A4.2 Conservation of Biodiversity Kognity

A vocabulary-style set of flashcards covering key terms related to mass extinctions, biodiversity, and conservation.

Sixth mass extinction

The ongoing loss of species driven largely by human activity, with extinction rates far above background levels; projections often cited as 10–50% of species lost within a century.

Mass extinction

A period when a significant proportion of Earth’s species become extinct in a relatively short geological time across a large geographic area (at least ~75%).

Biodiversity

The variety of living organisms at genes, species, and ecosystem levels; encompasses genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.

Genetic diversity

Variation in genes within a population; includes different alleles and underpins a population’s ability to adapt and evolve.

Allele

A variant form of a gene that can lead to different traits within a population.

Species diversity

The variety of species in a habitat, determined by species richness and species evenness.

Species richness

The number of different species present in a given area.

Species evenness

The relative abundance of the different species in a community.

Ecosystem diversity

The variety of ecosystems in a geographic area; harder to measure because boundaries between ecosystems are often fluid.

IPBES

Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services; provides global assessments and reports on biodiversity, including the 2019 global assessment.

IUCN Red List

A global inventory classifying species by conservation status (e.g., Extinct, CR, EN, VU, NT, LC, DD, NE) to guide conservation actions.

Extinct (E)

A species with no living individuals left anywhere in the world.

Extinct in the Wild (EW)

A species known only to survive in captivity or cultivation, not in natural habitats.

Critically Endangered (CR)

The IUCN category for species facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

Endangered (EN)

The IUCN category for species facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

Vulnerable (VU)

The IUCN category for species facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Near Threatened (NT)

The IUCN category for species close to qualifying for a threatened category.

Least Concern (LC)

The IUCN category for species not currently at risk of extinction.

Data Deficient (DD)

The IUCN category for species lacking enough information to assess risk of extinction.

Not Evaluated (NE)

Species for which no assessment has been carried out by IUCN yet.

IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

A global standard for assessing the conservation status of ecosystems, analogous to the Red List for species.

Green Status of Species

IUCN’s measure of conservation success for a species, complementing the Red List by indicating recovery or ongoing decline.

EDGE of Existence

A conservation initiative focusing on Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species to prioritize conservation action.

Evolutionary Distinct (ED)

A measure of how unique a species is on the evolutionary tree (fewer close relatives implies higher ED).

Globally Endangered (GE)

A conservation status indicating a species is globally at high risk of extinction; used in EDGE scoring.

EDGE score

A combined score for a species based on Evolutionary Distinctiveness (ED) and Global Endangerment (GE) to prioritize conservation.

In situ conservation

Conservation of species in their natural habitats, preserving ecosystems and natural processes.

Ex situ conservation

Conservation outside natural habitats (e.g., zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks) to safeguard species.

Seed bank

A facility that stores seeds under controlled conditions to preserve genetic diversity for future use.

Germplasm

Genetic material of plants or animals preserved for breeding and research in gene banks and seed banks.

Captive breeding

Breeding of endangered species in captivity with subsequent reintroduction into the wild, sometimes risking reduced genetic diversity.

Rewilding

Restoration of ecosystems by reintroducing species and allowing natural processes to reclaim degraded areas.

Habitat fragmentation

Breaking up of continuous habitats into smaller, isolated patches, reducing connectivity and gene flow.

Corridor

A strip of habitat that connects separate habitat patches to allow movement and gene flow.

Invasive species

Non-native species that spreads rapidly, outcompeting native species and disrupting ecosystems.

Habitat loss

Reduction or destruction of natural habitat due to human activity (e.g., deforestation, urbanization).

Deforestation

The removal of forests or woodlands, leading to habitat loss and ecosystem disruption.

Palm oil plantations

Agricultural plantations that replace forests, contributing to deforestation and biodiversity loss.

Pollution

Introduction of harmful substances into the environment (air, water, land) that negatively affect biodiversity.

Coral bleaching

Stress response in corals where they expel their symbiotic algae, often due to heat stress, leading to whitening and vulnerability.

Dipterocarp forest

Tropical Southeast Asian forests dominated by Dipterocarpaceae; keystone, high-biodiversity ecosystems threatened by logging and palm oil.

Keystone species

A species whose presence is essential for the structure of an ecological community; its removal can cause major changes.

Biomes

Large regional ecosystems characterized by climate, geography, and typical vegetation; e.g., forests, deserts, oceans.

Ecosystems

A community of organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment (biotic and abiotic factors).

Biodiversity crisis

A rapid decline in biodiversity driven by multiple human-caused threats, as identified by IPBES and other assessments.

Overexploitation

Extraction of natural resources faster than they can be replenished (e.g., hunting or fishing).