Chapter 9 APES

What was the background extinction rate?

0.0001%

Describe the decline of some honeybee populations in the United States, and list possible causes of this problem.

A 30% drop of honeybees Pesticides, parasites, fungi, and microwave radiation

What is HIPPCO?

Acronym used to summarize the most direct causes of extinction in order of significance

Natural low rate of extinction

Background extinction

Why are tigers likely to disappear withing a few decades?

Because of poaching and habitat loss

List 4 characteristics that make some species especially vulnerable to extinction.

Big, slow, tasty, and valuable parts

No species member still living

Biological extinction

List three reasons why we should be alarmed by the decline of many bird species.

Birds are great pollinators, environmental indicators, and their loss can trigger other extinctions

Describe efforts to protect the California condor from extinction.

By banning the use of lead in ammunition

Describe how Pilai Poonswad helped to protect rare rhinoceros hornbills in Thailand.

By educating poachers that the birds are worth more money alive through ecotourism

Describe two international treaties that are used to help protect species.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)-bans hunting, capturing, and selling of threatened or endangered species Endangered Species Act (ESA)- Identifies and protects endangered species in the U.S. and abroad

Describe the major effects of habitat loss and fragmentation.

Divide population, block migration, inhibits finding food and mates

Describe the threat to some forms of wildlife from increased hunting for bush meat.

Drove at least 1 species to complete extinction-re colubus monkey; also responsible for a population decline of chimpanzees, elephants, and hippopotamus

Describe two economic and two ecological benefits of having the current variety of species.

Econ-plants for food, lumber, medicine; wildlife tourism Eco-use insects for pollination and birds for pest control; absorbing CO2

So few members that the species will soon become extinct.

Endangered species-Samaratran Tiger

Why are island species especially vulnerable to extinction?

Exposed to predators, competitor species, disease, catastrophic events, and they have no where else to go

Give three reasons why many extinction experts believe that human activities are now causing a new mass extinction.

Filling in wetlands Converting grasslands and forests to crop fields and urban area Polluted almost half of our surface water

Summarize the history of the U.S. Endangered Species Act. How successful has it been, and why is it controversial.

Forbids federal agencies from funding or authorizing projects that jeopardize endangered or threatened species. Many believe the ESA is to far-reaching

In order, what are the six largest direct causes of extinction of species resulting largely from human activities?

Habitat Destruction, invasive species,population growth, pollution, climate change, and overexploitation

When large, in tact areas of habitat are divided into smaller, isolated patches

Habitat fragmentaion

Describe the major threats to bird species in the world and in the United States.

Habitat loss/destruction, invasive species, climate change, and overexploitation

Name three important issues related to the use of the precautionary principle.

How do we allocate limited resources How do we decide which species should get the most attention How do we determine which habitats are the most critical to protect.

How can the extinction of a species affect other species and ecosystem services?

If the other species has strong connection with the species that went extinct than secondary ex

Four ways to limit the harmful impacts of nonnative species.

Learn characteristics of the species, ban transfers between countries, public education, and set up research programs

When a large percentage or number of species go extinct in a certain time period

Mass extinction

Explain how pesticides such as DDT can be biomagnified in food chains and webs.

Organisms at higher trophic levels are exposed to all of the toxins accumulated by lower levels

What economic and ecological roles do honeybees play?

Pollinated 80% of insect-pollinated plants; Produces 1/3 of the human food suply

Describe the roles of population growth, over consumption, pollution, and climate change in the extinction of wild species.

Population and over consumption has expanded the human ecological footprint. Pesticides have killed honeybees, birds, and fish; climate change with higher temperatures may drive 1/4 to 1/2 of all animals and plants to extinction

What are four underlying causes of species extinction that results from human activities?

Population growth, rising resource use, undervaluing natural capital, and poverty

Two example of the benefits of introducing some nonnative species

Provide food and shelter

Give four reasons for trying to avoid causing the extinction of wild species.

Species provide natural resources and services Economic value 5-10 million years to regain species biodiversity Species have the right to exsist

Name 3 ways scientists estimate extinction rates.

Study extinction rates and compare them to fossil records, use species-area relationship, and mathematical models

Vulnerable species; enough to survive; declining numbers; may become endangered

Threatened species-Polar Bear

What is colony collapse disorder and what might be causing it?

When most or all of the adult worker bees mysteriously vanish because of parasites, pesticides, and poor nutrition

Describe the poaching of wild species and give three examples of species that are threatened by this illegal activity.

When protected species are illegally killed for their valuable parts or sold as goods. Mountain gorilla, giant panda, and cimpanzee

What is the precautionary principle and how can we use it to help protect wild species and overall biodiversity?

When substantial preliminary evidence indicates that an activity can harm human health or the environment

Describe the roles and limitations of wildlife refuges, gene banks, botanical gardens, wildlife farms, zoos, and aquariums in protecting some species.

Wildlife refugees- protects a species habitat but they don't receive enough money to pull staff Gene banks, wildlife farms, and botanical gardens- preserve species; expensive to operate Zoos and aquariums- reintroduces species into wild habitat; expensive to operate