Chapter 56 Conservation Ecology

Front 1

Ecosystem services

Back 1

Encompass all the processes through which natural ecosystems and the species they contain help sustain human life on Earth.

Services include:
Purification of air and water.
Detoxification and decomposition of wastes.
Nutrient Cycling
Moderation of weather extremes.
Many more.

Front 2

Endangered/Threatened Species

Back 2

Endangered: Species that is in danger of becoming extinct throughout is range.

Threatened: Species that are likely to become endangered in the forseeable future.

Front 3

Three Levels of Biodiversity

Back 3

Genetic Diversity
Species Diversity
Ecosystem Diversity

Front 4

1/3 Levels of Biodiversity:
Genetic Diversity

Back 4

Genetic variation within and between populations. Low diversity = biological malformation = potential extinction.

Genetic Diversity is the sum of all the alleles in a population.

Front 5

1/3 Levels of Biodiversity:
Species Diversity

Back 5

Variety of species within an ecosystem or biosphere. High diversity means many species and many individuals of each species.

Front 6

1/3 Levels of Biodiversity:
Ecosystem Diversity

Back 6

Identifies the variety of ecosystems in the biosphere. Is being affected by human activity.

Front 7

Five Major Threats to Biodiversity

Back 7

HIPPO:

Habitat Loss
Invasive Species
Pollution
Population (human)
Overexploitation

Front 8

Habitat Loss

Back 8

Single greatest threat to biodiversity. Scrubland is highest at 29% of species expected to go extinct, Temperate forests right behind it.

Habit fragmentation and destruction leads to loss of biodiversity.

Front 9

Introduced Species

Back 9

Species that humans move from species' native location to new geographic region. 4 out of 5 birds in the area are introduced.

Brown tree snake: responsible for mass bird extinction in S. Pacific.

Kudzu: taking over millions of acres in the south.

# of exotic plants (highest-lowest): New York, California, Florida). highest concentration in NE.

Front 10

Overexploitation

Back 10

Human harvesting of wild plants or animals at rates exceeding the ability of populations to rebound.

Ocean most in danger due to lack of regulation.

Front 11

Pollution

Back 11

Chemicals introduced into a biosphere.

DDT: pesticide used in 50's/60's. Accumulated in birds-of-prey. Bald eagle population plummeted. Rebounded since banning of DDT.

Front 12

Human Population

Back 12

6.7 Billion humans require massive amount of resources

Front 13

Extinction Vortex

Back 13

Small populations prone to positive-feedback loops that draw the population down into an extinction vortex.

Key driving factor is loss of Genetic Variation.

Front 14

Minimum Viable Population Size (MVP)

Back 14

MVP: Minimum population size at which a species is able to sustain it's numbers and survive.

Front 15

Population Viability Analysis (PVA)

Back 15

Predicts a population's chances for survival over a particular time. Factors in the MVP of a population.

Front 16

Declining Populations

Back 16

Populations that are less abundant than historically, yet not so rare as to be in imminent danger of extinction. Populations that show a downward trend towards long-term extinction.

Emphasizes the environmental factors that caused a population to decline in the first place.

Front 17

Declining population approach

Back 17

Evaluate populations on a case-by-case basis. Must be able to distinguish declining population from variable.

Red-Cockaded woodpecker::
With the experiment, a new combo of habitat maintenance and excavation of new breeding cavities has brought a species back from endangered.

Front 18

Landscape and Regional Conservation

Back 18

Aim to sustain entire biotas through Multiple Use: preserve entire ecosystem and conserve it, while still allowing for regulated industrial consumption.

Front 19

Dangers of fragmentation

Back 19

Creates proportionally more "edges", which causes biodiversity to decrease. Also isolates populations.

Front 20

Corridors

Back 20

Narrow strip of quality habitat connecting otherwise isolated patches. Seeks to alleviate problems with small populations.

Front 21

Biodiversity Hot Spot

Back 21

A relatively small area with an exceptional concentration of endemic species, and a large number of threatened or endangered species.

Front 22

Two Key strategies in Restoration ecology

Back 22

Bioremediation: Use of living organisms to detoxify ecosystems.

Augmentation: Reintroduction of biological life.

Front 23

Sustainable Biosphere Initiative

Back 23

The goal of this intiative is to define and acquire the basic ecological information necessary for the intelligent and responsible development, management, and conservation of Earth's resources.