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Environmental Ethics > Unit 4 flashcards > Flashcards

Unit 4 flashcards

1
Q

How many species total are there?

A

between 5-40 million

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2
Q

How many named species so far are there?

A

1.5-1.8 million
- half are insects
~ 300,000 are beetles

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3
Q

How many species of mammals are there?

A

4500

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4
Q

How many living creatures are present per square foot of one inch of top soil?

A

1356

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5
Q

What is a definition of biological diversity?

A

variability among living organisms from all sources including inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic environments, and the ecological complexes of which they are a part
Including:
- diversity within species
- diversity between species
- diversity of ecosystems

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6
Q

What is a definition of biodiversity?

A

variability among living organisms from all sources including land based and aquatic ecosystems, and the ecosystems of which they are a part
including:
- within species
- between species
- between ecosystems
* diversity is the key to ensuring continuance of life on Earth

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7
Q

What are the 3 kinds of biodiversity?

A
  • habitat/ecosystem diversity
  • genetic diversity
  • species diversity
    *the survival of each is linked to the health of the other two parts, comprising the wealth of ecosystems
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8
Q

What is habitat/ecosystem diversity?

A
  • variety of habitats available on a local, regional, and global scale
  • local or regional habitats may have many or few similar habitats or niches within it
  • a local habitat with little biodiversity may contribute to the biodiversity of regional or global habitats if it provides unique characteristics
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9
Q

what is genetic diversity?

A
  • genetic variation within a species
  • demonstrated by many alleles of a given gene or a lot of the population being heterozygous
  • indicator of the genetic resources available for adaptation
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10
Q

What is a consequence of a lack if genetic diversity?

A
  • may lead to inbreeding depression
  • increases susceptibility to pandemics
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11
Q

What is the population size difference of cheetahs between 1900 and now?

A
  • 100,000 cheetahs in 1900
  • 12,000 now
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12
Q

What did the experiment involving skin grafting of a cheetah discover?

A

the cheetah population is genetically homogenous
- low rate of genetic diversity

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13
Q

What can cause populations like the cheetah to become genetically homogenous?

A

genetic bottleneck/founder effect:
- when a population is reduced to a few individuals (usually <7) and then recovers
= many individuals, little genetic diversity

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14
Q

What is special about apply seeds?

A
  • each apply contains 5 seeds, which will each produce a distinctly different apple tree
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15
Q

How are trees normally grown?

A

via cuttings, scions, and grafts

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16
Q

What is species diversity?

A
  • number of species present within a given habitat
  • measured in terms of richness and evenness
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17
Q

What is richness?

A

the number of species present in a given area/habitat

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18
Q

What is evenness?

A

the comparative number of individuals of a species in relation to the total/other species.

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19
Q

Who is E.O. Wilson?

A
  • professor of entomology at Harvard
  • career stems from his research in myrmecology (study of ants)
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20
Q

What does E.O. Wilson believe?

A
  • humans have an innate love of diverse life forms (biophillia)
  • religious naturalist who speaks of evolution and diversification of life within which humans find meaning
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21
Q

Why is biodiversity valuable according to E.O. Wilson?

A

1) each species is a masterpiece of evolution
2) by reducing the diversity of life, also reducing the productivity and stability of natural ecosystems, which the preservation of some natural habitats depend upon.
3) the loss of natural products through extinction of species that produced them is extraordinary
4) need healthy, natural ecosystems with the biodiversity in them operating as independent units. need them for the air, soil renewal, watersheds, carbon sinks

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22
Q

Why is biodiversity valuable according to Michael Pollan in The Botany of Desire?

A
  • limiting sexual reproduction can limit genetic variability, inflicting maximal damages to crops from bacteria, fungi, etc. Causing farmers to use pesticides :(
  • preserving the biodiversity of domesticated species is as important as for wild species if we are to avoid over dependence on chemical protection for crops
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23
Q

What are some of the challenges of biodiversity?

A
  • conceptual problems with types of organisms and habitats, including potential biases toward natural and native
  • how big of an area should be used to assess biodiversity
  • which types of diversity are of greatest value to keep in existence
    (deep time - a being that is a biological relic) vs (characteristics of special value - genetic resources)
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24
Q

What is a species from 1700-1800s?

A
  • a type
  • this fixity of species worked well with the idea of a static created order established by God.
  • species as divinely ordained made it easy to assign values
25
Q

What is the popular, but not the working scientific definition of species?

A

a group of organisms capable of producing fertile offspring

26
Q

What is the definition of species according to Ernst Mayr?

A
  • group of interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other groups
27
Q

What is the concept of speciation according to Holmes Rolston 3?

A
  • species points to a real juncture in the biological world
  • it is significant because it is a dynamic life form maintained over time by informed genetic flow.
28
Q

How many known and named plants?

A

300,000 species

29
Q

How many known and named fungi?

A

120-75,000 species

30
Q

How many known and named animals?

A

1.25 million species

31
Q

How many known and named insects?

A

950,000 species

32
Q

How many known and named mollusks?

A

90,000 species

33
Q

How many known and named Fish?

A

30,000 species

34
Q

How many known and named birds?

A

10,000

35
Q

How many known and named mammals?

A

4500 species

36
Q

How many unknown and unnamed plants and fungi?

A

1.5 million species

37
Q

How many unknown and unnamed animals?

A

10-30 million species

38
Q

what is extirpation?

A

local extinction

39
Q

What does endemic mean?

A

restricted to a certain area

40
Q

What caused majority of the extinctions within the last 10,000 years?

A
  • anthropogenic (human-caused)
41
Q

Why should we protect endangered species according to Paul Ehrlich?

A

species are rivets in the airplane

42
Q

Why should we protect endangered species according to Norman Meyer?

A

species keep the ark from sinking

43
Q

Why should we protect endangered species?

A

many are utilitarian beliefs

44
Q

Why should we protect endangered species according to Holmes Rolston?

A

not for an exploitive and self-serving reasons.
- species value is the value within the speciation process of informed genetic flow in conversation with its environments

45
Q

What are the non-anthropocentric rationales for protecting endangered species?

A
  • where there is value there is a duty to respect that value
  • genetic flow within a species explores the topography of workable forms/functions in the biotic world
46
Q

What is an extinct species in michigan?

A

Kirtland’s warbler

47
Q

What are endangered species in michigan?

A
  • gray wolf
  • piping plover
48
Q

what are threatened species in michigan?

A
  • indiana bat
49
Q

how many endangered/threatened species are there in michigan?

A

26

50
Q

What are main causes of extinction, like in with the passenger pigeon?

A
  • overhunting
  • loss of habitat
  • disruption of nesting patterns
  • easily disturbed reproduction
51
Q

What reduced the Kirkland’s warbler population size?

A
  • fire supression of jack pine
  • cowbird parasitism
52
Q

What is rewilding?

A
  • ecological restoration approach that re-introduces functional megafauna to restore top-down trophic cascades to promote self-regulating systems
    ex: bison in Poland and wolves in yellowstone
53
Q

What is a problem with rewilding?

A
  • typically done by people not being directly affected by it (NIMBY)
  • popularity hinges on landscape setting and the interplay with cultural and societal values
54
Q

What are some challenges/questions of rewilding?

A

megafauna:
- huge home ranges = damage of property, crops, livestock and people
Power:
- who decides what is brought back, and who chooses where they are going to go?
is fencing really rewilding
costs: financial and human

55
Q

What is de-extinction?

A

bringing back species that are presently extinct

56
Q

What are some morphological differences of asiatic lions compared to African lions?

A
  • longitudinal fold of skin along the abdomen
  • shorter mane on males
  • slightly smaller than African lions
57
Q

What are some behavioral/social differences of asiatic lions compared to African lions?

A
  • less aggressive towards humans
  • pride is usually smaller (two females per pride
  • asiatic males less social
58
Q

What is the prey of asiatic lions?

A

-chital
- sambal deer
- cattle

59
Q
A

Environmental Ethics (2 decks)

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