conservation biology Flashcards
what is the extinction vortex
small populations are prone to extinction because they are vulnerable to inbreeding and genetic drift
–>reduction of genetic variability prevents population from adapting
what is effective population size
size of an idealized randomly matinf population that shows same level of heterozygosity as population of interest
wwhat is heterozygosity
fraction of individuals in a population that are heterozygous for a particular locus
what are the conditions for effective population size = actual population size
- population has 1:1 sex ratio
- all individuals contribute equally to next generation
- simultaneous birth of each generation
- population size remains constant over time
(T/F) effective population size will be less than actual population size and heterozygosity/genetic drift will be decreased
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what is the minimum viable population (MVP)
smallest size at which a population is able to sustain its number and survive
what are some threats to biodiversity
- habitat loss
- invasive species
- overharvesting
- pollution
- acid precipitation
- biomagnification
- climate change
what are the 3 levels of biodiversity
- genetic diversity
- species diversity
- ecosystem diversityw
what is genetic diversity
diversity within/between populations
–> decrease = prevention of microevolution
what is species diversity
variety of species within exosystem
–> loss of local species (extirpation), loss of global species (extinction)
what is ecosystem diversity
variety of ecosystems
–> alteration can cause species loss
–> 3 categories: collapsed, critically endangered, endangered
why protect biodiversity?
- human population relies on it for food, fuel, medicine, spices, etc
- biological communities provide assets like water purification, pollution breakdown, etc
- spiritual connections with nature
what are biodiversity hot spots?
relatively small areas containing endemic species (found nowhere else in the world) and lots of endangered species
what is conservation biology
integrated study of ecology, evolutionary biology, physiology, molecular biology, and genetics to sustain biological diversity
what is a captive-breeding program
breed endangered species in zoos to build healthy and diverse population before reintroducing them to the wild
what is the international potato center (CIP)
research-development organization with focus on potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. to enhance access to affordable foods
methods of habitat conservation
- corridors that connect patches to allow mammals to cross human-made obstacles
what is the point of “no intervention” policies on national parks
disturbances (floods/fires) are allowed to play out on their own since many species depend on them to germinate/thrive
what does the international union for conservation of nature (IUCN) do
assesses global conservation status of species and maintains red list of threatened species
what does the committee on the status of endangered wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) do
assesses conservation status of species in canada and makes recommendations to government on which species need protection
what is the formula for effective population size
Ne= (4 x Nf xNm)/(Nf+Nm)
