Chapter 7 Vocab Flashcards
Endangered species
species with so few individual survivors that the species could soon become extinct
Threatened species
species that has enough remaining individuals to survive in that short term, but because of declining numbers, is likely to become endangered in the near future
bioprospector
person trained to search tropical forests and other ecosystems to find plants and animals that can be used to make mechanical drugs
habitat fragmentation
breakup of a larger habitat area into smaller areas, usually as a result of human activities
biomagnification
process in which a chemical becomes more concentrated as it moves up the food chain
Botanical garden
place that contains living plants on display
Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES)
international treaty that bans hunting, capturing, and selling of threatened or endangered species
Convention on biological diversity (CBD)
international treaty that commits participating governments to reduce the global rate of biodiversity loss and to share the benefits from use of the world’s genetic resources
Endangered species Act (ESA)
U.S.law that identifies and protects endangered and threatened species and calls for recovery programs to help species recover to levels where legal protection is no longer needed
Seed bank
refrigerated, low-humidity storage environment used to preserve genetic information and endangered plant species
Bioaccumulation
accumulation of a chemical in an organism’s fatty tissues
Arboretum
place for scientific study and public display of various species of trees and shrubs
egg pulling
collecting eggs laid in the wild by critically endangered bird species and then hatching them in zoos or research centers
captive breeding
process by which wild individuals of a critically endangered species are collected for breeding in captivity, with the aim of reintroducing the offspring into the wild
