Anthropogenic Threats to Biodiversity

These flashcards cover key concepts related to habitat degradation, anthropogenic threats to biodiversity, and the effects of human activities on different ecosystems.

What is habitat degradation?

The deterioration of the natural environment in which a species lives, leading to loss of biodiversity.

What is the size of the current human population?

Approximately 8.1 billion.

What percentage of the Earth's land surface have humans altered?

Humans have altered about 83% of Earth's land surface.

What are the proximate threats to biodiversity?

Habitat loss or modification, invasive species, overexploitation, pollution, and global climate change.

How can synergistic effects impact species?

Species may face multiple threats simultaneously, which can reinforce each other and increase overall risk.

What is a habitat?

The place or environment in which a given species occurs, defined by the species' requirements.

Why is anthropogenic habitat modification a major threat to biodiversity?

It has significant areal extent and affects biodiversity at genetic, species, population, community, and ecosystem levels.

What happens to biodiversity as habitat modification increases?

Biodiversity decreases with an increasing level of habitat modification.

What are the major land use types that affect biodiversity?

Protected, light-use, degraded, cultivated, plantation, and urban areas.

What are the proximate causes of anthropogenic habitat modification?

Agricultural, extractive, and development activities.

What is the impact of agricultural activities on habitat modification?

Historically, agricultural activities have been the greatest cause of habitat modification.

How does the intensity of agricultural activities vary?

It varies between industrial and traditional agriculture, with monocultures preserving less biodiversity than polycultures.

What is a consequence of extractive activities in forestry?

Management for commercially valuable timber species reduces the structural and functional complexity of forests.

How does mining affect the environment?

Surface mining leads to destruction of vegetation and topsoil, contributing to erosion.

What is the largest driver of habitat loss in the U.S. as of 2017?

Development of land for energy production, including fracking and wind farms.

How do fishing trawlers affect marine biodiversity?

They drag across the ocean floor, killing benthic animals and reducing species diversity.