Biodiversity and Conservation

Question 1

How many species of eukaryotic organisms have we described?

Answer 1

2 million
Many new species are discovered every year.
The true total is unknown, but may be around 10 million species.

Question 2

Linnaean shortfall?

Answer 2

Our lack of knowledge about the true dimensions of biodiversity.

(Even well-known taxa like mammals may have thousands of undiscovered species.)

Question 3

Latitudinal Diversity Gradient?

Answer 3

Species richness is high in the tropics and declines at higher latitudes.
One of the most important patterns in biogeography.

Question 4

Biogeographic regions are identified by what?

Answer 4

Groups of endemic species. Elephant shrews are endemic to the Afrotropical Realm.

Question 5

What conclusion can we draw from the fossil record?

Answer 5

The rate of recent extinctions is much higher than the background extinction rate estimated from the fossil record.

Question 6

What has happened to the population of North American birds?

Answer 6

It has declined.

Question 7

Red List Index?

Answer 7

shows trends in overall extinction risk for species, and is used by governments to track their progress towards targets for reducing biodiversity loss.

Question 8

biodiversity intactness index?

Answer 8

summarises the change in ecological communities in response to human pressures. The BII is an estimated percentage of the original number of species that remain and their abundance in any given area, despite human impacts.

Question 9

What did E. O. Wilson do?

Called insects and other invertebrates “the little things that run the world.”

Answer 9

Popularized the term biodiversity.

Question 10

Leading threats to terrestrial species? (4 things)

Answer 10

1. Habitat loss/degradation 2. Overexploitation
2. Invasive species/disease
3. Pollution, and climate change

Question 11

Leading threats to freshwater species? (4 things)

Answer 11

1. Habitat loss/degradation 2. Overexploitation
2. Invasive species/disease, and pollution
3. Climate change

Question 12

Leading threats to marine species? (4 things)

Answer 12

1. Overexploitation
2. Habitat loss/degradation
3. Climate change
4. Pollution, and invasive species/disease

Question 13

What is the biggest threat to large animas?

Answer 13

Hunting.

Question 14

New diseases are always evolving, but what has recently changed?

Answer 14

Seen an increase in the number of newly evolving viral diseases.

Question 15

zoonotics diseases?

Answer 15

diseases that are transmitted from wild or domesticated animals to humans.

Question 16

How can deforestation be connected to zoonotics diseases?

Answer 16

Deforestation leads to greater contact between humans and wild animals.
The disease spreads rapidly in dense human populations.

Question 17

What information is scientist using to predict where new diseases are likely to emerge.?

Answer 17

knowledge about biodiversity and human population to make these predictions.
Remember the latitudinal biodiversity gradient.

Question 18

Why do we predict there are also more animal viruses in the tropics that could potentially become zoonotics?

Answer 18

There are more animal species in the tropics than in the temperate zones.

Question 19

The predicted risk is correlated with?

Answer 19

human population density and ecosystem type.

Question 20

Coarse filter - Conservation strategies?

Answer 20

focus on conserving entire ecosystems and landscapes.

Question 21

Fine filter - Conservation strategies?

Answer 21

focus on conserving individual species and the genetic diversity within species.

Question 22

What are Species at Risk Act (SARA) key strategies?

Answer 22

• Protection from
harvesting
• Habitat protection and
managemen

Question 23

What does habitat management plans include?

Answer 23

all of the habitat requirements for a species, example, fire regime

Question 24

There are several criteria that can be used to prioritize species-level conservation efforts. What animals usually gets the most attention?

Answer 24

Large mammals

Question 25

Mention 2 regions that have high numbers of endemic species?

Answer 25

Tropical and Mediterranean

Question 26

British Columbia has large protected areas but?

Answer 26

low representation of rare ecosystems within those areas.