Chapter 23- Conservation Biology

Biodiversity

The diversity of important ecological entities that span multiple spatial scales, from genes to species to communites.

Conservation Biology

The scientific study of phenomena that affect the maintenance, loss, and restoration of biodiversity.

Ecosystem services

They are natural processes that sustain human life and depend on the functional integrity of natural communities and ecosystems.

Extinction Vortex

It is a pattern (that mostly affects smaller populations) in which a small population drops below a certain size and becomes more vulnerable to problems that threaten and eventually will led to said extinction of said population.

Flagship Species

A charismatic species that may be emphasized in conservation efforts because it helps to garner public support for conservation projects. (Is a surrogate species)

Focal Species

A species group that is selected as a priority for conservation efforts because its ecological requirements differ from those of other species in the group thereby helping to ensure that as many different species as possible receive protection (Improving our chances covering regional biodiversity with protection)

Habitat Degradation

Changes that reduces the quality of the habitat for many but not all species.

Habitat Fragmentation

Breaking up the continuous habitat into patches amid a human-dominated landscape

Habitat Loss

Conservation of an ecosystem for another use (i.e., to be used by human activities)

Invasive species

Are non-native, introduced species that sustain growing populations and have large effects on communities.

Population Viability Analysis (PVA)

It is a model that is/explains the projection of the potential future status of a population through the use of demographic models.

Surrogate species

A species whose conservation will serve to protect many other species with overlapping habitat requirements.

Taxonomic Homogenization

It is the worldwide reduction of biodiversity resulting from the spread of non-native and native generalists coupled with declining abundance and distributions of native specialists and endemic.

Umbrella Species

The selection of this species with the assumption that the protection of its habitat will serve as an “umbrella” to protect many other species. (Is a surrogate species)

Explain how the Population Viability Analysis (PVA) is actually used in real-world ecology

It is used to estimate the likelihood that a population will persist for a certain amount of time in different habitats under different management scenarios.

Based on this chapters case study “Military Bases” are?

They represent some of the largest tracts of unfragmented habitat in the U.S, making them inadvertently become hotspots of biodiversity.

Conservation Biology is ______ type of discipline?

A value-base discipline

Much of extinction occurs in which type of species?

Endemic species

For a review: What is an “Endemic Species”?

A species that in a particular geographic location and occurs nowhere else on earth.

Extinctions have what type of effect on ecosystems?

Cascading (going down a chain)

How much of the Earth’s Land Surface has been modified by humans?

About 60%

How much of the marine ecosystem has been impacted by humans?

All of them.

What effect do “invasive species” have on the environment

They can alter the ecosystem’s properties.

“Overfishing” has led to?

Declines in abundance and size of top predators.

What are some other factors that contribute to declining populations?

1.) Air

2.) Water population

3.) Climate change

4.) Diseases

What is an emerging pollutant in modern-day society?

Endocrine-disrupting contaminants (EDCs)

What do EDCs interfere with?

1.) Reproduction

2.) Neurological development

3.) And immune function in mammals

What two pollutants have been showning increasing concentrations in top predators

EDCs along with flame retardants (PBDEs)

Bioaccumulation

Progressive increase in concentration of a substance in an organisms body over time

Explain how bioaccumulation can affect the organismal ecosystems with pollutants?

They get trapped in fatty tissues of small organisms and larger organisms eat many small organisms and it slowly becomes apart of the food chain.

What was passed in 1973 to protect the world’s most threatened species

ESA

What are the two strategies that ESA uses in order to protect small populations from population declines?

Genetic analysis and ex-situ conservation

Genetic rescue?

Introducing individuals from other populations to diversify the gene pool

Ex-situ conservation?

Removing remaining individuals and allowing them to multiply in sheltered conditions with human care.

How do ecologists consider several forms or rarity to prioritize species?

1.) Population size

2.) Geographic range

3.) Habitat specificity

What often correlates with high rates of endemism (they only live in that small area)

High concentrations of imperil species