Environmental Biology Chapter 8

Front 1

Species

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Distinct type of organism, a set of individuals that uniquely share certain characteristics and can breed with one another and produce fertile offspring.

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Species Diversity

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The number and variety of species in the world or in a particular region

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Genetic Diversity

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Encompasses the differences in DNA composition among individuals

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Extinction

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Occurs when the last member of a species ceases to exist

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Extirpation

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The disappearance of a particular population from a given area, but not the entire species globally.

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Mass Extinction

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The extinction of a large proportion of the worlds species in a very short time period due to some extreme and rapid change or catastrophic event. Earth has seen 5 mass extinction events in the past half billion years

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Red List

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An updated list of species facing unusually high risks of extinction. The list is maintained by the world conservation union.

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Habitat fragmentation

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The process by which an expanse of natural habitat becomes broken up into a discontinuous fragments, often as a result of farming, logging, road-building, and other types of human development and land use.

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Ecotourism

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Visitation of natural areas for tourism and recreation. Most often involves tourism by affluent people, which may generate economic benefits for less affluent communities near natural areas and thus provide economic incentives for conservation of natural areas.

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Biophilia

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An instinctive love for nature, an emotional bond people feel with other living things.

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Conservation Biology

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A scientific discipline devoted to understanding the factors, forces, and processes that influence the loss, protection, and restoration of biological diversity within and among ecosystems.

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Endangered Species Act

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ESA, The primary legislation enacted in 1973, for protecting biodiversity in the U.S. It forbids the government and private citizens from taking actions (such as developing land) that would destroy endangered species or their habitats and it prohibits trade in products made from endangered species

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Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

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A 1973 international treaty that protects endangered species by banning the international transport of their body parts

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Convention on Biological Diversity

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A 1993 international treaty that aims to conserve biodiversity, use biodiversity in a sustainable way, and ensure the fair distribution of biodiversities benefits.

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Captive Breeding

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The practice of capturing members of threatened and endangered species so that their young can be bred and raised in controlled environments and subsequently reintroduced into the wild.

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Forensic Science or Forensics

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The scientific analysis of evidence to make an identification or answer a question, most often relating to a crime or accident. Conservation biologists are now employing forensic science to protect species from illegal harvesting

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Biodiversity Hotspots

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An area that supports an especially great diversity of species, particularly species that are endemic to the area

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Endemic

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Native or restricted to a particular geographic region. An endemic species occurs in one region of the world and no where else on Earth.

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Ecological Restoration

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Efforts to reverse the effects of human disruption of ecological systems and to restore communities to their condition before the disruption. The practice that applies principles of restoration ecology.

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Community Based Conservation

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The practice of engaging local people to protect land and wildlife in their own region.