24 Questions
What is a cause of extinction related to overpopulation?
Lack of food
What can lead to habitat destruction?
Logging
What can lead to extinction due to narrow environmental conditions?
Overspecialization
What is a consequence of introducing non-native species?
Competition with native species
Which activity has led to the extinction of species like the Plains Bison and African Elephant?
Over-hunting
What is a consequence of extinction and extirpation?
Reduction in biological diversity
What is a strategy to preserve species?
Diversity
What does in-situ conservation involve?
Maintaining organisms in their natural environment
How are endangered species protected through resource use policies?
Government laws
How is the spread of exotic species controlled?
Through government policies
What does conservation of genetic resources involve?
Ex-situ conservation
What is a controversial aspect of biotechnology?
Genetic engineering
What is the definition of extinction?
The disappearance of every individual of a species from the entire planet
What is the classification for species that are in immediate danger of extinction or extirpation?
Endangered
What is the term used for the local disappearance of a species from a particular area?
Extirpated
What are species that are likely to become endangered if changes are not made called?
Threatened
Which classification describes species that are particularly vulnerable to natural events or human activities?
Special Concern (Vulnerable)
What is the estimated percentage of all species that have ever existed and are now extinct?
99%
What is the example given for a species that used to be found all the way in Manitoba but has undergone extirpation?
Grizzly Bear
Which example is provided for a species that is in immediate danger of extinction or extirpation?
Burrowing Owl
What is the term used for species that are brought to extinction through catastrophic events which happens quickly?
Natural selection
Which example is given for a species that used to be common in Canada but was extirpated by 1928?
Swift Fox
What is the term used for species that are particularly vulnerable to natural events or human activities?
Special Concern (Vulnerable)
What may cause a species to not survive if the environment changes too quickly or too drastically?
Natural selection
Study Notes
Causes of Extinction and Extirpations
- Causes of extinction include catastrophic events, lack of food due to overpopulation, disease, habitat destruction, introduction of non-native species, and over-hunting
- Habitat destruction is caused by construction, agricultural development, logging, damming of rivers, and pollution
- Overspecialization can lead to extinction when organisms have adaptations suited to narrow environmental conditions
- Introduction of non-native species by migrating humans leads to competition with native species
- Over-hunting, such as unsustainable hunting, has led to the extinction of species like the Plains Bison and African Elephant
- Extinction and extirpation reduce biological diversity and can affect other species that rely on them as a food source
- Strategies to preserve species include diversity, protected areas, restoration of ecosystems and species, resource use policies, and controlling the spread of exotic species
- In-situ conservation involves maintaining organisms in their natural environment, such as in national and provincial parks
- Resource use policies, including government laws, help protect endangered species
- Controlling the spread of exotic species is achieved through government policies
- Conservation of genetic resources involves ex-situ conservation, such as maintaining endangered species in zoos and seed banks
- Biotechnology, including genetic engineering, artificial reproductive technology, and cloning, is used to improve crops, herds, and medical products, but has risks and controversies, such as in the case of genetically altering humans to create designer babies.
Test your knowledge of the causes of extinction and extirpations with this quiz. Explore the impact of habitat destruction, over-hunting, introduction of non-native species, and other factors on biological diversity. Learn about preservation strategies and the controversies surrounding biotechnology in conservation efforts.
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