Biodiversity-Lesson 4 Flashcards
(13 cards)
What is biodiversity? What are the 3 factors that determine biodiversity? How is it measured?
Biodiversity is the variety of life in a given region. The 3 factors include genetic, species, and ecological. It is measured by the biomes, ecosystems, and where it is globally and politically located.
A biodiversity hotspot is an area that contains at least ______ endemic plant species and having lost at least __% of the original habitat extent
- 1,500
- 70%
What does endemic mean?
native or limited to a specific area
Is biodiversity distributed evenly throughout the globe?
No
What are the places with the greatest biodiversity? Why?
Tropics because they receive the most sunlight which means more energy for different plants to grow.
Coral reefs Islands, Mountain Ranges, and desserts are also very diverse because they are isolated with less human activity.
What are the threats to biodiversity?
Extinction, climate change, and human activity
__% of all species that ever existed went extinct
99%
A localized extinction event; species no longer present within a given geographic area but still thriving somewhere else is called…
Extirpation
Define a mass extinction event
when at least half of all species die out in a relatively short amount of time
HIPPO is the summarization of human threats to biodiversity, who created it?
E.O. Wilson
What does the letters in HIPPO stand for?Define each one
Habitat destruction
- Habitat loss caused by human activity
Invasive Species
- organisms that move to a new habitat and thrive
Pollution
-substances in the environment that have harmful or negative impacts on species or ecosystems
Population of Humans
- The exponential growth of the human population leads to more agriculture/ the need for more space for humans
Overharvesting
-taking more than natural processing can replace
What is the benefit of biodiversity?
improved ecosystems stability and resiliency
What are the improved ecosystem services?
Medicine, croplands, cultural/ecotourism values
