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Environmental Science > Chapter 8 > Flashcards

Chapter 8 Flashcards

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Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Genetic divserty

A

Encompasses the differences in DNA composition among individuals.

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2
Q

What are the 3 types of diversity?

A

Species, genetic, and ecosystem.

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3
Q

Why might populations be more likely to persist?

A

Genetic diversity better enables them to cope with environmental change, without it they could suffer inbreeding depression.

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4
Q

Inbreeding depression

A

occurs when genetically similar parents mate and produce weak or defective offspring.

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5
Q

What is conservation biology?

A

Studies biodiversity loss and seeks ways to protect and restore biodiversity.

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6
Q

Endangered Species Act (ESA)

A

The ESA of 1973 was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction.

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7
Q

What are biodiversity hotspots?

A

An area that contains a lot of endemic species, which are found nowhere else. Susceptible to habitat loss and human activities. Must contain 1,500 species of vascular plants, and has to have lost 70% of its og habitat

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8
Q

What is the sixth great extinction?

A

Holocene extinction, or Anthropocene extinction and its due to biological cause

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9
Q

The Red List

A

A regularly updated list of species facing high risks of extinction.

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10
Q

5 causes of extinction

A

Habitat loss, pollution, over harvesting, invasive species, and climate change.

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11
Q

Benefits of biodiversity

A

Enhances food security, provides drugs and medicines, and ecosystem services

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12
Q

Biophillia

A

An instinctive love for nature and an emotional bond with other living things.

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13
Q

Discuss today’s extinction crisis in geologic context

A

Species have gone extinct at a background rate of one species per 1-10 million species every year.

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14
Q

Losing species

A

Specialists, limited to a small range, needing stable conditions, typically large, and slow reproducing.

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15
Q

Winning species

A

Generalists, geographically widespread, able to cope with fast-changing conditions, typically small, and fast-reproducing

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16
Q

Living Planet Index

A

Compares the population size of a species now to how it was in the year 1970.

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17
Q

Extirpation

A

The disappearance of a particular population from a given area.

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18
Q

How much did the LPI fall between 1970 and 2012?

A

58% - meaning that population sizes became 58% smaller.

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19
Q

What percentage of all species are now extinct?

A

99%

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20
Q

Does extinction occur naturally?

A

Yes.

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21
Q

Efforts to conserve threatened/endangered species

A

The ESA, CITES and Convention on Biological Diversity treaties, captive breeding, reintroduction, and tracing illegally poached animals.

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22
Q

Conservation efforts above the species level

A

Parks and protected areas conserve biodiversity at the landscape level. Also, community-based conservation empowers people to invest in conserving their local species and ecosystems.

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23
Q

Subspecies

A

Populations of a species that occur in different geographic areas and are similar.

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24
Q

Species diversity

A

The abundance of each species in an area.

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25
Q

Species evenness

A

The degree to which species in a given area differ in numbers of individuals (greater evenness means they differ less)

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26
Q

An important component of biodiversity

A

Genetic diversity

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27
Q

Ecosystem diversity

A

The number and variety of ecosystems

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28
Q

Generalists

A

Species that can tolerate a wide range of circumstances

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29
Q

Specialists

A

Species highly adapted to particular circumstances

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30
Q

What is the rate of the current extinction?

A

100-1000 times greater than the background extinction rate

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31
Q

Background extinction rate

A

Most extinctions preceding the appearance of humans occurred for reasons referred to as this

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32
Q

What is the intent of the ESA?

A

To protect species and also “the ecosystems upon which they depend.”

33
Q

4 ways humans alter habitat

A

Overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation

34
Q

Indirect causes of biodiversity loss

A

Land use change, climate change, invasive species, overexploitation, and pollution

35
Q

Examples of species that have recovered due to the ESA

A

California condor, black-footed ferret, peregrine, falcon, and the bald eagle

36
Q

Dominant species

A

Species that have a high abundance

37
Q

Umbrella species

A

Protecting these species indirectly protects the many other species that make up the ecological community of its habitat

38
Q

Endemic species

A

Likely to develop on isolated areas such as islands

39
Q

Intercontinental species

A

Specific areas that contain essential features to the conservation of a certain species.

40
Q

When is a species considered endangered?

A

When there are fewer than 2,500 individuals

41
Q

6 major components of the ESA

A

Esthetic, ecological, education, recreational, and scientific value to our Nation and its people

42
Q

Critical habitats

A

A habitat needed to support the recovery of certain species and are required to contain “all areas essential to the conservation” of the target species

43
Q

The polar bear example

A

The polar bear became the first species listed under the ESA as a result of climate change

44
Q

2 major conservation (federal) systems that protect habitat and biodiversity

A

The National Wildlife Refuge System and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)

45
Q

If the oil industry allowed to drill in ANWR, what impacts might we see?

A

Oil and gas drilling would devastate the polar bears, should a spill occur.

46
Q

Of all insects, what percentage are beetles?

A

40%

47
Q

When a population shrinks, what happens?

A

It loses genetic diversity and its geographic range becomes smaller.

48
Q

How much of the Great Plains is left?

A

Less than 1%

49
Q

What is the single greatest threat to biodiversity?

A

Habitat loss

50
Q

Novel communities

A

Newly formed mixtures of native and non-native species

51
Q

Minimum viable populations size

A

Helps decide how vital it may be to increase a population

52
Q

Warranted but precluded

A

Means that a species needs protection but have not been added to the endangered species list because of funding

53
Q

Habitat conservation plan

A

Grants a landowner an “incidental take permit” to harm some individuals of a species if he or she voluntarily improves habitat for the species

54
Q

Safe harbor agreement (mandate)

A

When the government agrees not to mandate additional management requirements if the landowner acts to assist a species’ recovery

55
Q

What are the characteristics of threatened and endangered species?

A

Population reduction rate, geographic range, population size, population restrictions, and probability of extinction

56
Q

The IUCN Red List estimates that _____ of species are threatened with extinction

A

12-52%

57
Q

Intercontinental species

A

Species that can be found on two or more continents

58
Q

Which two federal agencies is the ESA administered by?

A

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

59
Q

A species is threatened if it _____.

A

“Is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future.”

60
Q

A species is endangered if it _____.

A

Is “in danger of extinction.”

61
Q

The greater sage grouse is a species whose addition to the Endangered Species List is _____ by science, and ______ by a lack of funding.

A

“Warranted” and “yet precluded”

62
Q

Animal use of the Coastal Plain

A

Porcupine caribou use as calving site, polar bear denning site, 135 species of birds make migratory stops, gray wolves etc.

63
Q

How did Mr. Smits and his team “restore the rainforest?”

A

He involved the people of Borneo, a fair trade system, used fungi to break down alang alang grass, planted over 1000 trees, and planted fire and flood resistant sugar palms.

64
Q

Ecosystem capital

A

The sum of all goods and services provided to humans by natural systems

65
Q

Examples of instrumental value

A

Ecosystem sustainability, sources of medicine, recreational value, aesthetic value

66
Q

Intrinsic value

A

A right to an animals existence just because they are born

67
Q

Threatened species

A

Species whose populations are declining rapidly

68
Q

Endangered species

A

When a species population is near the critical number

69
Q

Critical number

A

The survival and recovery of a population depends on a certain minimum population number, which is referred to as the populations critical number

70
Q

How many species are endangered in the U.S.

A

1,001

71
Q

How many plants and mammals are endangered in the U.S.

A

599 and 69

72
Q

Conversion

A

Natural areas converted to farms, suburbs, etc.

73
Q

Simplification

A

Cleaning up, dredging streams, etc

74
Q

Intrusion

A

Structures like towers kill up to 50 million birds each year

75
Q

Use of the _____ may be warranted when the costs associated with ecosystem changes may be high or the changes irreversible

A

Precautionary principle

76
Q

What approaches do conservation biologists use?

A

Drawing blood, radiotracking, checking camera traps, and sampling insects

77
Q

Consequences of biodiversity loss

A

Loss of structural (diversity of species) and functional (goods and services) components of an ecosystem

78
Q

What two diseases are killing native birds in Hawaii?

A

Malaria and avian pox

79
Q

What is the second-greatest known cause of amphibian declines, after habitat loss?

A

Pollution

Environmental Science (11 decks)

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