Gen Bio - Conservation and Restoration

Human global population

8.2 billion

Sustainability

using earths resources in a way that will not permanently destroy or deplete them

Biocapacity

the ability to sustain human demand given available resources.

ecological footprint

the impact of a person or community on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain their use of natural resources.

conservation biolgy

branch of ecology that seeks to investigate and reverse the loss of biodiversity

preservation

The maintenance of resources in their present condition, with as little human impact as possible

restoration ecology

the study and implementation of restoring damaged ecosystems. trying to get them back to their natural state.

multidisciplinary

involving two or more subject areas. Ex: environmental law and policy, ethics, social sciences, economics, and climatology

habitat destruction is the ______ cause of biodiversity

primary

biodiversity hotspots

Relatively small areas of land that contain an exceptional number of endemic species and are at high risk from human activities

keystone species

A species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem

endemic species

species that are native to and found only within a limited area

metapopulation

a group of spatially distinct populations that are connected by occasional movements of individuals between them

habitat fragmentation

Breakup of a habitat into smaller pieces, usually as a result of human activities. Destroys the dynamics of metapopulations

movement corridors

thin strips of land that may permit the movement of species between patches. Overpasses, underpasses, etc.

Edge effects

a change in species composition physical conditions or other ecological factors at the boundary between two ecosystems

landscape dynamics

every change that occurs in the physical, biological, and cognitive assets of a landscape.

priorities of restoration

mimic natural processes and achieve sustainable development.

re-wilding

The process of creating habitats that are similar to the conditions present before the natural habitat was changed by human actions. re-introducing and invasive species removal.

Bioremediation

The use of living organisms to detoxify and restore polluted and degraded ecosystems (biodegradation, phytoremediation, and bioaugmentation)