Unit 7 study guide

Question 1

Species Diversity

Answer 1

Number of variety of species in the world or in a particular region.

• species richness- the number of species in an area or region of the world
• speciation - generates new species in an area or region of the world.
• extinction- reduces species and adds to species richness

Question 2

Ecosystem diversity

Answer 2

Preserving ecosystems is essential to preserving species because it is the ecosystem which sustains populations in a given area because :

• regions of high ecosystem diversity often have high species diversity
• ecosystem diversity provides more niches for different species to exploit
• habitat or ecosystem losses also cause species losses

Question 3

Genetic diversity

Answer 3

Is a measure of the difference in gene (DNA) composition among individuals within a species

• why is genetic diversity so important ?
• genes are what evolution works on
• genes are the ultimate source of variation
• genetic diversity is key to species survival
• Important for genetic engineering, we may be able to use genes for agriculture/medicinal purposes.

Question 4

Bio diversity hotspot

Answer 4

An area that supports a high number of species. Hotspots often consist of the following characteristics.

• endemic species : species found nowhere else in the world (often on islands or isolated mountaintops) -area must have at least 1,500 endemic plant species (0.5%) of the world total.
• It must have lost 70%

Question 5

Tragedy of the commons

Answer 5

Commons: area / resource shared by all and owned by no one person.
Tragedy : No incentive to preserve resource because it is not yours . Each person will continue to degrade resources until the cumulative effect will deteriorate or completely deplete the resource.
Example: Oceans / public lands

Question 6

Public lands

Answer 6

42% of us land set aside for public use to be enjoyed by everyone.
73% of that land is in Alaska
22% is out in the west
•Types of public lands
A) Multiple use lands - many lands like a national forest are for multiple uses one can harvest for timber , mining oil and gas extraction as well as recreational use.
B) Moderately -Restricted use lands :
-Allows hunting by permit , some logging gas and mineral development and mineral activity.
C) Restricted use lands:
National parks and preserves are more protected. National parks are run by national parks are run by by national park services . Citizens can use these lands for camping , hiking and fishing only , includes the national wilderness preservation system logging , mining and other commercial activities.

Question 7

Land use ethic

Answer 7

(Also Leopold)
Aldo Leopold developed the land use this which states that humans should view themselves and the land as members of the same community and people are obligated to treat the land in an ethical manner . In terms of land management the government should . Protect biodiversity habitats
-no subsidies or tax breaks for using /extracting
-fair compensation for extracting resources (takings )
-responsibility for damage caused by users

Question 8

Species approach

Answer 8

Focuses on conserving individual species on a case by case basis.
Goal: Protect species from premature extinction.
Strategy : Identify endangered species / protect their critical habitats.
Tactics : Legally protect endangered species
-manage habitat
-propagate endangered species in captivity
-reintroduce species into suitable habitats

Question 9

Commercial/ Economic utility

Answer 9

Species are needed for harvesting, commercial fishing , timber farming exotic fruits
- the commercial harvesting of plants and animals brings in billions if not trillion dollars a year

Question 10

Medicinal / Pharmaceutical value.

Answer 10

Many plants offer medicinal value like the pacific yew and been tree.
Plant based pharmaceutical generate atleast $200 billion a year

Question 11

Recreational/ Aesthetic value

Answer 11

A living animal generates more money in its lifetime as a tourist attraction than if it was killed for its pelt
Example: lion pelt can get $1000 but a live lion can get 27,000 from ecotourism

Question 12

Option value

Answer 12

Like commercial utility , this is an economic value
- species can be considered as a future option to remain untouched until some future option to remain untouched until some future date when we are able to determine its value

Question 13

Bioethics

Answer 13

Simply based on the ethical principle that species should be preserved because they have the right to exist just like we do.