Ch: 60 Biodiversity and Conservation

What are the three levels of biodiversity?

Genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.

What is conservation biology?

A field that uses molecular biology, genetics, and ecology to protect biodiversity.

What are three main justifications for preserving biodiversity?

Economic value, ecosystem services, and ethical/moral reasons.

What are ecosystem services?

Benefits humans receive from ecosystems (e.g., pollination, water purification).

What are the four hypotheses linking species richness to ecosystem function?

Diversity-stability, redundancy, keystone, and idiosyncratic hypotheses.

Which hypothesis suggests many species are functionally similar?

Redundancy hypothesis.

What do experiments generally show about species richness and ecosystem function?

Increased species richness generally increases ecosystem function.

What are megadiversity countries?

Countries with the largest number of endemic species.

What are biodiversity hot spots?

Areas with high endemic species richness under high threat of extinction.

What does “last of the wild” refer to?

Pristine areas largely unaffected by human activities.

How is island biogeography theory used in conservation?

To design preserves that consider size, connectivity, and edge effects.

What is an indicator species?

A species whose presence/absence reflects environmental conditions.

What is an umbrella species?

A species whose protection benefits many other species in its habitat.

What is a flagship species?

A charismatic species used to raise support for conservation (e.g., panda).

What is a keystone species?

A species with a large effect on its community relative to its abundance.

What are three approaches to habitat restoration?

Complete restoration, rehabilitation, and ecosystem replacement.

What is captive breeding?

Breeding endangered species in controlled settings for later reintroduction.

What role might cloning play in conservation?

Potentially reviving or supporting very small populations, though limited.

What are the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?

17 global goals to promote sustainability, resource management, and conservation.