BIOL 101 Unit #5 Chapter 21

what is biodiversity? (ch.21 def.)

the variety of a biological system; can be applied to genes, biochemistry, and ecosystems

- number of species

- number of individuals in those species

what is genetic diversity?

the variety of genes and alleles in a species or other taxonomic group or ecosystem; can refer to allelic diversity or genome-wide diversity

- the raw material for adaptation in a species

what is chemical diversity?

the variety of metabolic compounds in an ecosystem

- helps with selective breeding

what is ecosystem diversity?

the variety of ecosystems on Earth or in a geographical area

describe the loss of an ecosystem

loss of ecosystem = loss of the interactions between species, the unique features of coadaptation, and biological productivity

- (ex.) decline in soil productivity in prairie ecosystem

what is extinction?

the disappearance of a species from Earth; local extinction is the disappearance of a species from a region

- factor that contributes to inability to describe all species currently in existence

what are endemic species?

species native to one place

- (ex.'s) blue jay bird only in North America/ devil's hole pupfish in Nevada

- highly vulnerable to extinction

what is biogeography?

the study of the distribution of the world's species both in the past and in the present

what is habitat heterogeneity?

the number of ecological niches relatively to higher latitudes

what happens if heterogeneity is great ?(habitat heterogeneity)

provides more opportunities for coevolution, specialization, greater selective pressures leading to population differentiation

what are secondary plant compounds?

toxins released as a byproduct from plants to protect it from insects and herbivores

- helps with creation of medicines (aspirin, codeine, etc.)

what is the results of loss of biodiversity?

food is harder to produce, less clean water, less new medicine

what is genetic BIOdiversity?

a genus with very different types of species will have greater genetic diversity

- greater potential for subsequent evolution

what is chemical BIOdiversity?

genes make proteins; different genetic makeups creates different chemical diversity

- helps with chemicals and medicines (eptifibatide from snake venom helps with heart conditions)

what was the Irish Potato Famine?

no diversity in potatoes in Ireland allowed one fungus/virus to wipe out all its potatoes, therefore their potatoes went extinct and the Irish population fell

what is the 2008 Svalbard Global seed vault?

contains many plant seeds to ensure crop diversity in case of extinction

- located in the arctic region drilled into some rock

what are wild food sources?

FISH; over 1 billion people rely on it as their main protein

what are the greatest proximate threats to biodiversity?

habitat loss, overharvesting, and introduction of exotic species (climate change as 4th threat)

explain what happens when you eliminate a habitat, and the removal of a habitat within range of a species

- elimination of habitat = kills individuals in the species

- removal of an entire habitat within range of species = species will go extinct

what is tragedy of the commons?

an economic principle that resources help in common will inevitably be over-exploited

- (ex.'s) deforestation, overfishing, overhunting bison's & whales

what is bush meat?

generic term used for wild animals killed for food

what are exotic species?

a species (also invasive species) that have been intentionally or unintentionally introduced by humans into an ecosystem in which they did not evolve in

- they bring in competition for resources, predation, and disease

what is chytridiomycosis?

a disease caused by the fungus batrachochytrium dendrobatids; thought to be a major cause of the global amphibian decline

what is white nose syndrome?

a disease of cave-hibernating bats in the Eastern U.S. & Canada associated with the fungus geomyces destructans

- has decimated bat populations

what are forms of habitat loss?

deforestation for timber use & palm oil, growing cows; creation of human-made dams (affects area where the water sits on)

what is global warming?

rise in avg. temperature

what are extinction rates?

the number of species becoming extinct over time (extinctions per million species-years to make numbers manageable E/MSY)

what are species-area relationships?

the rate at which new species are seen when the area surveyed is increased

what is biodiversity hotspot?

a concept originated by Norma Myers to decide a geographical region with a large number of endemic species and a large percentage of degraded habitat

number of species on the plant, is the result of an equilibrium of what two evolutionary processes that are ongoing?

speciation & extinction

what happens if speciation is greater than extinction?

number of species increases

how many mass extinctions has there been on Earth?

5 mass extinctions

human-caused extinction?

cause of the 6th mass extinction, killed off Dodo bird & steller's sea cow

- also killed off the passenger pigeon

what is habitat restoration?

maintaining or restoring biodiversity

- wolves in Yellowstone (re-introduced and suppressed elk & coyote population increasing biodiversity)

what are the role of zoos?

play a role in conservation efforts through captive breeding programs and education

- captive breeding programs for endangered species are inefficient; some prone to failure when introduced into the wild

- education changes human attitude about conservation

what are some cleaner sources of energy (reducing pollution)

renewable energy (sun, wind, biomass(ethanol))

what does ethanol have?

rich in NEW carbon; if used it can cycle carbon in a more sustainable way (ex.) corn removes carbon dioxide to grow and then used again for energy (cycle repeats)

- helps combat use of fossil fuels from contributing more CO2 into the atmosphere

who is Marion Stoddart?

woman who fought for the Massachusetts Clean Water Act legislation that passed (helping Nashua River)

who is W.T. Edmonson?

fought for sewer line to go out to the sea instead of Lake Washington