Lecture 7 Flashcards
What are anthropogenic changes in ecosystems?
Changes that occur as a result of human activity.
What are human activities that adversely affect ecological resilience?
- Reduction of biodiversity
- Exploitation
- Pollution
- Land use/habitat loss
- Anthropogenic climate change
What is biodiversity?
The variety of life on earth at all its levels from genes to ecosystems, and can encompass the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that sustain life.
What are 3 types of biodiversity?
- Genes - variety of genetic makeup within species
- Species - variety of species in a given area
- Ecosystem - variety of habitats, ecosystems and communities
How many species are estimated to be on the earth?
Range from 8 - 100 million.
How many species have been identified on the earth?
1.9 million.
What makes up most of the species?
Insects.
Why is biodiversity important?
- Humans are dependent on the services the ecosystems provide such as water, pollination, soil, food, and medicine
- Natural resources are woven into every aspect of our lives
- Humans are dependent on the earth’s resources
What is the result of loss of biodiversity in ecosystems?
Ecosystems are less likely to provide the resources that humans are reliant on, which causes issues.
What is the result of extinction?
It may result in other species becoming extinct, as all living things are connected.
What are two types of natural resources?
- Renewable
- Non-renewable
What are renewable resources?
Resources that are inexhaustible or for which the renewal is relatively rapid.
What are non-renewable resources?
Resources that are limited or regeneration involves the passage of many years.
What are examples of natural resources that are exploited?
Penicillin, morphine, cancer chemotherapeutics.
What percentage of the world’s population rely on animal or plant base materials?
80%
How many essential chemicals have been identified?
252.
What percentage of essential chemicals come from plants and from animals?
11.1% from plants and 8.7% from animals
What is the result of a poor understanding biology and ecology?
Dramatic changes in the ecosystem.
When does over-exploitation occur?
When the harvest rate of any given population exceeds its natural replacement rate, which can threaten essential resources for future generations.
What are examples of industries that receive the most backlash for their impacts on the environment?
- Fossil fuels - energy and fuel for warmth and transportation
- Timber/wood - building materials for shelter
- Fish - food for ourselves and our animals
- Agriculture - food, clothing, textiles raw materials
What might happen if we reach carrying capacity of earth for our species?
Food shortages, energy wars, civil conflict, etc.
What percent of earth’s surface shows some form of human modification?
95%