Conservation Flashcards
To counter habitat loss, people and organizations have been
purchasing large areas to conserve species habitat
Preserving habitats..
saves species and has led to a new business; ecotourism.
what do reintroduction programs do?
Reintroduction programs take organisms that have been
eliminated from an ecosystem and repopulate that ecosystem
with new members
Frequently, when an organism has been eliminated from an
ecosystem,
that ecosystem is no longer in balance and may collapse.
Reintroducing an organism that has become extinct in that
ecosystem, such as a predator, may…
restore the health of the
ecosystem, and keep prey populations under control.
Some people believe that the organisms in zoo’s and
aquariums are
representatives/ambassadors for their species.
Some people believe that zoo’s and aquariums should be
banned and all the organisms set free. This group believes
that zoo’s and aquariums are unnatural environments that
alter the behavior of the organisms that are incarcerated.
If people learn about the risks some animals face,
they may want to contribute money to saving them.
An understanding of how organisms interact with one another are important to
the survival of an ecosystem
negative aspect of zoos and aquariums
Change in an animals behavior, sometimes causing the
animal to become aggressive and dangerous. There have
been several caretakers that have been killed by animals kept
in zoo’s and aquariums
clean air act
This gives the
government the right to
monitor, and regulate
emissions from factories
and vehicles.
Fines can be given to
those who do not comply
with the regulations.
clean water act
This allows the
government to set
regulations for
discharging pollutants
into the waters of the US
endangered species act
This act provides rules and regulations for the protection of
endangered and threatened species, and their habitats.
New York Safety and Emissions Inspection
New York State, like some other states, requires that all
vehicles are inspected once a year for safety and emissions.
If a vehicle fails any part of the test, including the emissions
portion, it is not allowed to be used until the problem is fixed
and it can meet all the standards mandated by the state.
The emissions requirements vary from one state to another
and on the type of vehicle. Some standards are more strict
than New York’s, such as California, others are less strict, like Florida.
Regulations on Hunting and Fishing
Regulations for hunting and fishing are set by each state.
Examples of regulations are listed below.
* A limit on the number of organisms that can be taken per day/
season.
* Identifying a specific time of the year when animals can be
harvested. (Ex. deer season, duck season, etc.)
* Some states will only allow hunting of one sex of the
organisms to be harvested. This is usually the male.
* A limit on the size of organisms that can be taken.
Breeding Programs
Breeding programs attempt to repopulate organisms in areas
where they are endangered or in areas they once existed.
Breeding programs can also include; protecting the young
until they hatch, creating and protecting nesting sites, and
collecting the fertilized eggs from nests in the wild
Biological Controls
Biological controls are methods that are less harmful to the
environment than pesticides.
Pesticides are indiscriminate killers. Meaning, not only do
they kill the target species, but they will also kill other insects,
some of which are beneficial.
A second problem with chemical pesticides is that they can
be transmitted through the food chain, biological magnification, causing problems to organisms on the upper end of the food chain.
(first type of biological controls)
Import Predator of Target Species
This would eliminate poisoning the entire ecosystem with
toxic chemicals.
Would reduce killing non target species.
No toxic chemicals being transmitted through food chains.
Relatively low cost.
Sustainable method of pest control.
Possible negative consequences of importing a predator of
the target species are
if the predator runs out of the pest species to feed on, will it start targeting other insects. If there is no control of the predator species, will it overpopulate and now become a pest species (invasive species)
(second type of biological controls)
Use of Sex Hormones
Hormones that attract members of the opposite sex are
called pheromones.
* Pheromones are used in some traps.
* As the pheromones are specific to a particular species, only
the target species is attracted.
* Most pheromone traps target the males of the pest species.
(third type of biological controls)
Sterilization
This process takes members of a species, usually insects,
and exposes them to high levels of X-rays.
* This process is usually done to the males that are then placed
in the environment in which the female is looking to mate.
* The X-rays end up destroying the sex cells, they can no
longer fertilize an egg.
* As most female insects mate once and then lay their eggs
and die, the female would be laying unfertilized eggs. This
would result in fewer insects in the next generation.
Recycling
Recycling is when an object is repurposed, tires being used
to become swings, or broken down and used for the same
purpose, aluminum cans.
* Recycling allows for less material to be put into landfills.
* Recycling also prevents the destruction of habitats as we
don’t need to mine for those resources again.
* Recycling of many materials has now become law, and there
are certain days in each town for collection of recyclables.
* To encourage people to recycle, there is a surcharge on
certain items, cans and bottles, that can be recovered by the
buyer when they go to a recycling center.
(land management) soil erosion
Most scientists agree that it takes at least 100 years to create
soil that can support plant life.
* Unprotected soil can be eroded by wind, water, and human
activity.
* Soil erosion can be reduced/prevented by plants. Their roots
hold the soil in place and reduce the effects of wind and
water.
* Terracing is another way to reduce soil erosion on steeply
sloped areas
Depletion of Soil Nutrients
Growing the same type of plants in the same spot year after
year can deplete the nutrients in the soil. This is the reason
people need to use fertilizers, they are replacing the nutrients
Methods of reducing depletion of nutrients in the soil include;
not bagging the grass clippings but, instead, mulching the
grass.
* Creating composting areas.
* Plowing the unused part of plants that are farmed, like corn,
back into the ground.
* Crop rotation. Planting a different crop, it will use different
nutrients, than the crop that was there last year.
