Conservation of Biodiversity Flashcards
EDGE Program
Evolutoinary Distinctiveness: Have few close relatives in tree of life
Global Endangerment: They face a high risk of extinction in the wild
Direct Causes of Anthropogenic Species Extinction
Habitat Destruction: Deforestation, urbanization and mining
Overexploitation: Harvesting species from the wild at faster rates than they can replenish such as overfishing and hunting
Why We Need Multiple Approaches to Conserve Biodiversity
Different species require different conservation strategies based on their habitats and threats
Conservation must consider the interconnectedness of species and dynamic nature of ecosystems
Combining approaches increases likelihood of successful conservation
Not all methods are affordable for different countries
Indirect Causes of Anthropogenic Species Extinction
Pollution: Contamination of ecosystems, industrial waste, agricultural runoff
Climate Change: Greenhouse gas emissions
Invasive Species: Non-native species outcompeting native species or brings diseases
Biodiversity Levels
Ecosystem - Variety of ecosystems and habitats within a region
Species Diversity - Variety of different species within an ecosystem, includes species richness and evenness
Genetic Diversity - Variety of genes and alleles within a population or species
Ex-Situ Approaches
Zoos: Keeping animals in controlled environments for education and conservation
Botanical Gardens: Cultivating and preserving plant species
Seed Banks: Storing seeds for long-term conservation
Tissue Banks: Preserving animal tissues cryogenically for future use
In-Situ Approaches
National Parks: Establishing designated areas where biodiversity is protected
Management of Nature Reserves: Implementing measures to maintain or enhance biodiversity within protected areas
Rewilding: Restoring natural processes and reintroducing keystone species
Reclamation: Restoring damaged habitats to a functional state
Ex-Situ Conservation
Managing species in controlled environments
In-Situ Conservation
Focuses on preserving species within their natural environments and maintaining the ecological processes
What is Biodiversity
Variety of life found on Earth
Causes of Current Biodiversity Crisis
Overarchiing Cause: Human Population Growth
Specific Causes:
Hunting and Overexploitation
Urbanization
Deforestation
Pollution
Pests and Diseases
Invasive Species
Fertilizers
In-Situ VS Ex-Situ
Conservation of species within natural habitat
Conservation of species outside natural habitat
Preserves ecological interactions between species, protects entire ecosystems, and allows for greater public awareness
Safeguards against extinction, supports research and education, and provides opportunities for breeding
Can be difficult to control threats and requires large areas of land
Can be expensive to maintain and captive-bred individuals may lose traits necessary for survival in the wild
Simpson Index Formula
N(N-1) over
Sigma n(n-1)
