Lesson 6: Sustaining Biodiversity Flashcards
Biodiversity Defined is
Speciation - Extinction
When does Highest Biodiversity occur?
When there is enough
disturbance to prevent the dominant
competitors from taking over, but not so much
that the community is unable to develop.
Greatest Threat to Species is HIPPO which means?
Habitat destruction
Invasive species
Population (humans) growth
Pollution
Over-harvesting
How many percent of our Virgin forests are intact?
5%
How many grasslands are native?
2%
How many percent of redwood trees are old growth?
15%
How many percent of wetlands remain?
<50%
The Importance of Biodiversity
Intrinsic Value
Existence Value
Aesthetic Value
Bequest Value
What is intrinsic value?
right to exist, to have evolved means they have important roles
What is instrumental value?
because of their use to humans
What is existence value?
knowing it exists
What is aesthetic value?
wildlife viewing
What is bequest value?
value of biodiversity for the future generations
What is the species approach to protecting biodiversity
Identify endangered species and protect their habitats, this is through legal protection, habitat management, propagation of endangered species in captivity, reintroduction of species into habitat
What is the ecosystems approach to protecting biodiversity?
Preserve sufficient areas of the habitats in different biomes and aquatic systems. this can be done through the protection of areas through government purchases, eliminate or reduce nonnative species, management of protected areas and the restoration of degraded areas
Types of US Public Lands
Multiple-Use Lands
Moderately Restricted Lands
Restricted-Use Lands
Sustainable forestry
Longer Rotations in between Logging
Selective Logging
Crop Harvesting
Leave snags and logs for resting animals
Causes of Deforestation
- Population growth
- Poverty
- Environmentally harmful government
subsidies (encourage poor to colonize
tropical forests) - Debts owed to developed countries
- Low value of ecological services
National Parks Management
- Inadequate protection
- Often too small to sustain biodiversity
- Invasions by nonnative species
- Too many human visitors
- Traffic jams and air pollution
- Better pay for park staff
Establishment of National Parks
- Include moderate to large tracts of land
- Involve government, private sector and
citizens - Biosphere reserves
- Adaptive ecosystem management
- Protect most important areas “hot spots”
- Wilderness areas
