Biodiversity and Conservation: Key Concepts

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts related to biodiversity and conservation, designed for exam preparation.

IPBES

UN-associated body that assesses global biodiversity and ecosystem health; produces reports and identifies human-driven causes.

Conservation Biology

Interdisciplinary, science-based, and normative field aiming to preserve biodiversity, prevent extinctions, and restore ecosystems.

Three main goals of conservation biology

1) Document biodiversity, 2) Study human impacts, 3) Develop strategies to prevent extinction and maintain ecosystems.

Root causes of biodiversity crisis

Human population growth and per capita resource consumption.

Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Case Study

Successful recovery through U.S.–Mexico collaboration and Turtle Excluder Devices, demonstrating conservation success via cooperation.

3 Components of Biodiversity

Genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.

Morphological species definition

Species defined by traits.

Biological species definition

Species defined by interbreeding.

Evolutionary species definition

Species defined by lineage or DNA.

Alpha diversity

Local richness.

Beta diversity

Turnover between habitats.

Gamma diversity

Regional richness.

Endemism

Species found only in one location; linked to high beta diversity.

Shannon Diversity Index

Combines species richness and evenness.

Ecosystem Stability

The ability to maintain key functions.

Ecosystem Resistance

The ability to withstand disturbance.

Ecosystem Resilience

The ability to recover after disturbance.

Keystone species

Species with a disproportionate effect on their ecosystem.

Dominant species

Species that are abundant and shape the system.

Ecosystem engineers

Species that modify their environment, such as beavers.

Economic Externalities

Costs of environmental harm not reflected in market prices.

Tragedy of the Commons

Overuse of shared resources due to lack of regulation.

Environmental Economics

Works within traditional economics.

Ecological Economics

Reframes the economy as part of ecosystems.

Instrumental value

Nature valued for human use.

Intrinsic value

Nature valued for its own sake.

Types of Instrumental Value

Direct, Indirect, Option, Non-use (existence).

Types of Ecosystem Services

Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural.

Four Types of Extinction

Global, Extinct in Wild, Local (extirpation), Functional.

Species Traits Increasing Extinction Risk

Large size, small range, habitat specificity, poor dispersal, ground-nesting.

Special Problems of Small Populations

Environmental, demographic, genetic stochasticity; Allee effect; extinction vortex.

Current Extinction Rate

Approximately 1000 times higher than background rate, with 99% caused by humans.

Human Impacts (Vitousek et al. 1997)

Land transformation, biogeochemical cycles (C, N), oceans, biotic changes.

Environmental Justice

Wealthy nations cause more harm, poorer communities and species bear greater impacts.

BEF/BES Research (Cardinale 2012)

Biodiversity loss reduces efficiency, stability, and resilience; diversity acts like a portfolio.

Diversity Effects

Complementarity among species.

Identity Effects

Dominant species drive outcomes.

Portfolio Effect

More species lead to more stable ecosystem function.

Lange et al. 2015 Case Study

More plant species lead to higher soil carbon storage.

Wardle & Zackrisson 2005 Case Study

Species loss reduces ecosystem function; effects depend on species identity.

Dilution Effect Hypothesis

Higher biodiversity lowers disease risk by adding low-competence hosts.

Lyme Disease Case (LoGiudice 2003)

Higher infection risk in low-diversity areas dominated by white-footed mice.

Amphibian Trematodes (Johnson 2013)

More amphibian species lead to lower infection and malformations.

Host-specific Parasites

Complementarity reduces disease.

Generalist Parasites

Identity effects dominate in disease dynamics.