Endangered and Invasive Species Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, examples, and concepts from the lecture on endangered and invasive species, their causes, conservation strategies, and impacts.

Endangered species

A species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

Threatened species

A species likely to become endangered in the near future if protective measures are not taken.

Extinct species

A species that no longer exists anywhere on Earth.

Habitat loss

Destruction or alteration of the natural environment, the leading cause of population declines.

Introduced species

A species moved outside its native range by human activity, intentionally or accidentally.

Pollution (wildlife context)

The release of harmful substances that can poison, sicken, or reduce wildlife populations.

Population growth

Increase in human numbers that intensifies pressure on natural resources and habitats.

Over-consumption

Excessive use of resources that depletes wildlife populations and ecosystems.

Specialization

Dependence on a very specific habitat or food source, making a species vulnerable to change.

Low biotic potential

Having a slow reproductive rate, which limits a species’ ability to recover from decline (e.g., elephants, whales).

Non-adaptive behavior

Behavior that fails to adjust to new threats or habitat changes, increasing extinction risk (e.g., opossum road mortality).

Species approach

Conservation strategy focused on solving problems specific to one species.

Zoo approach

Short-term conservation method using captive breeding programs in zoos and aquaria.

Ecosystem approach

Long-term conservation strategy that manages entire habitats and ecological processes.

CITES

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; an international treaty that restricts commercial trade in threatened and endangered species.

Native species

A species that naturally occurs and thrives in a particular region or ecosystem.

Non-native species

A species living outside its native distribution range due to human actions; not always harmful.

Invasive species

A non-native species that causes ecological, economic, or human-health harm in its introduced range.

Generalist species

A species that can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions and food sources.

Pioneer species

First organisms to colonize disturbed areas, often hardy and fast-growing.

Self-compatible (plant)

Able to fertilize itself and produce seeds without pollen from another individual.

Japanese stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum)

An invasive grass that dominates disturbed soils and displaces native herbaceous plants.

Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha)

An invasive freshwater mussel with high reproductive rates that clogs pipes and outcompetes native mussels.

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)

An invasive beetle responsible for killing millions of ash trees in North America.

Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima)

A fast-growing invasive tree that spreads asexually and crowds out native vegetation.

Chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica)

An invasive fungal pathogen that virtually eliminated American chestnut trees in the eastern United States.

European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

An invasive bird that damages crops, spreads disease, and displaces native birds, costing U.S. agriculture hundreds of millions annually.

Medicinal species

Plants or animals that provide natural compounds for pharmaceuticals (e.g., purple foxglove for digitalis).

Wild crop relatives

Wild plant species whose genes offer disease resistance and other valuable traits to domesticated crops.

Ecological indicator species

A species whose health reflects the condition of its ecosystem; loss can signal broader ecological problems.

Economic cost of invasives

The financial losses caused by invasive species through reduced agricultural and forest productivity, infrastructure damage, and disease spread.