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biology 301 > ch 23 : global conservation of biodiversity > Flashcards

ch 23 : global conservation of biodiversity Flashcards

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1
Q
A

ecological hotspots

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2
Q
A

endemic species

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3
Q

where are endemic species most common?

A
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4
Q

what are the two values of biodiversity

A

intrinsic value and instrumental value

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5
Q

a focus on the inherent value of a species, not tied to any economic benefit

A

intrinsic value of biodiversity

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6
Q

a focus on the economic value a species can provide (e.g., the value of lumber and crops)

A

instrumental value of biodiversity

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7
Q

what would be the purpose of intrinsic value of biodiversity?

A

people who place intrinsic value on biodiversity feel religious, moral, or ethical obligations to preserve the world’s species

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8
Q

what is the difficulty with intrinsic value of biodiversity?

A

it is difficult to prioritize conservation efforts based on intrinsic values

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9
Q

what is the difficulty with instrumental value of biodiversity?

A

many species remain undiscovered so the value of species and ecosystems can be difficult to estimate

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10
Q

what are the benefits of diversity?

A

benefits of diversity are estimated at $319 billion per year in the United States, and globally at $3 trillion to $54 trillion per year

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11
Q

benefits of biodiversity that humans use, including lumber, fur, meat, crops, water, and fiber

A

provisioning services

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12
Q

benefits of biodiversity that include climate regulation, flood control, and water pollution

A

regulating services

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13
Q

benefits of biodiversity that provide aesthetic, spiritual, or recreational value (e.g., hiking, camping)

A

cultural services

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14
Q

benefits of biodiversity that allow ecosystems to exist (e.g., primary production, soil formation, and nutrient cycling)

A

supporting services

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15
Q

over the past 500 million years, how many mass extinction events has the world experienced?

A

5

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16
Q

events in which at least 75% of the existing species go extinct within a 2-million-year period.

A

mass extinction events

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17
Q

what are some facts about species

A
  • 1.3 million species have received Latin names; 15,000 new species are described each year.
  • estimates for the total number of species range from 3 to 100 million; most scientists agree that there are about 10 million species.
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18
Q

first mass extinction

A

most species lived in the oceans; an ice age caused sea levels to drop and ocean chemistry to change

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19
Q

second mass extinction

A

much of the ocean lacked oxygen; reasons for this phenomenon are unclear

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20
Q

third mass extinction

A

causes are uncertain; 96% of all species went extinct

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21
Q

fourth mass extinction

A

hypotheses for this extinction include volcanic activity, asteroid collisions, and climate change

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22
Q

fifth mass extinction

A

volcanic eruptions generated cold weather, followed by an asteroid impact in the Yucatan Peninsula

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23
Q

what made earth much less hospitable to dinosaurs and many other groups?

A

dust from the asteroid impact blocked the sun’s rays

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24
Q

what are some notes about a sixth mass extinction?

A
  • only a small percentage of all species that ever lived on Earth are present today.
  • over the past 3.5 billion years, it is estimated that 4 billion species have existed on Earth; 99% of these species are now extinct.
  • scientists have hypothesized increases in human population during the past 10,000 years has initiated a sixth mass extinction event.
  • comparison of mammalian extinction rates over the past 500 years with historic rates suggests a higher current rate of extinction.
  • the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity estimates that the extinction rate over the past 50 years is 1,000 times historic rates.
  • ****if this rate continues for hundreds of years, it could qualify as a mass extinction event.
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25
Q

how far back can we see human impacts on diversity?

A

starting with the arrival of humans 10,000 years ago

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26
Q

what does the risk of a sixth mass extinction depend on?

A

how many species go extinct during the next few centuries

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27
Q

the animal was known to exist in the year 1500, but no individuals remain alive today

A

extinct

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28
Q

the only individuals remaining are in captivity

A

extinct in the wild

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29
Q

species at high risk of extinction; endangered species

A

threatened

30
Q

species likely to become threatened in the future

A

near-threatened

31
Q

species with abundant populations

A

least-concern

32
Q

currently, our best data to assess the decline in biodiversity are which groups of species?

A

conifers, birds, mammals, amphibians, and fish

33
Q

patterns of declines in these groups may be representative of what?

A

many other groups for which data are poor

34
Q

fewer than 10% of all flowering plant species, reptiles, and insects have been assessed; 46% to 74% of assessed species are ________

A

threatened

35
Q

what are declines in genetic diversity caused by?

A

-declining population sizes
- inbreeding depression
- the bottleneck effect

36
Q

what is the effect of declines?

A

they reduce the probability that a population is able to survive changing conditions (i.e. climate, emerging infectious diseases)

37
Q

why do humans need genetic diversity?

A
  • all animals that humans consume or use for labor include just seven mammal species and four bird species.
  • likewise, humans consume only about 150 species of plants; just 12 species make up the vast majority of people’s diets (e.g., wheat, rice, and corn).
38
Q

why is livestock genetic diversity important to know about?

A
  • humans have bred livestock species for a wide variety of different traits (e.g., size, strength, quality of meat).
  • many livestock varieties have not been maintained; modern livestock operations favor relatively few breeds.
  • ten percent of all domestic bird breeds have gone extinct and another 21% are at risk.
  • reduced livestock genetic diversity provides less diversity to us if we need to breed new varieties that can live in novel environments
39
Q

why is plant genetic diversity important to know about?

A
  • modern varieties of cultivated plants (e.g., corn) look very different from their ancestors.
  • humans bred varieties that grew well under local environmental conditions
40
Q

what did modern farming practices (e.g., irrigation) reduce?

A

harshness of growing conditions and favored only top-producing varieties

41
Q

what happens when there is reduced crop genetic diversity?

A

there is a reduction of options to respond to environmental conditions and challenges

42
Q

what was built to protect seed diversity from natural disasters?

A

the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in the Artic region north of Norway

43
Q

what has been the largest cause of declining biodiversity?

A

the destruction and degradation of habitat

44
Q

habitat loss leads to what?

A

fragmentation and smaller populations that are likely to go extinct

45
Q

fragmented areas have more ______ _____ that can alter abiotic conditions of the interior habitat and favor edge species

A

edge habitat

46
Q

describe overharvesting

A

human tech has allowed us to harvest species at a more rapid rate and drive some species to extinction

47
Q

is extinction by hunting and fishing a recent phenomenon?

A

no

48
Q

what fishing techniques have increased the number of fish and shellfish caught

A
  • long fishing lines
  • large nets
  • trawlers
49
Q

what has overfishing led to?

A

an increase in the number of collapsed fisheries

50
Q

fishing areas that no longer have populations that can be fished

A

collapsed fisheries

51
Q

how often do collapsed fisheries occur?

A

in more than 25% of species assessed of the coast of the northeastern US

52
Q

has the government done anything to regulate harvesting?

A

yes; regulations must balance the benefit of conserving species with the economic benefits to humans though

53
Q

introductions of species can be both ________ and __________

A

intentional and accidental

54
Q

what are some facts about introduced species?

A
  • only about 5% of introduced species become established in a new region, but those that do have a variety of effects.
  • some species provide important benefits (e.g., the common honeybee); others can have negative effects on native species.
55
Q

the number of introduced species has _________ over time

A

increased

56
Q

the process by which unique species compositions originally found in different regions slowly become more similar due to the movement of people, cargo, and species

A

biotic homogenization

57
Q

the process by which the concentration of a contaminant increases as it moves up the food chain

A

biomagnification

58
Q

global climate change

A
  • humans have increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
  • increased greenhouse gases have led to a 0.8°C increase in the average temperature of the Earth; some areas (e.g., Alaska) have experienced increases as high as 4°C
  • warming has had a number of
    effects, such as a reduction in ice mass in Antarctica.
  • ice melting has led to a 0.2 m
    sea level increase in 140 years; in the past 20 years, sea level has risen ~3 mm per year.
59
Q

what has warming led to?

A

shifts in the timing of many ecological events (i.e. breeding, pollination) and shifts in the range of many species

60
Q

what is the difficulty with global climate change?

A

predicting it; the outcome will partly depend on how much CO2 is added to the atmosphere

61
Q

how do we slow declines in biodiversity

A

we must stabilize the size of the human population and reduce human-caused sources of mortality

62
Q

why is habitat protection important?

A

habitats much be large enough to support a minimum viable population and to prevent local catastrophes from threatening an entire species

63
Q

the smallest population size of a species that can persist in the face of environmental variation

A

minimum viable population (MVP)

64
Q

the habitat needs of a population change with ___________

A

seasons

65
Q

what needs to be set aside for species that migrate?

A

large tracts of land need to be set aside, managed, and protected

66
Q

today, 57% of the world countries have protected at least ___________ of their land.

A

one-tenth

67
Q

what is the NPS largest restoration project to date?

A

elwha river dam removal

68
Q

what does reducing the harvest of a declining species do?

A

increases its abundance, although some species can take a tong time to recover

69
Q

some species have declined so low in abundance that what?

A

they require human intervention to save them from extinction
- reintroductions are costly, but efforts to save one species can have positive effects on many other species

70
Q

what is our hope for our future?

A
  • sustain ecosystem services
  • maintain biodiversity
  • minimize human impacts
  • sustainable alternative practices
71
Q

what are some ways to minimize human impacts aka ecological footprints?

A
  • conservation
  • legislation (clean air/water acts, endangered species act)
  • global cooperation — treaties (kyoto)

biology 301 (6 decks)

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