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117 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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what are ecocentric values? |
individual spp may be important to the health and functioning of communities and ecosystems |
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complications of ecocentric values |
not every spp is essential do we value redundant spp |
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what are types of instrumental/utilitarian values? |
agricultural medicinal industrial |
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what are amenity values? |
human benefits from the non-consumptive use of biodiversity that may be valued in the market place (eg. ecosystem services) |
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what are option/beneficiary values? |
potential to provide value or economic benefit to human society at some point in the future |
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what are culture values? |
recognizing the link between people and nature, along with cultural traditions of relating to/using biodiversity |
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what are existence values? |
the comfort of knowing that spp and their habitat persist |
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what are the definitions of spp? |
morphological: by physical characteristics biological: unique due to repro isolation and ecological context genetic: seperated by genetic differences (ie. mtDNA) |
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what are designatable units in conservation bio? |
discrete and evolutionarily significant units of the spp |
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what are examples of discrete DUs? |
discrete: - evidence of genetic distinctiveness - natural disjunction between parts of the spp's range - occupation of different ecogeographic regions that display historical or genetic distinction |
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what are examples of evolutionarily significant DUs? |
- unique genetic characteristics - ecological setting or area unique for the spp - only surviving natural occurrence of the spp - loss of population would result in gap in distribution |
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what does wild by nature refer to? |
populations that: - function both ecologically and evolutionarily in a manner that maintains the wild nature of a spp in the long term - are genetically or geographically distinct from pops managed for purposes other than conservation |
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what is species richness? |
the number of unique spp types documented in a geographically distinct area or ecological assemblage |
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what is spp evenness? |
uniformity of abundance -- represent nuber of spp types and abundance of each type |
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what is alpha diversity? |
richness within a standard sample site or distinct community -- number of spp in a plot |
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what is the shannon diversity index? |
a indice of richness and evenness -- measures the order observed within a system by considering the number of individuals observed for each spp in the sample plot |
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what is the simpson diversity index? |
measures the probability that two individuals selected from a samples will belong to the same spp |
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how does shannon diversity index compare to simpson diversity index? |
simpson diversity is less sensitive to richness and more sensitive to evenness than shannon |
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what is beta diversity? |
variation in spp richness among sample sites |
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what is the advantage of beta diversity? |
quantitative measure of changes in diversity of communities across space or time |
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what is gamma diversity? |
total species richness across a number of sites that constitute a landscape (1000 - 1,000,000 ha) |
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what is epsilon diversity? |
total spp richness across a broad regional area consisting of multiple landscapes ( >1,000,000ha) |
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what is the species area relationship? |
number of spp in a discrete area related to the size of the area |
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how does biodiversity change with latitude and elevation? |
biodiversity increases from higher latitude to lower latitude biodiversity decreases from lower elevation to higher elevation |
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what are the 6 hypotheses to explain latiitudinal gradients? |
- tropics have greater climatic productivity - predictable environments have greater spp diversity -- generalists limit niche space - tropical habitats are older -- greater time for speciation - tropics have more complex interspecific interactions - tropics have greater spatial heterogeneity - distrubance regime in tropics of an intermediate frequency and intensity |
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what is the intermediate disturbance hypothesis? |
- frequency and intensity of disturbance will affect patterns of diversity - disturbance prevents competitively dominant spp - diversity is maximised by disturbances of intermediate frequency and intesntiy |
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what is a hotspot? |
combination of: - higher density of spp: endemic species and/or rare/threatened species - experiencing high levels of threat |
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how do you measure hotspots? |
- genetic diversity (most difficult) - species richness (most popular) - higher taxon richness (most practical) - remoteley sensed environmental structure (least expensive) |
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what is an ESS hotspot? |
Ecosystem Services Hotspot: area where high amounts of one particular service are present or where multiple ecosystem services overlap |
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what is the anthrocene? |
Proposed geological epoch ending the halocene that recognizes human activities measurably changed the earth's lithosphere and ecosystems |
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what are the 11 IUCN threat classifications? |
- residential and commercial development - agriculture and aquaculture - energy production and mining - transportation and service corridors - biological resource use - human intrusions and disturbance - natural system modifications - invasive and other problematic species, genes and diseasea - pollution - geological events - climate change and severe weather |
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how do you adapt conservation biology to climate change? |
- learn and understand how spp or communities will change with future climate envelopes - develop adaptation solutions |
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what is a climate envelope |
range of climate conditions that organism has evolved to inhabit in competittive state and including co-dependent community relationships |
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what is extinction? |
a spp dies out leaving no representatives |
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what is functional extinction? |
handful of survivors unfit to reproduce |
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what is ecological extinction? |
too few numbers to affect community dynamics |
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what is range contraction? |
spp range is reduced |
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what is extirpation? |
a pop is lost or locally/regionally extinct |
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what does extinct in the wild mean? |
species is known to exist only in captivity |
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what is a lazarus taxon? |
a species that is assumed to be extinct but emerges at a later date |
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what is the average species life span (how long a species lasts) |
10 million years |
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what is the background extinction rate? |
1-10 spp/yr |
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what is stage 1 of extirpation? |
rapid loss of small pops with restricted ranges |
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what is stage 2 of extirpation? |
slower loss of sink populations |
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what is stage 3 of extirpation? |
slowest loss of broadly distributed spp |
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how can extirpation lead to extinction? |
- fragmentation of contiguous range - loss of unique sub pops - change in community composition |
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what is extinction debt? |
- lagged response to habitat loss, overharvest, or combination of threats |
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what is the extinction vortex? |
relationship between pop size and persistence |
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what are the steps for the extinction vortex? |
- decrease in pop N starts vortex - incremental decreases in N result in other factors affecting persistence - positive feedback between decreasing N and magnitude of stochastic effects - addressing original cause will not pull pop from the vortex |
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what are the levels where genetic diversity is measured? |
- within an individual - among individuals in a pop - among pops |
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what does long term loss of genetic diversity result in? |
loss of adaptibility to changing environments |
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what does short-term loss of genetic diversity result in? |
increased homozygosity -- can lead to mutational meltdown |
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what causes genetic diversity to change in a pop? |
- mutation - selection - genetic drift - gene flow - non-random mating - change in pop size |
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what are the objectives of species-focused conservation? |
- prevent or slow unnatural loss of biodiversity - restore ecosystems to natural levels of biodiversity - identify and address acute and chronic conservation issues |
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what are the two single spp approaches? |
- genetic - fine filter: focus on recovering individual spp at risk |
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what are the multi-spp approaches of conservation? |
- proxy spp -- umbrellas, keystones, flagships, indivators - meso-filter: habitat elements with multispp benefits - coarse filter: parls/protected areas |
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what are the 8 hypothesized indicators of a spp at risk of decline |
- small pops - island endemics - spp with large home ranges - diurnal spp - spp with larger body sizes - spp at higher trophic levels - spp with slow life histories - spp wit complex mating structures, foraging or defence |
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what are the 4 actual indicators of spp at risk? |
- small geographic range - high trophic lvl - slow life history - low pop density |
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what is the bias factor in conservation? |
- large cuddly critters get majority of attention and money - little understanding of ecology or status of inverts and plants - socioeconomic/cultural values limit conservation action |
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what are the four benefits of identifying species at risk? |
- informs conservation laws - informs conservation understanding - informs conservation activities - informs natural resource management |
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what is IUCN? |
International union for conservation of nature and natural resources -- global source of conservation guidance, resources, and efforts |
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what are the 8 status decisions based on quantitative criteria in IUCN? |
- data deficient - least concern - near threatened - vulnerable - endangered - critically endangered - extinct in the wild - extinct |
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what are the 7 cosewic statuses and their abbreviation? |
- extinct: X - extirpated: XT - endangered: E - threatened: T - special concern: SC - data deficient: DD - not at risk: NAR |
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what are the 5 quantitative criteria for assessing a risk status? |
- population decline - small distribution and decline or fluctuation - small pop size and decline - very small or restricted pop - quantitative analysis (eg. PVA) |
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what is in-situ vs ex-situ? |
- in-situ: in original or natural place - ex-situ: off-site or away from natural situation |
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what is ex-situ conservation? |
- conservation through unnatural means - eg. breeding programs, saving genetic material |
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what are the extremes of the in situ vs ex situ debate? |
- natural evolution processes can only occur in situ - ex situ only option for spp with very low numbers |
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what are the advantages of a zoo for conservation? |
- serve as flagship showcase - educates the public about in situ and ex situ - maintain remnant individuals - use revenues/profits for conservation - can support captive breeding program |
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what are the 10 limitations of ex situ conservation? |
- expensive - only for single species - always small pops - can adapt to artificial environment - can lose natural behaviour - loses genetic diversity - loses species diversity due to focus on flagship spp - continuity of conservation can be difficult - not always animal welfare |
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what are the four types of relocation? |
- introduction: new range - reintroduction: new to extirpated area - translocation: from one part of range to another - supplementation: to already occupied part of range |
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what are the 6 issues with single species conservation? |
- expensive - lack knowledge of all spp at potential risk - lack knowledge for identified spp to conserve - competing needs between spp - bias in choice of spp to conserve |
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what is a multiple species or systems conservation approach? |
- strategies to conserve communities or ecosystems |
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what are the 3 issues with multiple spp conservation? |
- lack of knowledge of community or ecosystem dynamics - larger scale of conservation thus more legal and value conflicts - some spp might be missed in the conservation effort |
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what are the 4 approaches of multi-species conservation? |
- use of proxy spp - use of filters - protected areas - manage ecosystems |
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what is a proxy spp? |
a spp that represent many other spp or features of biodiversity |
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what is an umbrella spp? |
species with high needs for area and habitat that results in protection of other spp |
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what are the issues with umbrella spp multi-special conservation? |
- what spp has best umbrella - protection of one spp habitat doesn't equate to another - umbrella linked to habitat conservation, but habitat might not need conservation |
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what are the issues with umbrella spp multi-special conservation? |
- what spp has best umbrella - protection of one spp habitat doesn't equate to another - umbrella linked to habitat conservation, but habitat might not need conservation |
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what is an indicator spp? |
spp that provide indication of some aspect of ecological integrity |
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issues with using indicator spp for multi-spp conservation |
- what criteria serves as indicator - what spp matches criteria - how to link conservation objective to abundance of indicator |
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what is a flagship spp? |
spp that acts as symbol and leads element of conservation campaign |
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issues with using flagship spp for multi-spp conserv. |
- based on public appeal, not conservation priorities - research and management funds could be better spent - what happens if there is no flagship |
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what is a keystone spp? |
spp that have many interactions with other spp |
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issues of using keystone spp for multi-spp conserv. |
- what defines a keystone spp - keystone in one system might not be keystone in another - require a good understanding of keystone spp and their relationships in the community |
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what is coarse filter approaches to multi-spp conserv. |
- conserving communities and ecosystems to conserve individual spp |
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what are fine filter approaches for multi-spp conservation |
approaches to conserve elements of biodiversity that are not conserved with coarse filter approaches |
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what is a mesofilter conservation approach? |
focus on conserving ecosystem features that are important to the fitness of many spp |
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what are the issues with protected area for multi-spp conserv.? |
- costly - recreation, heritage, and ecological value - not necessarily areas of high biodiv. |
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what is ecosystem based management? |
- a method of maintaining landscape function and all levels of biodiv. |
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what are the 3 characteristics of ecosystem based management? |
- emphasis on ecological integrity -- not commodities and eco services - production of goods becomes by-product of healthy ecosystem - inherently large scale |
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issues of ecosystem based management? |
- dependent on large areas of land - not possible for all ecosystems - not workable for all forms of human disturbance |
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what is landscape ecology? |
study of spatial variation in a collection of patches |
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what is a landscape? |
a heterogemeous land area composed of interacting ecosystems that repeat in similar form throughout |
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what are the components of a landscape? |
- matrix - patches - corridors |
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what is the matrix of a landscape? |
most extensive and connected landscape type |
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what is the matrix of a landscape? |
most extensive and connected landscape type |
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what are patches in a landscape? |
- homogeneous areas (similar in plant/animal community) |
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what is habitat fragmentation? |
the process of which a large continuous area of habitat is reduced in area and divided into two or more fragments |
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what are the 4 negative effects of fragmentation? |
- lost habitat - reduction in connectivity - division of populations - more edge habitat |
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what is the trans-australia eco-link |
a transcontinental corridor for northern to southern australia |
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what are the 5 factors that determine distribution of populations? |
- morphological or physiological constraints - disease/parasites - habitat loss or connectivity loss - predators - interspecific competition |
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what are the benefits of metapopulations? |
- genetic interchange - more resilient to stochastic events - connected populations can have rescue effects |
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what are the 3 antirescue effects? |
- sink habitats deplete source habitats - connectivity of disease or predators - hostile matrix prevents dispersers -- reduce population viability |
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what is invasibility? |
baility of colonising spp to penetrate an established community |
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what is the compression hypothesis? |
- as more spp invade an island, the niche occupied by each species decrease allowing for greater richness |
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what is filtering in island biogeography? |
reduction in the number of spp during dispersal due to limited ability to cross barriers |
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what are stepping stone islands? |
decrease in the matrix effect and filtering due to islands allowing further dispersal of spp |
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what are the three criteria to consider for deciding what areas to protect? |
- distinctiveness -- irreplaceability - endangerment -- more endangered spp or ecosystems - utility -- potential value to people |
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what are the three criteria to consider for deciding what areas to protect? |
- distinctiveness -- irreplaceability - endangerment -- more endangered spp or ecosystems - utility -- potential value to people |
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what are the three approaches to protecting areas? |
- species approach -- target spp - hotspot approach -- protect biodiv. hotspots - ecosystem approach -- protect representative sites of as many types of ecosystems as possible |
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what is a gap analysis |
analytical process to assess protection of spp and communities |
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what are the goals of a gap analysis? |
ID spp/communities that are not represented in existing conserv. lands ID gaps in conservation plans |
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what does a gap analysis collect spatial data on? |
- observed or predicted distributions of spp and habitat types - stewardship areas - Use GIS to assess overlap between vegetation, habitat elements, species distribute, and stewardship areas |
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what are the 3 goals of the BC protected areas strategy? |
- increase total protected area - protect viable, representative examples of the natural diversity - protect the special natural, cultural heritage, and recreation features of thew province |
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what is ecological integrity measured in terms of? |
- maintenance of ecological and evolutionary processes that keep species functioning - ability of plant and animal communities to adapt and evolve - ability of plants and animals to sustain healthy populations - integration of people into the environment that sustain biodiversity and human quality of life |
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what are the 7 threats to ecological integrity? |
- park management - vegetation change - exotic organisms - habitat fragmentation - threats to wide-ranging carnivores - degradation of aquatic ecosystems - wildlife habituation |
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what are the 5 parks canada zones |
- special preservation - wilderness - natural environment - outdoor recreation - park services |
