conservation biology

Question 1

what is the extinction vortex

Answer 1

small populations are prone to extinction because they are vulnerable to inbreeding and genetic drift
–>reduction of genetic variability prevents population from adapting

Question 2

what is effective population size

Answer 2

size of an idealized randomly matinf population that shows same level of heterozygosity as population of interest

Question 3

wwhat is heterozygosity

Answer 3

fraction of individuals in a population that are heterozygous for a particular locus

Question 4

what are the conditions for effective population size = actual population size

Answer 4

• population has 1:1 sex ratio
• all individuals contribute equally to next generation
• simultaneous birth of each generation
• population size remains constant over time

Question 5

(T/F) effective population size will be less than actual population size and heterozygosity/genetic drift will be decreased

Answer 5

T

Question 6

what is the minimum viable population (MVP)

Answer 6

smallest size at which a population is able to sustain its number and survive

Question 7

what are some threats to biodiversity

Answer 7

• habitat loss
• invasive species
• overharvesting
• pollution
• acid precipitation
• biomagnification
• climate change

Question 8

what are the 3 levels of biodiversity

Answer 8

• genetic diversity
• species diversity
• ecosystem diversityw

Question 9

what is genetic diversity

Answer 9

diversity within/between populations
–> decrease = prevention of microevolution

Question 10

what is species diversity

Answer 10

variety of species within exosystem
–> loss of local species (extirpation), loss of global species (extinction)

Question 11

what is ecosystem diversity

Answer 11

variety of ecosystems
–> alteration can cause species loss
–> 3 categories: collapsed, critically endangered, endangered

Question 12

why protect biodiversity?

Answer 12

• human population relies on it for food, fuel, medicine, spices, etc
• biological communities provide assets like water purification, pollution breakdown, etc
• spiritual connections with nature

Question 13

what are biodiversity hot spots?

Answer 13

relatively small areas containing endemic species (found nowhere else in the world) and lots of endangered species

Question 14

what is conservation biology

Answer 14

integrated study of ecology, evolutionary biology, physiology, molecular biology, and genetics to sustain biological diversity

Question 15

what is a captive-breeding program

Answer 15

breed endangered species in zoos to build healthy and diverse population before reintroducing them to the wild

Question 16

what is the international potato center (CIP)

Answer 16

research-development organization with focus on potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. to enhance access to affordable foods

Question 17

methods of habitat conservation

Answer 17

• corridors that connect patches to allow mammals to cross human-made obstacles

Question 18

what is the point of “no intervention” policies on national parks

Answer 18

disturbances (floods/fires) are allowed to play out on their own since many species depend on them to germinate/thrive

Question 19

what does the international union for conservation of nature (IUCN) do

Answer 19

assesses global conservation status of species and maintains red list of threatened species

Question 20

what does the committee on the status of endangered wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) do

Answer 20

assesses conservation status of species in canada and makes recommendations to government on which species need protection

Question 21

what is the formula for effective population size

Answer 21

Ne= (4 x Nf xNm)/(Nf+Nm)