Vocabulary

Biodiversity: variety of life that exists in a particular area. Can refer to the # of species that live in the area or the complexity of the relationships between species in an area

Endangered Species: species that are on the path to extinction and need to be protected

Extinction: the complete disappearance of a species from Earth

Half-life: The time it takes for half of a given quantity of a radioactive isotope to decay into another isotope.

Invasive Species: foreign organisms that take up residence in ecosystems where they didn't initially evolve.

Mass Extinction: periods where there has been a sudden increase in the rate of extinction and the extinction events have included representatives from many different taxonomic groups of plants and animals