Conservation Biology & Wildlife Management Lecture Flashcards

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering conservation biology, mass extinctions, levels of biodiversity, threats to ecosystems, and population conservation management strategies.

Conservation Biology

The management of nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions.

Wildlife Management

A discipline that attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science, including gamekeeping, wildlife conservation, and pest control.

Permian extinction

The most severe mass extinction in Earth's history, occurring $252$ million years ago and causing the extinction of about $96\%$ of marine animal species and $70\%$ of terrestrial species.

Cretaceous mass extinction

A mass extinction event occurring $66$ million years ago that resulted in the loss of more than half of all marine species and all dinosaurs except birds.

Chicxulub crater

A massive meteorite collision site off the coast of Mexico that dates to the same time as the Cretaceous mass extinction.

Holocene extinction

The extinction of species during the present epoch, occurring since approximately $10,000$ BC.

Genetic diversity

A level of biodiversity comprising genetic variation within a population and between populations, required for a species to adapt to changing conditions via microevolution.

Species diversity

A level of biodiversity focused on the variety of species, commonly using classifications such as Extinct, Critically endangered, and Vulnerable.

Ecosystem diversity

A level of biodiversity relating to the variety of ecosystems and the functioning of species interactions within them, such as pollination and seed dispersal.

Biophilia

An innate and genetically determined affinity of human beings with the natural world, representing a moral argument for biodiversity conservation.

Ecosystem Services

The processes through which natural systems help sustain life on Earth, including air and water purification, waste detoxifying, crop pollination, and pest control.

Habitat loss and degradation

The single greatest threat to biodiversity, implicated by the IUCN in $75\%$ of species endangerment over past centuries.

Introduced species

Organisms intentionally or unintentionally transported by humans; they are a contributing cause of $25\%$ of plant extinctions and $33\%$ of animal extinctions.

Overharvesting

The harvesting of wild organisms at rates exceeding the ability of the population to rebound, particularly impacting species with restricted habitats.

Global change

Alterations in climate, atmospheric chemistry, and broad ecological systems that reduce the capacity of Earth to support life.

Extinction Vortex

A downward spiral unique to small populations where inbreeding and genetic drift lead to a loss of genetic variability, reducing fitness and adaptability.

Minimum Viable Population Size (MVP)

The population size at which a species can sustain its numbers and avoid falling into an extinction vortex.

Effective Population Size ($N_e$)

The breeding potential of a population based on the number of successfully breeding females ($N_f$) and males ($N_m$), calculated as $N_e = \frac{4N_f N_m}{N_f + N_m}$.

Population Viability Analysis (PVA)

A study that incorporates the probabilities of all known risks to population persistence to predict the probability of a population surviving through time.

Declining-population approach

A conservation strategy that focuses on species or populations that are declining even if they are far above their minimum viable population, emphasizing environmental factors.

Biodiversity Hot Spots

Specific areas prioritized for preservation due to their high levels of biodiversity and the concentration of threatened species.