Ch 43: Global Ecology and Conservation Biology

Question 1

What is conservation biology?

Answer 1

Conservation Biology = Discipline that integrates ecology, physiology molecular biology, genetics and evolutionary biology to conserve biodiversity at all levels.

Question 2

What is biodiversity? And at what levels could we investigate biological diversity?

Answer 2

• Biodiversity can be considered at 3 levels:
  
  • Genetic diversity → allows for adaptation to environmental changes
  • Species diversity → maintains communities & food webs
  • Ecosystem diversity → provide life-sustaining services (medicines, food, air & water purification, crops pollination & pests control, waste detoxification & decomposition …) to all species, including humans, for free!

Question 3

How are human activities impacting biological diversity?

Answer 3

• Threats to biodiversity
  
  • Habitat loss: Human alteration of habitat is the single greatest threat to biodiversity throughout the biosphere. Habitat loss has been brought about by factors such as agriculture, urban development, forestry, mining, and pollution.
  • Introduced species: Introduced species, sometimes referred to as non-native or exotic species, are those that humans move intentionally or accidentally from the species’ native locations to new geographic regions. Some introduced species disrupt their new community, often by preying on native organisms or outcompeting them for resources.
  • Overharvesting: The term overharvesting refers generally to the harvesting of wild organisms at rates exceeding the ability of their populations to rebound. Species with restricted habitats, such as those that inhabit small islands, are particularly vulnerable to overharvesting.
  • Global change: Global change includes alterations in climate, atmospheric chemistry, and broad ecological systems that reduce the capacity of Earth to sustain life.
    
    • Interference with the biochemical cycles (ex: nutrients enrichment associated with depletion in other part of the biosphere)
    • Toxins in the environment (biomagnification)
    • Greenhouse gases & global climate change

Question 4

What factors influence the size of someone’s ecological footprint?

Answer 4

Ecological footprint is the aggregate land and water required by a person, city, or nation to produce all of the resources it consumes and to absorb all of the water it generates. EF is affected by the following three factors:resource intensity in the production of goods and services, consumption of goods and services per person, and population size.

Question 5

Distinguish weather and climate

Answer 5

• Climate = an area’s long-term atmospheric conditions
• Weather = short-term conditions at localized sites

Question 6

How does CO2 affect the climate?

Answer 6

The increase in the concentration of atmospheric CO2 over the last 170 years concerns scientists because of its link to increased global temperature.

Question 7

What is climate change?

Answer 7

A directional change in temperature, precipitation, or other aspects of the global climate that last for three decades or more

Question 8

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 8

The warming of Earth due to the atmospheric accumulation of carbon dioxide and certain other gases, which absorb reflected infrared radiation and reradiate some of it back toward Earth

Question 9

What are some of the solutions that humans need to/ should develop to minimize global climate change and its various consequences?

Answer 9

Actively remove CO2 from the air by:

• Reforestation
• Capturing CO2 from smokestacks