Conservation Science Flashcards

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1
Q

do all taxonomic groups of biodiversity hold the same diversity

A

NO - some, like insects, hold more diversity than others

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2
Q

what levels is biodiversity important

A
  • species level
  • genetic level
  • ecosystem and habitat level
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3
Q

is diversity evenly spread across different habitats and areas

A

No

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4
Q

is extinction a natural process

A

yes

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5
Q

what type of species are more vulnerable to extinction than others

A
  • those that are highly specialized in their habitat or food needs
  • k-selected species ; those that are slow to reproduce
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6
Q

what is causing the beginning of a sixth mass extinction

A

human impacts

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7
Q

main cause of current biodiversity loss

A

habitat loss and degradation

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8
Q

additional causes of biodiversity loss

A
  • climate change
  • pollution
  • invasive species
  • overharvesting/hunting
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9
Q

6 benefits of biodiversity

A
  • vital for the functioning of ecosystems and provide us services
  • contributes to the resilience and stability of ecosystems
  • wild species are potential sources of food
  • modern medicines are derived from wild species
  • contributes to economies through tourism and mostly ecotourism
  • humans have a psychological need to connect with the natural world
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10
Q

conservation biology

A

science that studies biodiversity loss and seeks ways to protect and restore biodiversity at all its levels

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11
Q

why is fragmentation of habitats a problem

A

it increases the proportion of edge to core habitat (which have two very different compositions)

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12
Q

what is one potential solution to habitat fragmentation

A

natural corridors

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13
Q

what principles explain how size and distance influence the number of species living on islands

A
  • island biogeography
  • area-size relationship
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14
Q

ex-situ vs in-situ conservation

A

ex-situ ; include captive breeding, reintroduction programs, and preservation of species in zoos and aquaria

in-situ ; involve the preservation of habitat so species can exist in their natural state

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15
Q

what do most conservation efforts focus on

A

threatened and endangered species

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16
Q

what is Canada’s main vehicle for designating threatened species

A

Species at Risk Act (SARA)

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17
Q

what is the importance of biodiversity hotspots

A

they have drawn attention to areas of the world that are highly and uniquely diverse

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18
Q

what is the benefit of community-based conservation

A

conservation that practices mutual benefit of ecosystems and the local people

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19
Q

what are some economic strategies for conservation

A
  • debt-for-nature swaps
  • conservation concessions
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20
Q

what has led to the creation of parks, reserves and wilderness areas

A

public demand for conservation, preservation and recreation

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21
Q

two types of internationally designated protected lands

A
  • biosphere reserves
  • world heritage sites
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22
Q

what do biosphere reserves aim to integrate

A

protection of natural areas with sustainable human use

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23
Q

Subspecies

A

Below the species level - denoted by a third scientific name

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24
Q

what constitutes a subspecies

A

Populations of a species that occur in different geographic areas and differ from one another in some characteristics

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25
Q

what causes subspecies

A

form by similar processes that cause speciation except divergence does not proceed to the extent a new species is made

26
Q

Levels of biodiversity

A
  • Genetic diversity
  • Species diversity
    Ecosystem and habitat diversity
27
Q

Genetic diversity

A

The varieties in DNA present among individuals within species, subspecies and populations

28
Q

what does MORE genetic diversity allow

A

a population a better survival chance as the variation allows them to cope with environmental changes

29
Q

what does LITTLE genetic variation cause

A

population to be more vulnerable to environmental changes that they are not prepared for and increases the spread of disease

30
Q

what can result from little genetic variation

A

bottleneck ;
A limited variety of genetic material is available to be passed along by the small number of surviving individuals to their descendants

31
Q

Species diversity vs species richness vs relative abundance

A

Species diversity ;
quantify the number and variety of species in the world or a particular region

species richness ;
number of species in a particular area

relative abundance ;
the extent to which the population numbers of individuals of each species are equal or skewed

32
Q

global forces that affect species richness

A

speciation and extinction

33
Q

Ecosystem diversity

A

The number and variety of ecosystems in a given area based on variations in climate, topography and soil type

34
Q

what has a direct influence on species richness

A

ecosystem diversity

35
Q

_____ have high biodiversity

A

ecotones (areas that different habitats intermix)

36
Q

Why knowledge of species numbers is incomplete

A
  1. some areas of earth are little explored
  2. many species are tiny and overlooked
  3. Many organisms hare incredibly hard to identify that some are mislabel as the same species
37
Q

where does species richness increase in the world

A

closer to the equator

38
Q

endangered vs threatened vs vulnerable

A

Endangered ;
Species that is in imminent danger of extirpation or extinction

threatened ;
Species that is likely to become endangered in the near future if limiting factors are not reversed

vulnerable ;
Species that are of particular concern because of characteristics that make them particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events

39
Q

ecotourism

A

Travel whose main purpose is to experience relatively pristine, undisturbed natural areas

40
Q

conservation vs preservation

A

conservation ;
Natural habitat and species should be cared for and maintained for multiple purposes and that they not only have their own value but also value for people

preservation ;
Maintenance of a natural area or species in a pristine or unaltered state (or as close as possible)

41
Q

what level(s) does conservation biology focus on

A

all of them - genetic, species and ecosystem diversity

42
Q

Island biogeography explains how

A

how number of species on a island results from equilibrium balance between immigration and extirpation

43
Q

key predictions from island biogeography

A
  1. Farther an island is from a continent - fewer species tend to colonize it (distance effect)
  2. Larger islands have more species at equilibrium than smaller islands based on the higher immigration rates and lower extinction rates ( Area effect )
44
Q

SLOSS dilemma

A

Single Large or Several Small habitat debate
(Large species that travel long distances would benefit from the “single large” approach to reserve design

Smaller species (like insects) would likely be fine with small isolated reserves (several small))

45
Q

captive breeding

A

Raising individuals of endangered species for the purpose of reintroducing them into the wilds

46
Q

soft vs hard release

A

soft ;
a variety of adaptation and acclimatization techniques before release or post-release feeding and care

hard ;
simple release of individuals into the wild

47
Q

Cloning

A

DNA from an endangered species in inserted into a cultured egg without a nucleus, the egg is implanted into a closely related species that can act as a surrogate mother

48
Q

umbrella species

A

Large species that roam great distances that need large areas of habitat automatically help the less charismatic species in the same area that don’t have the same public interest

49
Q

Biodiversity hotspots

A

An area that supports an especially great diversity of species particularly species that are endemic to the area

50
Q

criteria to be considered a hotspot

A

○ harbor at least 1500 endemic plant species

○ Already lost 70% of its habitat from human impacts

51
Q

Community based conservation

A

Conservation that actively engages local people in efforts to protect land and wildlife in their backyards

52
Q

debt for nature swap economic strategy

A

an environmental group or a corporation takes on a portion of the debt of a developing country, usually in exchange for some form of environmental protection or conservation

53
Q

conservation concession economic strategy

A

Conservation International has stepped in and paid nations for concessions that are more favorable to conservation than to resource extraction

54
Q

latitudinal gradient

A

species richness increases towards the equator

55
Q

what is the Red List referring to

A

an updated list of species facing high risks of extinctions

56
Q

which extinction rate is higher, background extinction or global extinction

A

global extinction is much greater than the background extinction rate

57
Q

greatest cause of biodiversity loss

A

habitat alteration

58
Q

methods of introduction of non-native species

A

deliberate (food crops) and accidental (zebra mussels)

59
Q

examples of ecotourism

A
  1. Great Barrier Reef
  2. Amazon Rainforest
60
Q

Biophilia

A

connections that humans subconsciously seek with life

61
Q

nature deficit disorder

A

alienation from the natural world

62
Q
A