Unit 6: HIPCO

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.