Global Issues Flashcards
(16 cards)
Define background extinction
Natural ongoing extinction of species due to natural ecological processes like environmental changes
Define mass extinction
- major disturbance to planet causing extinction rates to rise 100s or 1000s of times above background level
Main causes of the current biodiversity crisis
Human activity:
Habitat destruction
Hunting and poaching
Overfishing
Competition for invasive species
Pollution
Climate change
How do the IUCN Red List categorise species by threat level x7
Least concern, near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, extinct in wild, extinct
Evaluate different strategies for prioritising conservation funding (including flagship, keystone and EDGE species)
EDGE- evolutionary distinct:how unique/unusual the genome of species is
Globally endangered: more threatened more important to conserve
Flagship- attract marketing/donations but not saving species that benefit to their ecosystem
Keystone: vital to the ecosystem, if lost the whole ecosystem would collapse and more species would be lost
Define birth rate
Number of babies born yearly per 1000 people
Define death rate
Number of deaths yearly per 1000 people
Define fertility rate
Number of children born per woman
Define replacement fertility rate
Number of babies being born that are needed to maintain a stable population- 2.1 is the replacement rate fertility
Define life expectancy
Average age a person is expected to live
Relationship between population growth and consumption
Population- increasing demand for resources
Increases consumption
Influence of improvement to healthcare on fertility rates
Decreases since more adequate healthcare, so less child deaths and therefore less babies
Influence of reductions of child mortality on fertility rates
If more children die fertility rates increase as women have more babies
Influence of economic development on fertility rates
Less developed- less healthcare- higher fertility rate
Influence of urbanisation on fertility rates
Fertility rate decreases as less children needed as work force eg. Working on farms
Influence of increased gender equality on fertility rates
Women get more employment and education opportunities means they focus on life goals rather than kids