serves as a platform for aggregating, integrating, and disseminating data related to the distribution of marine species and their associated habitats. OBIS is a part of the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), which is a part of UNESCO.
Patch dynamics is a concept used in ecology and environmental science to describe the spatial and temporal patterns of ecosystems characterized by discrete patches or areas that differ in their composition, structure, and function. These patches can be formed by various factors, including natural disturbances (like fire, floods, or storms), human activities (such as urban development or agriculture), and inherent ecological processes.
Phytogeography is the branch of biogeography that focuses on the distribution of plant species and ecosystems across the Earth. It studies how various factors, including climate, soil type, topography, and human activity, influence the spatial distribution of plant life. Phytogeography seeks to understand patterns of plant diversity, the historical and ecological factors that shape these patterns, and the relationships between plants and their environments.
A plant community refers to a group of different species of plants that coexist and interact in a specific geographic area. These communities are characterized by a particular assemblage of plant species that share similar environmental conditions, such as soil type, climate, and topography. Key features of a plant community include: 1. **Species Composition**: The variety and abundance of different plant species present in the community.
The River Barrier Hypothesis is a concept in the field of ecology and biogeography that seeks to explain patterns of species distribution, particularly in relation to freshwater organisms such as fish, amphibians, and invertebrates. The hypothesis suggests that rivers and their physical characteristics act as barriers to the movement and gene flow of species, leading to genetic differentiation and speciation.
The Theory of Island Biogeography is a key ecological theory that was developed by ecologists Robert MacArthur and Edward O. Wilson in the 1960s. It seeks to explain the factors that influence the number and diversity of species on islands and other isolated habitats. The theory is primarily concerned with two main processes: immigration (the arrival of new species) and extinction (the loss of species).
The Tinguiririca fauna refers to a unique assemblage of fossilized animals discovered in the Tinguiririca River area of central Chile, primarily dating from the late Miocene to early Pliocene epochs, approximately 7 million to 2 million years ago. This fossil site is significant as it provides insights into the paleoecology of South America during this period.
The term "Western Palaearctic" refers to a biogeographical region that encompasses parts of Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. It is one of the regions defined within the larger Palaearctic realm, which is one of the eight biogeographical realms of the world. The Western Palaearctic includes a diverse range of habitats, from Mediterranean climates to temperate forests and tundra.
Chess computers are specialized hardware or software programs designed to play chess. They can range from basic applications that play at a casual level to advanced systems that can compete with or even defeat top human players. ### Types of Chess Computers: 1. **Dedicated Hardware**: These are standalone devices specifically designed for playing chess. They typically have a chessboard interface and built-in software to analyze positions and make moves.
A cold core ring is a type of oceanic eddy characterized by its cold, dense water at its center, which is surrounded by warmer water. These features typically form in oceanic regions, often in response to the dynamics of ocean currents and temperature gradients. Cold core rings are commonly associated with the North Atlantic Ocean, particularly near the Gulf Stream, where they can separate from the main current and become isolated entities that drift in the surrounding waters.
Coriolis is a project aimed at providing a framework for building and managing cloud-native applications. It is particularly focused on creating an open-source platform that allows for the orchestration of services and the management of containerized applications in a cloud environment. The project typically emphasizes the use of microservices architecture, enabling developers to deploy and scale applications efficiently across multiple cloud environments. The Coriolis project often includes features such as service discovery, load balancing, and integration with existing cloud services.
A current meter is an instrument used to measure the flow of electric current in a circuit. It typically provides a reading of current in amperes (A) and is an essential tool in electrical engineering, electronics, and related fields. There are various types of current meters, including: 1. **Analog Current Meters**: These use a moving-coil mechanism to provide a reading on a dial. The deflection of the needle on the dial is proportional to the current flowing through the meter.
An Ekman current meter is an instrument used to measure the velocity of ocean currents. It operates based on the principles of the Ekman layer, which is a thin layer of water in the ocean affected by wind and the Coriolis effect, leading to complex flow patterns. The Ekman current meter typically consists of a series of rotating blades or fins attached to a rotating shaft.
The Faroe-Bank Channel overflow refers to a significant oceanographic phenomenon occurring in the North Atlantic Ocean, specifically involving the movement of dense water from the Nordic Seas into the Atlantic. The Faroe-Bank Channel is a deep underwater trench located between the Faroe Islands and the Scottish coast.
Pinned article: ourbigbook/introduction-to-the-ourbigbook-project
Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
Intro to OurBigBook
. Source. We have two killer features:
- topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculusArticles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
- a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
- a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.Figure 1. Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page. View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivativeVideo 2. OurBigBook Web topics demo. Source. - local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
- to OurBigBook.com to get awesome multi-user features like topics and likes
- as HTML files to a static website, which you can host yourself for free on many external providers like GitHub Pages, and remain in full control
Figure 2. You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either OurBigBook.com or as a static website.Figure 3. Visual Studio Code extension installation.Figure 5. . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally. Video 3. Edit locally and publish demo. Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension. - Infinitely deep tables of contents:
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact