Lecture 21- Chapter 23

Question 1

Principles of Conservation Biology

Answer 1

1. Conservation biology is an integrative discipline that applies the principles of ecology to the protection of biodiversity
2. Biodiversity is declining globally
3. Primary threats to biodiversity include habitat loss, overexploitation, pollution, disease, invasive species, climate change
4. Conservation biologists; an example from the ocean waters of Belize.

Question 2

Biodiversity

Answer 2

• The diversity of important ecological entities that span multiple spatial scales, from genes to species to communities
  1. Genetic diversity within a species
• morphological/ phenotypic diversity
• Diversity within colour starfish)
  2. Species diversity within a community
  3. Diversity of communities across landscapes

Question 3

Example of Biodiversity

Answer 3

• Without the interaction between Corals & Symbiodinium we not have biodiversity within an ecosystem
• Within this bond they make coral reefs/ communities

Question 4

Why should we care

Answer 4

• Protecting biodiversity is important for both practical and moral reasons
• We are dependent on ecosystem services

Question 5

The following functions depend on the integrity of natural communities and ecosystems

Answer 5

• Water purification
• Generation and maintenance of soils
• Pollination of crops
• Climate regulation
• Flood control
• Source of food… like fish

Question 6

Dr. Lamb

Answer 6

• seagrass meadows help remove dangerous bacteria from ocean waters
• For emotional health most of us require time spent surrounded by nature’s beauty and complexity
• Spiritually we go to natural ecosystems for solace, wonder, and insight
• These functions depend on the integrity of natural communities and ecosystems

Question 7

Why is Biodiversity Declining Globally

Answer 7

• endagered
• extinct

Question 8

Estimates of Current Extinction Rates Rely On

Answer 8

• The species–area relationship
• Changes in the threat status of species
• Rates of population decline or range contraction of common species
• Extinction is normal
• See a speciation event and then after so much time that species will disappear

Question 9

5 Mass Extinctions

Answer 9

• 541 years ago cambrian explosion lead to the major phyletic diversification
• Dinosaurs went extinct due to a meteor striking earth

Question 10

Rate of Extinction

Answer 10

• difficult to measure
  
  • since the # of species on Earth currently is unknown
• estimated from the fossil record are used as background rates
• Most species are headed to extinction

Question 11

Slope of the Curves

Answer 11

• much different than the background slope
• suggests that we are in an emergency crisis

Question 12

Mammals and Birds

Answer 12

• background rate is one species every 200 years

Question 13

Current Extinction Rate

Answer 13

1 per year

Question 14

Overall Extinction Rates

Answer 14

100-1,000x higher than the background rate

Question 15

Primary Threats to Biodiversity

Answer 15

HABITAT LOSS

Question 16

Habitat Loss

Answer 16

• Conversion of an ecosystem to another use
• Habitat loss if the primary threat to biodiversity– needs to be conserved
• Humans have modified 60% of earth’s land surface, now appropriating 25% of Earth’s primary production

Question 17

Habitat Fragmentation

Answer 17

• Breaking up continuous habitat into patches amid a human-dominated landscape

Question 18

Habitat Degradation

Answer 18

• Changes that reduce quality of the habitat for many, but not all, species

Question 19

Overexploitation

Answer 19

• Size of cod has been shrinking due to overfishing
• Areas of the landscape change
• 1870 american bison skulls were ground into fertilizer
• Animals are overexploited for many things that aren’t food

Question 20

Pollution

Answer 20

• Although PCB concentrations vary among killer whale populations, all of them have concentrations above the probable threshold for toxicity
• PCB accumulates throughout a food web (high amounts in killer whales who are at the top of the trophic level)
• Has its impact on wildlife, see chemicals make their way to humans

Question 21

Disease

Answer 21

• As populations become homogeneous they become more susceptible to diseases
• Inbreeding, heterozygosity

Question 22

Extinction Vortex

Answer 22

• A cyclic chain of events causes a small population to decline even further and become ever more vulnerable to processes that lead to extinction

Question 23

Invasive Species

Answer 23

• Ex. buckthorns wipe out the local flora in local areas and they change the species that feed on certain plants
• Boats carry ballas water which contains many organisms- they take the organisms and dump them out
• Marine environment is affected by the european green crab- boats spread the larvae of this green crab all over the world (causing green crabs to be everywhere)

Question 24

Climate Change/ Crisis

Answer 24

• Polar bears and corals
• Influences coral ecosystems
• 30% fish species diversity
• Bleaching corals is due to simbiodinuum
• Ocean acidification

Question 25

Ocean Acidification

Answer 25

• lowering of the PH and skeletons made of calcium carbonate break down in acidic conditions