HIPCO
An acronym that stands for Habitat Loss, Invasive Species, Pollution, Climate Change, and Overharvest, which are major factors contributing to species extinction.
Local Extinction
A species is no longer found in an area it once inhabited but is still found elsewhere in the world.
Commercial Extinction
Too rare to harvest profitably.
Ecological Extinction
So few members of a species are left it no longer plays its ecological role.
Global (Biological) Extinction
No longer found on earth.
Endangered Species
Species that are at risk of extinction due to low population numbers, facing threats such as habitat loss, overharvesting, and pollution. So few that individual survivors become extinct.
Threatened/Vulnerable Species
Still abundant in its native range, but is likely to become endangered in the near future.
Specialistics
Endemic
Valuable
↑ trophic level
↓ population size/small range
↑ territories
↑ migration routes
Habitat Loss
The destruction of natural habitats due to activities like deforestation, agriculture, logging, and mining, leading to a loss of biodiversity.
Deforestation
Agriculture
Grazing Land
Logging
Clearing for development
Mining/Extraction
Destructive harvesting practices
Examples:
Grassland conversion to soybean/corn fields
Conversion of rainforest to palm oil plantations
Timber harvesting
Dynamite fishing
Coal mining
Tar sands mining for oil
Habitat fragmentation
Occurs when large habitats are broken into smaller, isolated pieces, leading to biodiversity loss and ecosystem disruption.
Disrupts natural migration & foraging routes
Disrupts water flow
Creates edge effects
Increases human-animal interactions
Edge Effects
Changes in populations, communities, & micro climates around the edge of fragmented habitats
Biological controls
Using predators/parasites from similar ecosystems as an invasive species to control a problem.
Eutrophication
Excessive nutrients from fertilizers (No3, PO4) in water lead to algal blooms, depleting oxygen and harming aquatic life due to increased plant growth.
Biomagnification
Process by which pollutants such as pesticides/herbicides (kill plants) or toxic substances/heavy metals become more concentrated in organisms at higher trophic levels.
Greenhouse Gases
CO2 (carbon dioxide)
CH4 (methane)
H2O (water)
NOx (nitrous oxide)
Ocean Acidification
Process where increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere are absorbed/diffused at the ocean’s surface, leading to lower pH levels (more acidic) and harming marine life.
Coral bleaching
Occurs when corals expel algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn white. It is often due to stress from factors like rising sea temperatures.
Invasive Species
Species that are introduced accidentally or intentionally to new environments, often by human activities, and outcompete native species, disrupting ecosystems.
Examples
Exotic pet release
Hitch-hike on human transport
Introduced for food or sport
Albedo effect
The reflectivity of a surface, where lighter surfaces reflect more sunlight back into space, while darker surfaces absorb more heat.
Saltwater intrusion
The movement of saltwater into freshwater aquifers, contaminating the groundwater and making it unsuitable for consumption or irrigation.
Sea Ice Melt
The process of ice cover on the ocean melting due to rising temperatures, leading to impacts on ecosystems and sea levels. Can cause habitat fragmentation, dividing habitats and isolating species, leading to biodiversity loss and ecosystem disruption.
Glacier/Ice Sheet Melt
The process of ice melting, contributing to rising sea levels and impacting global climate patterns.
Positive Feedback Loop
↑ CO2 → ↑ temperature → ↓ ice cover → light/heat reflected
Pollution
The release of harmful substances into the environment, such as agricultural runoff, industrial waste, and mining waste, causing damage to ecosystems and wildlife.
Agricultural runoff (pesticides, fertilizers)
Mining/mineral extraction waste
Domestic waste
Industrial manufacturing waste
Oil extraction/spills
Overfishing
Depleting fish populations by catching too many fish at a rate faster than they can reproduce, leading to long-term negative impacts on marine ecosystems and fisheries.