Chapter 56

Question 1

What are some ways we can protect the diversity of life?

Answer 1

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)

Question 2

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 2

Genetic variation between populations

Question 3

What is species diversity?

Answer 3

Different species in an ecosystem

Question 4

What is ecosystem diversity?

Answer 4

How does the loss of one part of an ecosystem affect the rest of the ecosystem?

Question 5

Is the extinction rate higher for freshwater animals or terrestrial animals?

Answer 5

Freshwater

Question 6

What are some examples of how biodiversity can positively impact people?

Answer 6

Breeding plants can create new plants with more desirable traits (EG disease resistance)
Prescription drugs

Question 7

What are some examples of ecosystem services?

Answer 7

Purification of air and water, detoxification and decomposition of wastes, nutrient cycling, moderation of weather extremes

Question 8

What are ecosystem services?

Answer 8

Services that ecosystems provide that benefit human lives

Question 9

What are some threats to biodiversity?

Answer 9

Habitat loss and fragmentation, introduced species, overharvesting, global change

Question 10

What is the biggest contributing factor to species loss?

Answer 10

Habitat loss

Question 11

What causes habitat loss?

Answer 11

Agriculture, urban development, forestry, mining

Question 12

What kinds of organisms are prone to overharvesting?

Answer 12

Large organisms with low reproductive rates or species with restricted habitat

Question 13

What global changes can threaten biodiversity?

Answer 13

Acid rain, ozone depletion, climate change

Question 14

Why are small populations more vulnerable to extinction?

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

What impacts can the loss of critical habitat have?

Answer 15

It can be detrimental to threatened or endangered populations, even if they’re above the minimum reproductive population

Question 16

How do manmade edges impact biodiversity?

Answer 16

They reduce it, but improve access to resources for edge adapted species.

Question 17

What kinds of species do biodiverse areas tend to have?

Answer 17

Endemic (unique to that area), threatened and endangered

Question 18

What is the zone reserve approach?

Answer 18

Tactic for reserve management that includes mostly undisturbed areas surrounded by areas that support human activities.

Question 19

What are some human actions that have led to global changes?

Answer 19

Nutrient enrichment, toxins (EG pharmaceuticals)

Question 20

How does toxin concentration measure as you go up trophic levels?

Answer 20

It increases

Question 21

Where does plastic in the oceans come from?

Answer 21

Us, inland. Flows out from rivers to the ocean, where it causes disease.

Question 22

What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer 22

Effect that means the atmosphere retains some of the solar heat the sun radiates into the atmosphere

Question 23

What happens to the heat in the earth’s atmosphere?

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Why do CO2 levels cycle from high to low?

Answer 24

Volcanic eruptions, decay of organic matter, burning of fossil fuels, photosynthesis

Question 25

What levels of organization are impacted by climate change?

Answer 25

Cells, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems

Question 26

What are some examples of how climate change has impacted organisms?

Answer 26

Some have less time to forage for food due to heat, leading to increased mortality rates. Cellular processes can also be affected by temperature. Some can’t gain access to resources due to loss of habitat

Question 27

What does ozone in the atmosphere do?

Answer 27

Protects all life on earth from UV radiation

Question 28

What causes climate change/CO2 in the atmosphere?

Answer 28

Burning fossil fuels

Question 29

What helped restore the ozone layer?

Answer 29

Reduced CFC emissions (form of carbon that’s entirely manmade)