conservation Flashcards
what is conservation biology?
a multidisciplinary science that has developed to address the loss of biodiversity
how many species are there on earth?
approximately 10 to 15 million
what is extinction what is the reasoning behind it?
the death of the last individual of the species and human activity (hunting) is a big reason of this
how many majors extinction has there been and what would cause another one?
-there has been 5 major extinctions
-the 6th extinction could be cause by human beings
what is biodiversity?
the variety of life in the world or in particular habitat or ecosystem
what is genetic diversity?
the range of different inherited traits within a species.
what is species richness and diversity?
-richness is the number of species in a particular area
-diversity is the number of different species in particular area and their relative abundance
what is ecosystem diversity?
the number and variety if communities habitats and ecosystems where living species interact with their environment and with each other.
what are endangered species?
a species in danger of extinction in all or much of its range
what are biodiversity hotspots and whats their importance?
they cover only 2.3 percent of earth’s surface but have endemic to them 42 percent of the terrestrial vertebrate species and 50 percent of the world’s plants
why is biodiversity important to human-welfare?
it helps by providing unique set of genes that could code for potentially important proteins such that could make new medicines, foods, and industrial chemicals
what do ecosystem services do for human-life?
they provide to sustain human life such as purifying air and water, decomposing waste, pollinate crops, control pests
what are the threats to biodiversity?
-habitat loss
-overharvesting
-exotic/invasive species
-climate change
what are the methods that could be used to preserve endangered species?
-pristine restoration
-habitat restoration
-removal of invasive species
-captive propagation
