Ch.11

Question 0

Species diversity

Answer 0

The number or variety of species in the world or in a particular region

Question 1

Biological diversity

Answer 1

The sum of total of all organisms in an area, taking into account the diversity of species, their genes, their populations, and their communities

Question 2

Genetic diversity

Answer 2

Encompasses the differences in DNA composition among individuals within species and populations

Question 3

Extirpation

Answer 3

The disappearance of a particular population from a given area, but not the entire species globally

Question 4

Background rate of extinction

Answer 4

Most extinctions preceding the appearance if humans occurred one by one for independence reasons

Question 5

Mass extinction

Answer 5

Eliminates more than one-fifth of life’s families and at least half it’s species. There have been 5 mass extinctions

Question 6

Red list

Answer 6

An updated list of species facing high risks of extinction

Question 7

Biophilia

Answer 7

The connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life. Described by E.O. Wilson

Question 8

Conservation biology

Answer 8

A scientific discipline devoted to understanding the factors, forces, and processes that influence the loss, protection, and restoration of biological diversity

Question 9

Equilibrium theory of island biogeography

Answer 9

Explains how species come to be distributed among oceanic islands. One key conceptual tool.

Question 10

Endangered species act

Answer 10

The primary legislation for protecting biodiversity in the US. Passed in 1973, the ESA forbids the government and private citizens from taking actions that destroys endangered species or their habits

Question 11

Captive breeding

Answer 11

In which individuals are bred and raised in controlled conditions with the intent of reintroducing them into the wild

Question 12

CITES: convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora

Answer 12

Protects endangered species by banning the international transport of their body parts.

Question 13

Convention on biological diversity

Answer 13

In 1992 this treaty embodies three goals: to conserve biodiversity, to use biodiversity in a sustainable manner, and to ensue the fair distribution of biodiversity’s benefits

Question 14

Biodiversity hotspots

Answer 14

One international approach oriented around geographic regions,rather than single species

Question 15

Community-based conservation

Answer 15

Many conservation biologists actively engage local people in efforts to protect land and wildlife in their own backyards

Question 16

Corridor

Answer 16

A passageway of protected land established to allow animals to travel between islands of protected habitat

Question 17

Latitudinal gradient

Answer 17

The increase in species richness as one approaches the equator. This pattern of variation with latitude has been one of the most obvious pattern in ecology, but one of the most difficult ones for scientists to explain

Question 18

Umbrella species

Answer 18

A species for which meeting it’s habitat needs automatically helps meet those of many other species. Umbrella species generally are species that require large areas of habitat