Overexploitation of Natural Resources

This set of flashcards covers the critical concepts and facts regarding overexploitation, its historical context, impacts, and sustainable practices.

What is overexploitation?

Overexploitation refers to the unsustainable hunting, fishing, or harvesting of populations or species at levels leading to population declines.

What types of resources are exploited?

Exploitation includes both non-biological resources like minerals and biological resources including animals and plants.

What historical evidence exists for overexploitation?

Humans have a long history of overexploitation, including the prehistoric extinctions of megafauna and the extinction of species like bison and the passenger pigeon following European colonization.

What is the current status of global fish stocks?

Approximately 80% of global fish stocks are currently fully exploited or overexploited.

How does aquaculture contribute to seafood production?

Aquaculture has surpassed wild-caught seafood consumption since 2014, but it also causes habitat loss and relies on wild fish as food for farmed fish.

What are the indicators of sustainable versus unsustainable exploitation?

Sustainable exploitation occurs when a population can compensate for the removal of individuals; overexploitation occurs when it cannot.

What did the Logistic Growth model describe?

Logistic growth describes how populations grow until limited by the carrying capacity of their environment.

What is the concept of maximum sustainable yield (Y MSY)?

Y MSY is the greatest amount of a resource that can be exploited annually and replaced through population growth without leading to population decline.

What are density-dependent factors?

Density-dependent factors are those that regulate population size based on the population's density, influencing mortality and reproduction rates.

What are pangolins known for?

Pangolins are the only mammals with scales, known for rolling into a ball as a defense mechanism and are heavily trafficked for their meat and scales.