Lecture 26: Conservation Biology

Question 1

genetic diversity

Answer 1

more alleles, more heterozygosity

Question 2

species diversity

Answer 2

species richness

Question 3

ecosystem diversity

Answer 3

lots of different regions

Question 4

extinction

Answer 4

loss of biodiversity

Question 5

extirpation

Answer 5

local extinction

Question 6

global extinction

Answer 6

gone totally

Question 7

keystone species

Answer 7

maintains the biodiversity of the ecosystem; without it, biodiversity collaspes

Question 8

extinction vortex

Answer 8

wave of extinctions that happen in small populations

Question 9

small populations become less viable because of 2 things

Answer 9

1. genetic drift–>lose alleles that are beneficial so population gets smaller
2. inbreeding–>decreased fitness and increased recessive traits

Question 10

minimum variable population

Answer 10

must stay above this threshold to avoid genetic drift and inbreeding

Question 11

what are the two observation strategies?

Answer 11

1. small population approach
2. declining population approach

Question 12

small population approach

Answer 12

think its doing an extinction vortex so try to stop it by identifying species and try to save them

Question 13

declining population approach

Answer 13

instead of looking at what is immediately threatened–>look more systemically at what is declining

Question 14

fragmentation

Answer 14

organism breaks into smaller pieces and each piece then grows into a new, genetically identical individual

Question 15

avoiding fragmentation

Answer 15

bridges, movement corridors

Question 16

overharvesting

Answer 16

rate of hunting exceeds rate of reproduction