Transcript 1. Define conservation biology. Why are we

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.
2.
3.
•
Preservation
Resource conservation
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, predatorprey 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 