19/20: Possible Solutions to Biodiversity Loss Flashcards
What are endangered species?
species which is in imminent danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range
What are threatened species?
species which is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range
What is the precautionary principle?
an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; we need to act before the species is extinct or threatened
What is the single species approach?
focus on a single species and easy to monitor
- by protecting one species (ex: panda) the rest of the species will benefit as well
What is an umbrella species?
a species that when protected can help the rest of the species benefit
- protects species related to it
What is the ecosystem approach?
focuses on the whole ecosystem and protects several species and the interaction between them
- harder to monitor
If you want to obtain maximum possible benefit in protecting biodiversity, you want to protect regions with high levels of biodiversity. How are these regions called?
biodiversity hotspots
What are some ways to protect or restore biodiversity?
- conservation biology
- laws
- international treaties
- captive breeding and reintroduction programs
- protected areas
What is conservation biology?
mission oriented crisis discipline, multidisciplinary science that addresses the loss of biological diversity
What are the 2 goals of conservation biology?
1: evaluate human impacts of biological diversity
2: develop practical approaches to prevent the extinction of species
What is the endangered species act (1973)?
a list of species that are threatened or endangered; it has a no take provision and creates a plan for recovery
What is a no take provision?
prohibits landowners from causing harm to listed species
What is the habitat conservation plan (ESA)?
a program that grants exceptions to the no-take provision principle
- a landowner can apply for a permit that allows them to take actions that will negatively impact a listed species as long as it comes with a plan to mitigate the impact in its property
What happened to the bald eagle?
the bald eagle has been delisted in the lower 48 states where it has recovered dramatically following the cancelation of the pesticides like DDT and through a program of reintroduction and nest site protection
What insecticide was killing the bald eagles?
DDT
What is the convention on international trade in endangered species treaty(CITE:1973)?
international agreement to prevent trade of animals and plants that are threatened for survival
What is the convention on biological diversity treaty (CBD:1992)?
every country that is signatory has to come up with strategies and plans to bring back biodiversity
What are captive breeding programs?
- egg pulling
- incubators
- artificial insemination
- surgical implantation of eggs into surrogate mother
- cross-fostering (peregrine falcons –> prairie falcons)
- cloning
What are institutions that protect biodiversity?
- gene banks
- seed banks
- arboretums
- botanical gardens
- zoos
- aquariums
What are examples of successful captive breeding programs?
the California condors and black footed ferrets
What are protected areas?
an area that cannot be economically exploited, people can’t live there
What did the international union for conservation of nature (IUCN) do?
it published a red list of endangered species
What is an example of a national park?
yellowstone—first national park established in 1872 by President U.S Grant
