environmental chapter 15

loss of habitat is the greatest threat to biological diversity, followed by what

pollution, spread of invasive species, and overexploitation

what does ex situ (outside its place) conservation involve

preserving biodiversity in human-controlled settings such as zoos, botanical gardens, or seed banks of genetically diverse plant crops

Which of these disappeared during a mass extinction event, as opposed to being an accelerated background extinction?

t rex

Which of these most directly bans the global hunting, capture, and selling of endangered species and products of these species?

the 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

what is habitat fragmentation

the breakup of large areas of habitat into small, isolated patches (islands) due to human use of land

what is extinction

the elimination of species from earth

what is genetic diversity

the genetic variation within all populations of a species

the maintenance of a broad genetic base is critical for what

the long-term health and survival of each species

what does the introduction of nonnative (invasive) species into a new ecosystem do

upsets the balance among the organisms living in that area and interferes with the ecosystem's normal functioning

what is the agricultural importance of organisms

we must eat to survive

Maintaining biological diversity in a coastal area can lead to increased

wildlife habitat

why are genetic resources of organisms important to the pharmaceutical industry

-AIDS medication AZT is a derivative of a compound extracted from a sponge -many of the best-selling prescription drugs in the us are natural products slightly modified, or synthetic chemicals derived from natural chemicals produced by organisms

what does the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna do

-bans the hunting, capturing, and selling of endangered and threatened species -protects more than 30,000 species -enforcement varies from country to country

how do humans alter habitats

-building roads, buildings, and bridges -clearing forests for agricultural use of land or timber -draining and filling wetlands for building -mining for minerals or fuel -recreational use of land

Biodiversity hotspots are relatively small tracts of land which are rich in endemic species. What is true of these hotspots

-by the year 2000, 25 hotspots had been identified worldwide -they are often found on islands -they were originally described using plants as the primary criteria

what shows that the activities of all organisms in an ecosystem are interrelated

-ecosystem services and species richness -when one species declines, other species linked to it may either decline or increase in number

what do conservation organizations fo

-educate policymakers, galvanize public support, provide financial support for projects -work in conjunction with zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens, etc -provide financial support for conservation projects

what is the national wildlife refuge system

-established in 1903 by teddy roosevelt -most extensive network of lands and waters committed to wildlife preservation in the world -covers over 60 million hectares -represents all major us ecosystems -administered by the us fish and wildlife service

how do invasive species cause species endangerment

-foreign species that spread rapidly in a new area if free of predators, parasites, or resource limitations that may have controlled their population in their native habitat -compete with native species for food and habitat

what causes threats to biological diversity

-growth of human populations -economic activity -uses of technology -social, political, and cultural factors

what are freshwater system ecosystem services

-moderate water flow and mitigate floods -dilute and remove pollutants -provide wildlife habitat -provide humans with water, food, transportation corridors, electricity, and recreation

what is true regarding ecosystem services

-natural products of organisms hold promise as medical therapies -a diverse natural world provides solace and comfort and serves as inspiration -diverse ecosystems provide more types of food

what are goals of the World Conservation Strategy

-preservation of ecosystem services -develop sustainable uses for organisms and ecosystem -preserve biological diversity

what are coastal ecosystem services

-provide a buffer against storms -dilute and remove pollutants -provide wildlife habitat, including food and shelter for young marine species -provide humans with food, harbors, transportation routes, and recreation

what are grassland ecosystem services

-purify air and water -produce and maintain soil -absorb carbon dioxide -provide wildlife habitat -provide humans with livestock and recreation

what are forest ecosystem services

-purify air and water -produce and maintain soil -absorb carbon dioxide -provide wildlife habitat

what are disadvantages to seed and gene banks

-some seeds cannot be stored -seeds must be germinated periodically so more can be collected, due to longevity issues -stored seeds are not continuously exposed to environment

how many reintroductions to the wild are successful

1 out of 10

how many new species are identified per year

10,000

how many plant and animal species were threatened with extinction in 2015

23,000

how many biological hotspots are there around the world

35

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has estimated that since about the year 1800, more than ____________ U. S. species have become extinct.

500

what is a species

a group of distinct organisms that are capable of interbreeding with one another in the wild but that do not interbreed with organisms outside their group

what are endangered species

a species in imminent danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range

what are threatened species

a species whose population has declined to the point that it may be at risk of extinction

what is an ecotone

a transitional zone where communities meet

The Endangered Species Act could be made more comprehensive if it

addressed whole ecosystems rather than single species

what has the greatest footprint and widest ecological influence on natural ecosystems

agricultural use of land

Select the best description of extinction.

an organism has disappeared throughout its range

what type of areas tend to have lower species richness

areas with repeated disruptions to climate

what portion of the plant population has not been assessed for medicinal, agricultural, or industrial value

at least two thirds

what did the endangered species act do

authorized FWS and national marine fisheries service to protect endangered and threatened species in the us and abroad

Suppose a population is classified as an endangered species. If the species naturally recovers some numbers, it may

be re-classified as threatened

Which of these terms is a major heading that includes the other three as subcategories?

biological diversity

Which of these practices is an example of ex situ conservation?

captive breeding in zoos and research facilities

what is edge effect

change in species composition that occurs at ecotones

Which of these is associated with increased species richness, as per the graph below?

complexity of the physical environment

Most cases that involve conflict over the Endangered Species Act result in

compromise between developers and the federal government

what is the best way to preserve biodiversity

conserving and managing the ecosystem as a whole

what is background extinction

continuous low level of extinction of species, normal process

what has a disruptive effect on evolution

deforestation

what is overexploitation

deliberate effort to eradicate or control numbers of species

how many species were scientifically named and described as of 2015

more than 1.6 million

why are most species endangered today

destruction, fragmentation, or degradation of habitats due to human activities

many agricultural crops have been developed with significant genetic uniformity in order to optimize production. what can this lead to

disease and pest susceptibility

what may hold solutions to today's problems and to problems we have not begun to imagine

diversity

what do habitat corridors do

enable wild organisms to move from one fragmented area to another, essentially increasing their available habitat by safely connecting individual habitat fragments

A snow leopard was recently caught and killed in Afghanistan. As there are only a few thousand left in the wild, facing possible disappearance as a species, the snow leopard is best classified as

endangered

what does in situ (in place) conservation include

establishment of parks and reserves, concentrates on preserving biological diversity in nature

what has produced the genetic diversity that we see today

evolution

This ecosystem provides many ecosystem services, including purifying air and water, producing and maintaining soil, and absorbing and storing carbon dioxide (which can help to mitigate global warming).

forests

This ecosystem's services dilutes and removes pollutants from water, moderates water flow and reduces flooding, and supports many important human activities including transportation, food, and water.

freshwater systems

Which of these is the best example of an activity of a conservation biologist?

gathering data on the reintroduction of wolves to yellowstone national park

what are the three components of biodiversity

genetic diversity, species richness, and ecosystem diversity

what uses gene diversity

genetic engineering

What is the human activity that threatens most species facing extinction today?

habitat destruction

Where is declining biological diversity the most serious

hawaii

what has disrupted habitats

human population growth

how do pollution and climate change cause species endangerment

human produced acid precipitation, ozone depletion, climate change degrade even otherwise undisturbed wilderness habitats

why do humans need biodiversity

humans depend on thousands of species for survival

what does increased species richness do

improves ability of a community to withstand environmental disturbances

Suppose a local population is declining due to malnourishment. There has been no change in its overall food supply in the area. What is a possible cause?

invasive species

An endemic species

is native only to a particular region

what is mass extinction

large number of species disappear during a relatively short period of geologic time

what does the endangered species act do

legally defines what endangered and threatened species are

what type of climates have enabled a wide variety of species to evolve over time and form very biologically diverse communities

long-term stable climates

what heightens the risk of extinction

low genetic diversity

what are endemic species

native to an area

what do organisms provide for modern industrial technology

oils, lubricants, perfumes, fragrances, dyes, paper, lumber, waxes, and latex

what is the goal of captive breeding programs practiced by zoos and other conservation organizations

produce offspring that will be able to be released back into nature to restore wild populations

what are habitat corridors

protected zones that connect otherwise isolated, unlogged or undeveloped areas

what does restoration ecology do

reclaims disturbed lands and converts them into areas with high biodiversity, using ecological principles to return them to a functional and sustainable ecosystem

what are biological hotspots

relatively small areas of land that contain an exceptional number of endemic species and are at high risk from human activities

Species richness is defined as the number of _________ in a particular area.

species types

Which of these is the goal of restoration ecology practices?

returning an ecosystem to a historical state

why is species richness inversely related to isolation of community

species have difficulty reaching and colonizing isolated places and locally extinct species are not replaced quickly

what provides the community with resilience, the ability to recover quickly to its former state following an environmental disturbance

species richness

what is biodiversity

the number and variety of earth's organisms

what is species richness

the number of different species in a community

what is conservation biology

the scientific study of how humans affect organisms and how to develop methods to protect biological diversity

what is restoration ecology

the study of the historical condition of a human damaged ecosystem, with the goal of returning it as closely as possible to its former state

what is ecosystem diversity

the variety of ecosystems found on earth and the variety of interactions among organisms in natural communities

what is the relationship between species richness and environmental stress

they are inversely related