Biodiversity Flashcards

1
Q

Biodiversity

A

the variety of life across all levels of biological organization (genes through ecosystems).

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2
Q

species

A

a set of organisms that share unique characteristics, can breed, and produce fertile offspring.

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3
Q

_____ describes the number or variety of species found in a region.

A

Species diversity

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4
Q

_________ describes the number of species.

A

Species richness

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5
Q

____ or ________describes how much the species differ in numbers of individuals.

A

Evenness, relative abundance

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6
Q

_______ includes differences in D N A composition among individuals.

A

Genetic diversity,

Populations with little genetic diversity are more likely to be vulnerable to environmental change, as they lack the variants needed to help adapt to new conditions.

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7
Q

_________ refers to the number and variety of ecosystems, communities, or habitats.

A

Ecosystem diversity

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8
Q

Species richness generally increases as one approaches the equator, a pattern called ___________.

A

the latitudinal gradient in species richness.

  • Greater geographic area
  • More solar energy
  • Stability of tropical climates
  • Lack of disruptive glaciation events
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9
Q

Species diversity also tends to increase in areas with more _______, such as ecotones.

A

diverse habitats

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10
Q

Structurally diverse habitats, like forests, also tend to be more ____.

A

biodiverse

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11
Q

_________ is searching for organisms that might provide new foods, medicines, or other products.

A

Bioprospecting

This includes animals that are endangered and may go extinct before the substances can be discovered.

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12
Q

Biodiversity increases the _________ of an ecosystem—its ability to withstand disturbance, recover from stress, or adapt to change.

A

resilience

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12
Q

If a ____________ like a top predator is lost, consequences will cascade down the entire food chain.

A

keystone species

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13
Q

If an __________ is lost, the entire structure of an ecosystem can change.

A

ecosystem engineer

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14
Q

A biologist named Edward O. Norton suggested that human beings share an instinctive love for nature and feel an emotional bond with other living things.
He called this _______.

A

biophilia

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15
Q

Organisms that benefit from ___________ also tend to be geographically widespread, small and fast-reproducing, and lower on the food chain.

A

human development

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16
Q

As a ________ shrinks, it loses both genetic diversity and geographic range.

A

population

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17
Q

The United Nations Environment Programme (U N E P) developed the ______________ as a way to express how large the average population size of a species is now compared to a baseline year of 1970.

A

Living Planet Index

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18
Q

_________ occurs when the last member of a species dies and the entire species ceases to exist.

A

Extinction

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19
Q

_________ is the loss of a species from one area, but not the entire world.

A

Extirpation

20
Q

The _____________ is the pace at which organisms independently go extinct.

A

background extinction rate

21
Q

________________ are ones that eliminated at least half of the species on Earth.

A

Mass extinction events

22
Q

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (I U C N) maintains the __________, all species facing high risks of extinction.

23
Q

This makes habitats ________ and prevents movement of organisms between habitats.

23
Habitat loss most commonly occurs through gradual, piecemeal degradation called ____________.
habitat fragmentation
24
Habitat loss is the primary source of population declines for more than ____ of threatened birds and mammals.
80%
24
Habitat loss has affected every biome, with _______ being especially threatened.
wetlands
25
_____ is the illegal killing of wildlife for meat or body parts.
Poaching
26
_________, non-native species introduced to new environments, can proliferate and displace native species.
Invasive species
27
Species native to islands are particularly ________, as they have been isolated from new parasites, predators, and competitors.
vulnerable
28
Climate change is causing some animals to shift their _____ to be closer to the poles or _____ in altitude.
ranges, higher
29
_____________ is a study that seeks to understand the loss, protection, and restoration of biological diversity.
Conservation biology
30
____________ determine how small a population can become and how much genetic variation it can lose before encountering inbreeding depression.
Conservation geneticists By determining this size, they can help wildlife managers make plans for increasing the size of a population. Small and isolated populations are the most vulnerable, so they get special attention.
31
The ______________ offers protection to species that fall within two categories:
Endangered Species Act of 1973
32
_________, or in danger of becoming extinct in the near future
Endangered
33
The E S A _______ the U.S. government and citizens from taking actions that destroy individuals within identified species.
forbids
34
____________ plans allow the landowner to harm some individuals of a species if the overall habitat is improved.
Habitat conservation
35
A _____________- is a promise that the government will not pursue additional action if the landowner pursues actions that assist in the species’ recovery.
safe harbor agreement
36
The 1973 ____________ bans the international transport of the body parts of rare species.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (C I T E S)
37
The ___________________ is a treaty that provides funding and incentives for conservation in developing countries.
Convention on Biological Diversity
38
Zoos and botanical gardens have become centers for __________, where endangered individuals such as black rhinos are bred and raised with the intention of reintroducing their progeny into the wild.
captive breeding
39
__________ is the analysis of evidence to make an identification or answer a question relating to a crime.
Forensic science
40
Conservation biologists are using forensics to trace the geographic origin of organisms or body parts recovered from _______
the black market.
41
The protection of __________ helps to protect many others.
umbrella species
42
Environmental organizations use large charismatic vertebrates as _________ to promote conservation.
flagship species
42
_____________ are regions that support a great number of species that are found nowhere else.
Biodiversity hotspots
43
convergent evolution
the independent development of similar traits or features (as of body structure or behavior) in unrelated or distantly related species or lineages that typically occupy similar environments or ecological niches.
44
The process by which new species are generated is termed ________.
speciation
45
Allopatric speciation
occurs when a species separates into two separate groups that are isolated from one another. A physical barrier, such as a mountain range or a waterway, makes it impossible for them to breed with one another.