lesson 24 Flashcards
(25 cards)
Why should humans conserve biodiversity?
It supports life via food, medicine, clean water, and mental health.
What is direct economic value?
Harvested goods like wood, fish, and plant-based medicine.
What is indirect economic value?
Ecosystem services like water purification and pollination.
Thailand mangrove example
Intact mangroves provided more value than shrimp farms.
NYC water solution?
Preserved watershed to avoid $6B filtration plant cost.
Aesthetic value of nature?
Nature improves mood, health, and enjoyment.
What is habitat destruction
Total removal of ecosystems, e.g., logging rainforests.
What is pollution?
Toxins in the environment, e.g., DDT harming birds.
What is habitat disruption?
Non-destructive disturbance reducing populations, e.g., disturbing bats.
What is habitat fragmentation?
Breaking habitats into patches, e.g., roads through forests.
What is over-exploitation?
Overharvesting beyond recovery, e.g., passenger pigeons.
What are invasive species?
Non-natives that outcompete natives, e.g., zebra mussels
What is ecosystem interaction disruption
One species change causing cascading effects.
Whale example of disruption?
Fewer whales → more plankton → kelp forest collapse.
Why are small populations risky?
Prone to disasters, inbreeding, and mate scarcity.
Human population effect?
Intensifies all extinction drivers due to overuse.
What are biodiversity hotspots?
Areas rich in unique species but highly threatened
Climate change impact?
Alters habitats, spreads disease, disrupts farming.
CO₂ and heat?
CO₂ traps Earth’s heat by absorbing infrared energy.
Personal conservation actions?
Waste less, drive less, recycle, and conserve energy.
What is habitat conservation?
Protecting ecosystems using zones and corridors.
What is habitat restoration?
Repairing ecosystems and reintroducing native species
What are species recovery programs
Captive breeding and legal protection, e.g., falcons.
What is a trophic cascade?
Predator change causing shifts throughout the food web.
