Biology 6.3 Q/A's Biodiversity

How is genetic diversity important to agriculture?

Many crops have wild relatives and we can use some of their genes to help make the crops more sustainable to certain things.

What is ecosystem diversity?

The variation of habitats, communities, and ecological processes in the biosphere.

What is biodiversity?

The total of all the genetically based variation in all organisms in the biosphere.

How does hunting affect species?

Humans hunt so much they can push species to the edge of extinction.

What are some of the challenges of creating national parks?

One challenge is making sure they are large enough and contain the right resources to protect biodiversity.

What is habitat fragmentation?

When development splits ecosystems into pieces.

Why are animals hunted?

They are hunted for their meat, hides, skins, or for medical reasons.

What is an ecological hot spot?

A place where significant numbers of species and habitats are in immediate danger of extinction.

Why is biodiversity important?

Biodiversity's benefits to society include contributions to medicine and agriculture, and the provision of ecosystem goods and services.

What are the most significants threats to biodiversity?

Humans reduce biodiversity by altering habitats, hunting, introducing invasive species, releasing pollution into food webs, and contributing to climate change.

How does climate change affect species?

If conditions change beyond an organism's tolerance, the organism must move to a more suitable location or face extinction.

What are introduced species?

Species that are introduced into an environment and that become invasive and threaten biodiversity.

How does biodiversity affect ecosystems?

The number and variety of species in an ecosystem can influence that ecosystem's stability, productivity, and value to humans.

What is species diversity?

The number of different species in the biosphere, or in a particular area.

What happens to species when their habitats are eliminated for agricultural use?

The number of species in those habitats drops, and some species may become extinct.

What is genetic diversity?

The sum total of all different forms of genetic information carried by a particular species, or by all organisms on Earth.

What are the chemicals in wild species plants used for?

They are used to treat diseases like depression and cancer.

How do countries protect habitats of endangered species?

They declare the habitats national parks or reserves.

How do zoos and aquariums protect endangered species?

They have a captive breeding program where they choose mates that will ensure maximum genetic diversity.

How do we preserve biodiversity?

To conserve biodiversity, we must protect individual species, preserve habitats and ecosystems, and make certain that human neighbors of protected areas benefit from participating in conservation efforts.