Conservation of Biodiversity Flashcards
What are two examples of humans impact on the biosphere?
Extinction of animal species and pollution/plastic pollution
Plastic waste eventually ends up where?
In the ocean
How many sea birds die per year due to plastic waste in the ocean?
One million
What is the North Pacific Gyre?
A collection of marine debris in the Pacific ocean, which is litter that ends up in bodies of water.
How many gyres are there total?
Five
How many billions of pounds is put into the ocean each year?
18 billion
Who is the top plastic polluter and what is the percentage compared to other countries worldwide?
China – 28% of global plastic waste
Who is the 2nd top plastic polluter and what is the percentage compared to other countries worldwide?
Indonesia – 10% of global plastic waste
Who is the 3rd top plastic polluter and what is the percentage compared to other countries worldwide?
Phillippines – 6% of global plastic waste
Who is the 4th top plastic polluter and what is the percentage compared to other countries worldwide?
Vietnam – 6% of global plastic waste
Who is the 5th top plastic polluter and what is the percentage compared to other countries worldwide?
Thailand – 3.2% of global plastic waste
How many tons of new plastic is put into the ocean each year?
8 million
Birds carry how many tons to where each year through their stomachs?
5 tons to Midway Island
One garbage truck per each how many minutes does that equate to?
1 minute
4.5 trillion cigarette blanks are thrown on the ground each year worldwide?
Butts
The cigarette butt number is enough to wrap around the earth how many times?
2,852 times
What two animals eat cigarette butts, which contain poison for the animals?
Birds and fish
Are cigarette butts a single use plastic?
Yes
When shopping, using a what goes a long way?
Reusable shopping bag
What is the worst offender?
Styrofoam
When you can, is it better to buy things in boxes?
Yes
How many species are we losing each year?
About 5,000 species per year
What is the biggest cause of species extinction?
Habitat loss
Birds have had a blank percentage decline worldwide since 1970, meaning we have blank fewer birds?
29% and 2.9 billion fewer birds
What are three reasons for loss of birds and what is the main reason?
Cats (main reason), collisions, and habitat loss
Forest birds have gone down what percentage since 1970?
22%
Shorebirds have gone down what percentage since 1970?
37%
Grassland birds have gone down what percentage since 1970?
53%
When shark finning, up to how much of the shark is wasted?
98%
Sharks are typically tossed back into the ocean after shark finning is done? What happens to them after that?
The shark usually drowns or is eaten alive by other fish
How many sharks per year are used for shark finning?
73 million
The most prized shark fins can cost hundreds of dollars with the average cost being what per pound?
450 dollars per pound
In China, Japan, and other far-eastern countries, shark finning was used for shark fin soup. However, a commercial of a what decreased sales for this?
A shark bleeding out in front of patrons
Over how many pangolins were poached for illegal trade over the last 16 years for traditional Chineseor Asian “medicine” due to the what in their scales?
Over 1.1 million pangolins for their keratin scales
Elephants are killed by poachers for what three parts?
Ivory, body parts, and meat parts
Rhinos are poached for their what?
Horns
The picture taken by Apollo 8 on December 24th, 1968 of Earth rising started what movements in the US?
Conservationist movements as things like Earth Day and environmentalism. It also had countries start to work together.
