chapter 40: preserving biodiversity

Question 1

Is Earth’s biodiversity essential to our survival?

Answer 1

yes

Question 2

biodiversity

Answer 2

the variety of life on Earth

Question 3

is biodiversity inclining or declining?

Answer 3

declining

Question 4

extinction

Answer 4

the last individual of a species has perished

Question 5

endangered species

Answer 5

has a high risk of extinction in the future

Question 6

vulnerable species

Answer 6

likely to become extinct in the more distant future

Question 7

conservation biologist

Answer 7

study the preservation of biodiversity

Question 8

main causes of the loss of biodiversity

Answer 8

habitat loss, pollution, global climate change, invasive species, and overexploitation

Question 9

what is the primary threat to biodiversity?

Answer 9

habitat destruction

Question 10

deforestation

Answer 10

the removal of trees

Question 11

how much of the original temperate forest still remains in the United States?

Answer 11

1%

Question 12

[blank] eliminates many habitats and negatively impacts nearby land and water resources

Answer 12

urbanization

Question 13

are deserts expanding or contracting? Why?

Answer 13

expanding
Widespread drought and overgrazing by domesticated animals is turning large areas of tropical savanna into desert.
In dry areas like Arizona, humans manipulate water for recreation, agriculture, flood control, and to support cities.

Question 14

pollution

Answer 14

any chemical, physical, or biological change in the environment that harms living organisms. Pollution degrades the quality of air, water, and land, threatening biodiversity worldwide

Question 15

eutrophication

Answer 15

excessive nutrients ultimately lead to oxygen-poor water that cannot sustain much life

Question 16

what do nutrients from sewage, fertilizers, and animal wastes cause algae to do?

Answer 16

bloom

Question 17

the role of decomposers in eutrophication

Answer 17

carry out cellular respiration as they consume dead algae

depletes oxygen in the water

Question 18

Nutrient runoff from much of the United States flows into the Mississippi River and triggers a large, seasonal [blank] in the Gulf of Mexico

Answer 18

dead zone

Question 19

what happens in the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico?

Answer 19

the seasonal lack of oxygen kills many animals, disrupting not only the Gulf’s food web but also its economy since fish and shrimp cannot live in oxygen-depleted water

Question 20

persistent organic pollutants

Answer 20

carbon-containing molecules that do not degrade.

Many pesticides fall into this category, as do some pharmaceuticals and solvents

Question 21

biomagnification

Answer 21

accounts for the high concentrations of toxic chemicals in the fatty tissues of tunas, polar bears, and other top predators

Question 22

why does biomagnification happen?

Answer 22

Because they do not biodegrade, fat-soluble chemicals become more concentrated as they move up the food chain

Question 23

smog

Answer 23

visible air pollution

Question 24

particulates

Answer 24

tiny bits of matter that float in the air.

Ex. road dust volcanic ash, and soot from partially burned fossil fuels

Question 25

why can suspended particulates cause inflammation, shortness of breath, asthma, or cancer

Answer 25

the heavy metals and toxic organic compounds

Question 26

Burning fossil fuels releases [blank] and [blank] into the atmosphere, where they mix with [blank] and form [blank]

Answer 26

sulfur
nitrogen oxides
water
acids

Question 27

acid deposition

Answer 27

acids fall back to Earth

Question 28

[blank] is a gas that blocks UV radiation in the upper atmosphere

Answer 28

Ozone

Question 29

human-made [blank] compounds damage ozone

Answer 29

chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)

Question 30

where are CFC’s found

Answer 30

in Freon, aerosol cans, and foamed plastics

Question 31

how did CFCs facilitate the breakdown of the ozone?

Answer 31

it persisted for decades in the upper atmosphere

Question 32

the Montreal Protocol

Answer 32

an international treaty signed in 1987, banned the used of CFCs

Question 33

how long do experts estimate the ozone layer to recover?

Answer 33

the mid-latitudes should recover by 2050, healing the hole over Antarctica might take some 25 years longer

Question 34

why is global climate change a more accurate term than global warming?

Answer 34

some areas will become warmer and others will become cooler

Question 35

greenhouse gases [blank] Earth’s surface

Answer 35

warm

Question 36

greenhouse effect

Answer 36

an increase in surface temperature on Earth caused by heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere
Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases prevent heat from escaping Earth’s atmosphere (similar to how glass keeps heat from escaping a greenhouse)

Question 37

have carbon dioxide and temperature been increasing or decreasing?

Answer 37

increasing

Question 38

consequences of global climate change

Answer 38

polar ice sheets are melting and sea levels are rising, changing icy and aquatic ecosystems.
rising carbon dioxide concentration also directly affects oceans ecosystems
carbon dioxide causes ocean waters to become more acidic, threatening many organisms

Question 39

invasive species

Answer 39

human transportation often brings other organisms along for the ride. Nonnative species spreads widely in its new habitat.
They displace native organisms

Question 40

what is considered invasive?

Answer 40

an introduced species must begin breeding in its new location and spread widely from the original point of introduction
The species must harm the environment, human health, or the economy

Question 41

how many invasive species are there in the united states?

Answer 41

500

Question 42

overexploitation

Answer 42

harvesting a species faster than it can reproduce

Question 43

examples of overexploitation

Answer 43

overhunting terrestrial species (for trade, sport, or food) and overharvesting maine organisms

Question 44

[blank] animals sometimes get caught in nets meant for other species

Answer 44

nontarget

Question 45

HIPPO

Answer 45

a useful acronym to remember the threats to biodiversity. Addressing these threats may help recover or prevent future loss of biodiversity
habitat destruction, invasive species, population, pollution, overexploitation

Question 46

bald eagles have recovered since 1970, thanks to ….

Answer 46

the Endangered Species Act

awareness and government action can help save endangered species

Question 47

what is the primary goal of conservation?

Answer 47

to preserve critical habitat

Question 48

what is the secondary goal of conservation?

Answer 48

restoration, which seeks to reverse habitat destruction

Question 49

ways conservationists seek to assist species in degraded habitats

Answer 49

by supplying wildlife corridors or building “fish ladders” over dams

Question 50

ecotourism

Answer 50

provide financial incentive for conservation

in areas where wildlife poaching is a problem

Question 51

how can biotechnology assist in conservation efforts

Answer 51

DNA preserved specimens might be useful in bringing back extinct species
researchers are using CRISPR-Cas 9 technology to add a disease-resistant gene to the American chestnut tree, which has been nearly eradicated by an invasive fungus