Chapter 56 Flashcards
What are some ways we can protect the diversity of life?
Restoring/preserving habitats threatened species live in
Preventing overharvesting of declining species
Reversing climate change
Creating a regional network of protected areas
Protecting hot spots (small areas with high biodiversity)
What is genetic diversity?
Genetic variation between populations
What is species diversity?
Different species in an ecosystem
What is ecosystem diversity?
How does the loss of one part of an ecosystem affect the rest of the ecosystem?
Is the extinction rate higher for freshwater animals or terrestrial animals?
Freshwater
What are some examples of how biodiversity can positively impact people?
Breeding plants can create new plants with more desirable traits (EG disease resistance)
Prescription drugs
What are some examples of ecosystem services?
Purification of air and water, detoxification and decomposition of wastes, nutrient cycling, moderation of weather extremes
What are ecosystem services?
Services that ecosystems provide that benefit human lives
What are some threats to biodiversity?
Habitat loss and fragmentation, introduced species, overharvesting, global change
What is the biggest contributing factor to species loss?
Habitat loss
What causes habitat loss?
Agriculture, urban development, forestry, mining
What kinds of organisms are prone to overharvesting?
Large organisms with low reproductive rates or species with restricted habitat
What global changes can threaten biodiversity?
Acid rain, ozone depletion, climate change
Why are small populations more vulnerable to extinction?
They’re prone to falling into the “extinction vortex”. Small populations are more likely to have high levels of inbreeding and genetic drift, which creates less fit individuals. This leads to lower reproduction and higher mortality, creating a smaller population.
What impacts can the loss of critical habitat have?
It can be detrimental to threatened or endangered populations, even if they’re above the minimum reproductive population
How do manmade edges impact biodiversity?
They reduce it, but improve access to resources for edge adapted species.
What kinds of species do biodiverse areas tend to have?
Endemic (unique to that area), threatened and endangered
What is the zone reserve approach?
Tactic for reserve management that includes mostly undisturbed areas surrounded by areas that support human activities.
What are some human actions that have led to global changes?
Nutrient enrichment, toxins (EG pharmaceuticals)
How does toxin concentration measure as you go up trophic levels?
It increases
Where does plastic in the oceans come from?
Us, inland. Flows out from rivers to the ocean, where it causes disease.
What is the greenhouse effect?
Effect that means the atmosphere retains some of the solar heat the sun radiates into the atmosphere
What happens to the heat in the earth’s atmosphere?
Some is released from the atmosphere, but some of it is absorbed by earth’s greenhouse gases and trapped close to the earth’s surface
Why do CO2 levels cycle from high to low?
Volcanic eruptions, decay of organic matter, burning of fossil fuels, photosynthesis
