Lecture 28: Conservation Ecology

What is genetic diversity?

individual genetic variation within a population and between populations

What is species diversity?

takes into effect species richness and species composition

What is ecosystem diversity?

the variety of the ecosystem in earth’s biosphere

What is conservation biology?

a branch of biology that arose as a result of the effect of human activity on the biosphere and seeks to preserve life

What human activities have left to habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation?

humans cut down the forest and started growing palm and monoculture crop is produced. Species diversity is decreased and genetic diversity is decreased since it came from the same seed and plant. Deforestation decreases ecosystem diversity by destroying habitats and food webs

What is habitat loss?

the disappearance of natural environment that are home to plants and animals

What is habitat fragmentation?

when wild areas are divided by human developments

How does habitat fragmentation affect the mountain lion population?

reduces animal ranges & restricts movement. No gene flow occurs and there is a reduction genetic diversity. Places these animals at higher level of extinction.

How does plastic pollution affect marine life?

marine life will eat microplastics or plastics and mistaken it for food so it will feed its babies. Fishes will eat microplastics and they will die due to eating them

What is biological magnification?

a process by which retained toxic substances become more concentrated at each higher tropic level in the food chain

What is an example of biological magnification?

DDT a toxin is sprayed on to insects —> second consumers will eat on an insects and takes in 2-3 units of the toxin and it gets stored inside the tissues —> primary consumers will eat on the secondary consumer and will eat a higher concentration of the toxin

What is eutriophication?

nutrient runoff are flushed into the rivers —> plants flourish —> plants become to dense preventing sunlight from reaching other plants —> plants die and oxygen in the water is depleted —> dead plants are broken down and depleting the oxygen further —> no life cannot be sustain due to low oxygen

How has humans contributed to climate change?

by burning fossil fuels and greenhouses into the atmosphere.

How can climate change poses a threat to ocean?

rising sea levels, coral bleaching, more algal blooms, and ocean acidification