Chapter 11: Biodiversity Preserving Species Flashcards
What is biodiversity?
The genetic, species and ecological
diversity of the organisms in a given area
What is genetic diversity?
A measure of the variety of different versions of the same genes within individual species
What is species diversity?
Number of different kinds of organisms within individual communities or ecosystems
What is ecological diversity?
The richness and complexity of a biological community (including number of niches, trophic levels, ecological processes that capture energy, sustain food webs, and recycle materials)
What is the basic definition of species?
Organisms capable of breeding with each other and producing fertile offspring
What is the Phylogenetic Species Concept (PSC)?
Evolutionary view-emphasizes branching relationships
regardless of successful breeding
What is the Evolutionary Species Concept (ESC)?
Conservation biology view- defines species in evolutionary and historical terms rather than reproduction
What is a genome?
The unique hereditary complement made of millions/billions of nucleotides in DNA arranged in a specific sequence that spells out the structure of all proteins making up the cells of every organism
How many currently known species are there?
About 1.6 million
How many species are estimated to have existed?
3 million to 50 million
What percentage of known species are invertebrates?
About 76%
Where is the greatest concentration of different species?
In the tropics; particularly in rain forests
and coral reefs
What are biodiversity hot spots?
Areas with at least 1,500 endemic species (species found nowhere else) and have lost at least 70 percent of their
habitats
How many biodiversity hot spots are believed to be in the world?
About 34
What percent of the world’s land is labeled as a hot spot?
About 1.4%, even though this percentage is small, it represents about 3/4 (75%) of the world’s most threatened species
Where do the hottest hot spots tend to be?
Tropical island areas; such as the Phillipines, Indonesia and
Madagascar; Map on 227
What kind of benefits does biodiversity bring us?
All of our food comes from other organisms
We derive useful drugs and medicines from organisms
Biodiversity provides ecological services
Biodiversity brings us aesthetic (looks) and cultural benefits
What is extinction?
The elimination of a species.
Even though we may not like it, extinction is a
normal process.
What is the historical rate of extinction?
1 species lost every decade
What is the rate of extinction now?
2-3 species lost every decade
What percent of all species that ever existed are now extinct?
99%
Who summarized the human threats to biodiversity with the acronym HIPPO?
E.O. Wilson
What does the acronym HIPPO mean?
Habitat Destruction Invasive Species Pollution Population of humans Overharvesting
What is the Endangered Species Act (ESA)?
Legislation enacted to protect those species in danger of
becoming extinct. (“threatened” species are likely to become endangered)
How many species are on the Endangered Species Act (ESA)?
Currently – about 1,264 on list
Vulnerable Species
Rare or at risk due to human impact
How much money a year protecting endangered species protection and recovery?
$150 million
What animal did the most successful recovery program involve?
Florida alligator
HCP
Habitat Conservation Plans; These are plans involving private property owners; 80% of all endangered species habitat is owned private land;
This is a very controversial problem:
Should land-owners be unable to use their own
land because an endangered species lives on
it??