Chapter 55 Reading Quiz

1. Introduced species are also called ____.

2. In conservation biology, what is MVP an acronym for?

3. Which feature is an attempt to connect severely fragmented land?

4. Using living organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems is called ____.

5. What was your favorite AP Biology topic this year?

1. Define conservation biology. Why are we encountering a biodiversity crisis?

• Conservation biology a recently conceived subdiscipline of Biology that is dedicated to countering the biodiversity crisis

• It is the current rate of extinction that underlies the biodiversity crisis – due to humans degrading the natural environment

2. List some examples that indicate that extinction rate estimates are on track.

• Extinction rates are estimated from the concept of species-area relations in which the number of species in an area is directly related to the size of the area

• On average about 50% of the total number of species will be lost in an area where 90% of the habitat is lost

• Approx. 20% of known freshwater fish species have become extinct or threatened during recorded history

3. What are the major threats to biodiversity?

• Habitat destruction - about 93% of coral reefs have been damaged

• Over-exploitation- harvest by hunting or sport- whales, American bison, Galapagos tortoises, lots of fish

• Competition from exotic species- Nile perch in Lake Victoria have killed off 200 of 300 species cichlids

4. Why is biodiversity vital to human welfare?

• Connection to nature aesthetically and ethically

• Provide crops, fibers and medicines• Loss of species results in loss of genes

and genetic potential• Dependency on ecosystems and other

organisms

5. What is the focus of conservation biology?

1. Preservation2. Resource conservation3. Evolutionary/Ecological View• Goal is to preserve individual species

and to sustain ecosystems, where natural selection can continue to function and maintain the genetic variability upon which it acts

6. Why does gradual variation in biodiversity correlate with geographical gradients?

• Not evenly distributed and there are recognizable patterns of distribution including clines (gradual variation), hot spots, concentrations of diversity, and ranges of migratory species

• Energy availability is one factor (tropics)• Habitat heterogeneity – more patchiness, more

species• Niche specialization – smaller niches, more

species• Population interactions – coevolution, predator-

prey relationships diversify communities

7. What is a “biodiversity hot spot”? “Endemic species”?

• Hot spot relatively small areas with exceptional concentrations of species

• Endemic species a species found nowhere else

• Islands are hot spots of bird extinction• 30% of all bird species are endemic

8. How do migratory species present a problem for conservation?

• The preservation of a migratory species is complicated by a life history that involves a residence in many locations

• Successful conservation efforts require international cooperation and careful preservation of habitat in all ranges of the species

• Ex: monarch butterflies, sea turtles, marine mammals, some birds

9. Distinguish between endangered and threatened species.

• Endangered species that are in danger of extinction in all or a significant portion of its range

• Threatened species that are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range

10. What is a metapopulation? What are source and sink habitats?

• Metapopulation a subdivided population or a network of subpopulations of a species

• A source habitat is one where a population’s reproductive success exceeds mortality

• A sink habitat is one where a population’s mortality exceeds reproductive success- need to look at birth and death rates of the species

11. What are “population viability analyses”?

• PVA is a method of predicting whether or not a particular given will persist in a specific environment

• It is generated by computer simulation• They examine the chances of a species

persisting or becoming extinct in the habitats available to it

12. Distinguish between minimum viable population size and minimum dynamic

area. How do we estimate effective population size?

• MVP is the smallest number of individuals needed to propagate a population, subpopulation, or species

• MDA is the amount of suitable habitat needed to sustain a viable population

• The effective population size (Ne) is based on the number of adults that successfully breed (mathematical)

13. How might analyzing the viability of selected species help sustain other

species?

• What we learn from the viability studies of one species may help us develop strategies to sustain other species

• Not all species can be systematically studied

• This only makes up part of the effort to save species

14. What is landscape ecology? How do edges and corridors influence landscape

biodiversity?

• Landscape ecology is the application of ecological principles to the study of land use patterns

• Edges have their own communities in association with their physical features

• Movement corridors are strips or clumps of quality habitat that connect patches of natural habitat- help connect metapopulations and promote dispersal- some are artificial to help with animal migration

15. Why must nature preserves be functional parts of landscapes?

• Protected reserves are subject to outside influences

• It must allow natural disruption, such as forest fires

• Probably only 10% of the biosphere will ever be protected as nature reserves

16. Define restoration ecology and bioremediation. What is sustainable

development? • Restoration ecology applies ecological principles

to find ways to restore degraded ecosystems as close to their original state as possible

• Bioremediation makes use of living organisms (prokaryotes, fungi) to detoxify a polluted ecosystem

• Sustainable development a plan that provides for the long-term prosperity of human societies and the ecosystems that support them

THE END