Island Biogeography Flashcards
What can the equilibrium theory predict?
The number of species and not the composition of them
Major threats to earths ecosystems
-over hunting and overfishing
-habitat modification
-introduction of exotic species
Ecotone
An area between two habitats not fully suitable for species from either community (wet/dry, forest/grassland)
What percent of the worlds temperate rainforests have been cut?
55%
What increases global warming?
-Carbon dioxide
-Black carbon
-Methane
-Nitrogen trifluoride
-Chloroflurocarbons
Does sulphur dioxide increase global warming?
No it counteracts it but produces smog
What does burning fossil fuels rich in sulphur result in?
Increases acidity of precipitation (acid rain)
How many micrograms/m3 is classified as bad air and hazardous air? And what was the number for Beijing in 2012?
300 is bad air and 500 is hazardous. Beijing was at 700 from industry and automobile emissions
Are nuclear power plants good or bad for the environment?
They have high efficiency and use little fuel but if they fail there are very high environmental, human and financial costs
Chernobyl reactor disaster
1 million people died from exposure from the 1986 disaster
What percent of coral reefs have degraded?
75%
Ocean Acidification changes the bioavailability of what nutrient?
Iron
Effects of Hazelwood’s oil spill
-Polluted 2100 km of coastline
-Killed 250,000 birds, 2800 otters, 22 whales, 300 harbour seals, 250 bald eagles
How does extinction correlate to small islands?
Due to small population size; inbreeding and depression
How many countries does the largest cattle market in the world export to? And how many dollars worth of cattle is exported to Canada?
170 countries, 20 million dollars
