Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts, definitions, and case studies found in the Chapter 54 lecture on Biodiversity and Conservation Biology.

Biodiversity

A measure of the number of lineages in a defined area, including genetic, species, phylogenetic, functional, and ecosystem diversity.

Genetic Diversity

The number and relative frequency of all alleles present in a species or group of species.

Haplotype

A combination of genes that are closely linked and typically inherited together, representing differences in a section of DNA or different alleles.

Species Richness

The number of species present in a particular area.

Species Diversity

A weighted number that incorporates both species richness and evenness, which is the relative abundance of a species in a particular area.

DNA barcoding

A method that uses a well-characterized gene sequence to identify distinct species based on the principle that genetic variation should be higher between species than within species.

Phylogenetic Diversity

The number of independent evolutionary lineages that are present in a phylogeny, often measured using branch lengths.

Functional Diversity

The diversity in traits that play important roles in the ecosystem, such as primary production, decomposition, predation, and nitrogen fixation.

Ecosystem Diversity

The number of distinct ecosystems in a defined region.

Evolutionary Significant Units (ESUs)

Genetically distinct populations, species, or lineages that are identified as conservation priorities to maximize genetic variation.

Endemic species

A species that is present in only one specific geographic area and nowhere else on Earth.

Biological Hotspots

Regions that contain at least $1500$ endemic vascular plant species and have lost at least $70\%$ of their primary vegetation.

Taxa Surveys

Group-specific inventories, such as surveys or floras, used to catalog which organisms are present in an area.

BioBlitz

Events designed to catalog all the species in a particular area in a short period of time, such as a week or a weekend.

Red List

A system maintained by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 1994 to quantify the risk of extinction for different species as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered.

Habitat Destruction

The leading factor in the decline of endangered species, affecting over $90\%$ of terrestrial endangered species through activities like logging, damming, and infrastructure building.

Habitat Fragmentation

The process by which habitat destruction causes habitats to become broken into smaller, isolated patches, leading to a decline in quality and quantity.

Metapopulation

A structure where a population is broken into isolated groups that are more susceptible to catastrophic events and show limited gene flow.

Population Viability Analysis (PVA)

A model used to estimate the likelihood that a population will survive given demographic data, geographic structure, and conservation pressures.

Invasive species

Introduced exotic species that adversely affect the habitats and bioregions they invade economically, environmentally, and/or ecologically.

Overexploitation

The dominant threat for marine species, particularly for large predators in top trophic levels, occurring when harvesting exceeds the rate of reproduction.

Sustainability

The managed use of resources such that they can be replaced as fast as they are used.

Ex situ conservation

The preservation of species in artificial settings, such as zoos, seed banks, botanical gardens, and aquaria.

Ecosystem Restoration

The process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.

Resistance

The extent to which a community remains unchanged after a disturbance.

Resilience

How quickly a community recovers following a disturbance.

Provisioning services

Ecosystem services that provide raw materials such as food, fuel, fiber, medicines, and water.

Regulating services

Ecosystem services that act as part of Earth's life-support system, including climate moderation, soil formation, and water purification.

Cultural services

Ecosystem services that enrich quality of life through aesthetics, recreation, education, and spiritual value.

Supporting services

Ecosystem services that enable all other services, such as primary productivity, nutrient cycling, pollination, and pest control.

Shifting Baseline Syndrome

A phenomenon where the baseline for what is considered 'normal' for an ecosystem changes over generations as biodiversity and abundance decline.