Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Threats
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Which of the following best describes the concept of ecosystem diversity?

  • The total number of different living organisms on Earth.
  • The differences in the genetic makeup of individuals within a single species.
  • The number of different species living in a specific geographical location.
  • The range of different habitats, biological communities, and ecological processes present in the biosphere. (correct)

According to the information provided, what is the estimated range of the total number of species on Earth?

  • 5 - 30 million (correct)
  • 5 - 10 million
  • 1.7 - 2 million
  • 30 - 50 million

Which of these regions is recognized for having some of the highest levels of biodiversity?

  • Tropical moist rainforests of Southeast Asia (correct)
  • Deserts of North Africa
  • Temperate forests of Europe
  • Arctic tundra of Northern Canada

How does maintaining a broad genetic base in economically important organisms contribute to agriculture?

<p>It allows for the reintroduction of disease and pest resistance. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary risk associated with the development of genetically uniform crops?

<p>Increased susceptibility to widespread disease (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

About how many different crops provide 90% of the world's food needs?

<p>15 (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of human calorie intake is provided by rice, maize, and wheat?

<p>66% (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How many people are estimated to get food from forests?

<p>1.6 billion (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is the MOST significant threat to seagrass beds due to increasing coastal industrialization?

<p>The release of excess nutrients into coastal waters. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do seagrass beds contribute to the health of adjacent coral reefs?

<p>By absorbing excess nutrients from land runoff. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of zooxanthellae in the survival of coral animals?

<p>Photosynthesizing and providing nutrients. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following characteristics is NOT essential for coral reef survival?

<p>Turbid, deep sea water. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In what way do coral reefs offer protection to coastlines?

<p>By acting as a buffer that reduces wave action. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does the removal of seagrass beds impact the marine environment?

<p>It destroys habitats and increases water turbidity. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the critical function of the calcium carbonate skeleton secreted by coral polyps?

<p>To serve as a base for the colony and provide protection. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which ecological role do seagrasses and coral reefs share in Caribbean ecosystems?

<p>Serving as habitats, nurseries, and breeding grounds for aquatic species. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A researcher aims to develop a new insect repellent using natural sources. Based on the text, which plant would be most promising to investigate?

<p>The painted daisy, due to its production of toxins used in insecticides. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does biodiversity contribute to the pharmaceutical industry, according to the information?

<p>By offering a wide range of chemical compounds that can be developed into medicines. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of ecosystem stability as described?

<p>A community plants trees to prevent soil erosion and maintain water quality. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A scientist is researching potential solutions for increasing food production in areas with poor soil quality. Based on the text, which area of study would likely be most beneficial?

<p>Exploring the role of soil dwellers in maintaining soil fertility. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

If a pharmaceutical company wants to research plants with medicinal properties, which location would be the most promising place to start, according to the text?

<p>Jamaica, due to its high percentage of the world's medicinal plants. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does natural selection play a role in providing humans with useful resources, based on the information provided?

<p>Natural selection leads to the adaptation of organisms, some of which produce substances or have properties useful to humans. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Consider a scenario where a specific plant species is found to have both medicinal and industrial applications. What would be the most likely implication of this discovery for conservation efforts?

<p>Increased conservation efforts, due to the plant's potential economic and health benefits. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A remote community relies heavily on traditional medicine derived from local plants. Deforestation is occurring at an increasing rate. What is the most likely consequence of this deforestation on the community's healthcare?

<p>Loss of access to traditional medicines and potential erosion of cultural knowledge. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A population of lizards is isolated on a remote island. Over many generations, they evolve unique scale patterns and feeding behaviors compared to mainland lizards. Which factor most significantly contributes to this divergence?

<p>Reproductive isolation preventing gene exchange with other populations (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scenarios would most likely lead to a species becoming endangered due to low reproductive rates?

<p>A mammal species that produces a single offspring every few years. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A species of sea turtle lays hundreds of eggs, but only a few hatchlings survive to adulthood. What concept does this exemplify regarding its vulnerability to endangerment?

<p>Low reproductive success (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A bird species nests exclusively in a specific type of tree hollow found only in old-growth forests. Deforestation significantly reduces the availability of these nesting sites. What factor is contributing to the species' vulnerability?

<p>Breeding in specialized areas (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The koala is a marsupial that feeds almost exclusively on eucalyptus leaves. How does this specialized diet affect the koala's vulnerability to environmental change?

<p>It makes the koala vulnerable to eucalyptus forest degradation. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the most likely consequence for a population if its density falls below the critical minimum needed for successful reproduction?

<p>A decline in population size, potentially leading to extinction (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why does a decline in the numbers of endangered and threatened species represent a decline in biodiversity?

<p>Because their genetic variability is severely diminished (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A researcher observes that a population of endangered salamanders has very little genetic variation. What is the most likely long-term consequence of this lack of genetic diversity for the salamander population?

<p>Reduced ability to adapt to environmental changes and increased susceptibility to diseases (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which marine ecosystem is recognized for its ability to protect coastlines from erosion and storm surge?

<p>Mangroves, with their complex root systems that trap sediments and dissipate wave energy. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do coral reefs contribute to the development of new medicines?

<p>By providing a habitat for unique species that produce novel chemical compounds with pharmaceutical potential. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What critical role do seagrass beds play in the marine environment that directly supports a wide range of marine life?

<p>They provide shelter and nursery grounds for numerous species, enhancing biodiversity and fisheries productivity. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

If a coastal region experienced a significant decline in its mangrove forests, what would be the most likely direct consequence?

<p>A reduction in the natural filtration of coastal waters, affecting water quality. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these factors poses the greatest threat specifically to the biodiversity and health of coral reef ecosystems worldwide?

<p>Ocean acidification and warming waters due to climate change. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies biotic pollution leading to species endangerment?

<p>An invasive plant species, introduced for ornamental purposes, rapidly spreads and outcompetes native flora, altering the habitat structure. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A population of native fish in a river system drastically declines after the introduction of a non-native fish species. Which of the following conservation strategies would be most effective in addressing this issue?

<p>Implementing a captive breeding program for the native fish species while simultaneously initiating a program to control or eradicate the invasive species. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does habitat destruction primarily contribute to species endangerment?

<p>By reducing the available resources, increasing competition, and fragmenting populations, which reduces genetic diversity and resilience. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following examples illustrates an instance of commercial hunting leading to species endangerment?

<p>Poachers illegally hunting rhinos for their horns, which are sold on the black market for traditional medicine. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of in situ conservation methods?

<p>To conserve biological diversity in natural habitats by establishing protected areas and restoring degraded ecosystems. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between in situ and ex situ conservation strategies?

<p>In situ conservation focuses on protecting species in their natural habitats, while ex situ conservation involves protecting species outside of their natural habitats. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

A large area of rainforest is cleared to create farmland. What is the most likely consequence of this deforestation on the local ecosystem's biodiversity?

<p>A decrease in species richness and an increase in the risk of extinction for specialized species. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which conservation approach would be most suitable for preserving a critically endangered plant species with very limited genetic diversity and a rapidly declining population size?

<p>Ex situ conservation, including seed banking and propagation in a controlled environment, combined with efforts to restore and protect its natural habitat. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Biodiversity definition?

The variety of living organisms, their ecosystems, and ecological processes.

Genetic Diversity

Variety of genes within a single species.

Species Diversity

Variety of different living organisms in a specific region.

Ecosystem Diversity

Variety of habitats, biotic communities, and ecological processes in the biosphere.

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Highest Species Diversity

Microbes, insects, and small sea organisms.

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Biodiversity Hotspots

Southeast Asia, Central Africa, West Central Africa, and Tropical Latin America.

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Top 3 Calorie Crops

Rice, maize, and wheat.

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Wild Plant Importance

Wild plants provide genes for pest and disease resistance in crops.

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Galapagos Tomato Resistance

Wild tomato species resistant to insects and can grow in salty soils, found in the Galapagos Islands.

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Plant-derived Products

Plants provide essential oils, dyes, paper, lumber, waxes, rubber, resins, poisons, corks, and fibers.

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Neem Tree Benefits

Repels insects + anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-oxidant properties.

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Painted Daisy (Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium)

Produces six toxins used to create pyrethrin, an insecticide.

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Natural Product Medicines

Approximately 50% of approved drugs in the last 30 years are derived from natural products.

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Examples of Natural Product Medicines

Morphine, codeine, quinine, atropine and digitalis.

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Forest's Environmental Role

Forests provide watersheds and reduce severity of local floods.

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Soil Microorganism Role

Earthworms, bacteria, and fungi. Decompose organic material, which allows nutrients to recycle in the ecosystem.

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Seagrasses

Submerged marine plants needing sunlight, found in shallow coastal waters.

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Dominant Caribbean Seagrasses

Turtle grass, manatee grass, and shoal grass.

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Seagrass Functions

Habitat, sediment stabilization, wave reduction, nutrient absorption.

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Threats to Seagrass Beds

Excess nutrients, dredging, propeller damage, anchoring, moorings, fishing.

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Coral Reefs

Biological communities of tiny, plant-like animals thriving in clear, warm, shallow water.

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Polyps

Tiny coral animals living in colonies.

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Types of Coral Reefs

Fringing, barrier, and atoll.

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Importance of Coral Reefs

Habitat, food source, commercial value, CO2 control, coastline protection, medicinal value, sediment source, nursery.

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Isolated Populations

Populations isolated from others of their species, leading to unique adaptations and potential new species.

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Limited Genetic Variability

Reduced genetic diversity within an isolated population due to limited interbreeding.

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Increased Vulnerability

Vulnerability to new environmental threats due to lack of genetic diversity and inability to replenish population.

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Low Reproductive Rates

Producing few offspring increases extinction risk as populations take longer to recover from losses.

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Low Reproductive Success

Even with many offspring, low survival rates to adulthood increase extinction risk.

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Specialized Breeding Areas

Species are highly vulnerable if they need destruction or disturbances to their habitats to breed.

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Specialized Feeding Habits

Species that rely on a single food source are susceptible to extinction if that source is threatened.

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Critical Population Density

Minimum number of individuals needed for successful reproduction. Below this, populations decline.

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Mangrove Importance

Coastal ecosystems formed in tropical and subtropical intertidal zones that protect coastlines, support biodiversity, and filter water.

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Seagrass Beds

Flowering plants adapted to live submerged in marine environments forming habitats, stabilising sediments, and acting as carbon sinks.

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Coral Reef Importance

Marine invertebrate exoskeletons create reef structures, providing habitats, protecting coastlines, and supporting marine biodiversity.

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Plants as Sources of Drugs

Plants offer a rich source of medicinal compounds, serving as a basis for numerous drugs and therapeutic agents.

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Importance of Citations

The references show examples of scientific sourcing and attribution in academic work. Gives credibility to work and allows others to find the original sources.

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Habitat Destruction

Loss of habitats due to human activities is the primary threat to most species today.

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Biotic Pollution

The introduction of non-native species that disrupt the ecological balance.

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Subsistence Hunting

Hunting animals for food.

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Sport Hunting

Hunting animals for recreation.

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Commercial Hunting

Hunting animals for commercial gain.

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Conservation Biology

The study and protection of Earth's biological diversity

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In Situ Conservation

Protecting species in their natural habitats.

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Ex Situ Conservation

Protecting species in human-controlled settings (e.g., zoos).

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Study Notes

  • Biodiversity includes the variety of living organisms, ecosystems, and ecological processes.

Categories of Biodiversity:

  • Genetic Diversity: Variety of genes within a species.
  • Species Diversity: Variety of living organisms in a region.
  • Ecosystem Diversity: Variety of habitats, biotic communities, and ecological processes in the biosphere.
  • Estimated to be between 5 to 30 million species, only 1.7 to 2 million have been formally identified
  • Greatest species diversity is exhibited by microbes, insects, and small sea organisms.
  • Areas richest in biodiversity: tropical moist forests of Southeast Asia, Central Africa, West Central Africa, and Tropical Latin America.

Importance of Biodiversity:

  • Humans and animals rely on plants for food.
  • 90% of food needs are met by 15 crops, with rice, maize, and wheat providing two-thirds of calorie intake.
  • Forests provide food for an estimated 1.6 billion people living within 5 km of forests
  • Dominant livestock types: poultry, cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats.
  • Maintaining a broad genetic base for economically important organisms is crucial.
  • Genetic uniformity in crops can increase susceptibility to pests and diseases.
  • Crossing "super strains" with genetically diverse relatives can reintroduce disease and pest resistance.
  • Wild plants offer genes that can confer beneficial properties to conventional crops.

Industrial Importance:

  • Modern industry relies on genetic material from organisms, especially plants
  • Plants are a source of oils, lubricants, perfumes, dyes, paper, lumber, waxes, rubber, resins, poisons, corks, and fibers,
  • Animals provide wool, silk, fur, leather, lubricants, waxes, and transportation.
  • Neem tree repels insects, has anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-oxidant properties, used in hair and skin products.
  • Painted daisy produces six toxins used to create pyrethrin, an insecticide.

Medicinal Importance:

  • Genetic resources of organisms are vital to the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Approximately 50% of drugs approved in the last 30 years are derived from natural products
  • Jamaica contains approximately 52% of established medicinal plants on Earth, playing a key role in traditional medicine.
  • Plants used medicinally: cerasee, aloe vera, noni, and guinea hen weed.
  • Animals are sources of drugs and are important in medical research.

Ecosystem Stability:

  • Plants, animals, fungi, and other microorganisms are instrumental in many environmental processes.
  • Forests act as watersheds, reducing floods.
  • Insects transfer pollen for flowering plants.
  • Soil dwellers (earthworms, bacteria) maintain soil fertility.
  • Bacteria and fungi decompose organic material, allowing nutrient recycling.

Scientific Importance:

  • Studying organisms leads to breakthroughs in medicine, industry, genetic engineering, and agriculture. Scientific research is a subset of these areas.

Genetic Engineering:

  • Incorporates genes from one organism into another, expanding the use of genetic resources.
  • Human insulin gene engineered into bacteria for low-cost insulin production.
  • Genetic engineering produces new vaccines, more productive farm animals, and agricultural products with desirable traits.
  • Engineering depends on a diversity of genes.

Aesthetic Value:

  • Organisms provide recreation, inspiration, and spiritual solace.

Ethical Value:

  • Strongest ethical consideration is how humans view their relationship to other species
  • Traditional view: humans are masters who can subdue and exploit
  • Alternative view: organisms have intrinsic value, humans are stewards

Caribbean Aquatic Ecosystems:

  • Mangroves: plant communities between sea and land, inundated by tides
  • Mangrove trees are the only trees that can survive in salt water.
  • Three main types in Jamaica: Red, Black, and White mangroves.

Mangroves provide valuable environmental services:

  • Protect coastlines from erosion and hurricanes.
  • Protect coastal water quality by filtering sediments and pollutants.
  • Promote sediment deposition.
  • Provide habitat, nursery, breeding and fishing grounds for fish, invertebrates, and plants.

Mangrove forests are threatened by:

  • Excessive siltation and sedimentation.
  • Major oil spills.
  • Reduced freshwater inflows and altered flushing patterns.
  • Deforestation.
  • Dumping and filling for construction.

Seagrass Beds:

  • Submerged marine plants in shallow coastal waters.
  • Require sunlight and clear, swallow water to survive.
  • Three species dominate: turtle grass, manatee grass, and shoal grass.

Seagrasses:

  • Provide habitat and nursery grounds.
  • Stabilize sediment, preventing turbidity that affects coral reefs.
  • Reduce wave action.
  • Absorb nitrates and phosphates from land runoff.

Seagrass beds are threatened by:

  • Excess nutrients into coastal waters.
  • Removal by dredging for construction.
  • Propeller damage from boating.
  • Anchoring.
  • Deployment of moorings.
  • Fishing and recreational sports.

Coral Reefs:

  • Biological communities that are very diverse
  • Coral animals are tiny, plant-like and depend on clear, warm, shallow seawater.
  • Corals need light for symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) to photosynthesize
  • Corals live in colonies, made of polyps, and secrete a calcium carbonate skeleton.
  • Coral reefs grow slowly from the calcareous remains of organisms.
  • Three types of reefs: fringing, barrier and atoll.

Coral reefs are important because they:

  • Provide habitat for marine creatures.
  • Are a food source.
  • Are a resource for tourism.
  • Control ocean carbon dioxide levels.
  • Protect coastlines from waves.
  • Have medicinal value.
  • Provide sediments for white sand beaches.
  • Are a breeding ground for aquatic species.

Coral reefs are threatened by:

  • Disease.
  • Storm damage.
  • Wave action.
  • Warmer water temperature caused by global warming.
  • Ocean acidification from increased carbon dioxide.
  • Unsustainable fishing methods.
  • Pollution from runoff, oil spills, and sediment.

Abiotic Factors: Weather and Climate:

  • Weather: atmospheric condition at specific place and time.
  • Climate: average weather conditions over years.
  • Two factors determining climate: temperature and precipitation.
  • Precipitation: any form of water falling from the atmosphere.
  • Climate: Average weather conditions over a long period.
  • Organisms adapt to climatic conditions.

Biomes:

  • A biome is a large, distinct terrestrial region with similar climate, soil, plants, and animals, wherever it occurs in the world.
  • The term is restricted to terrestrial systems.
  • Eight major groups: tundra, taiga, temperate deciduous forest, temperate grassland, chaparral, desert, savannah, and tropical rainforest.
  • Tundra: northernmost biome, characterized by permafrost, low vegetation, and a short growing season.
  • Taiga: (boreal forest) lies south of the tundra and is dominated by large conifers.
  • Temperate deciduous forest: Precipitation is relatively high, dominated by trees that lose their leaves seasonally.
  • Temperate grasslands: Annual temperature fluctuations with hot summers and cold winters, causing specific growing periods.
  • Chaparral: Thickets of small-leaved evergreen shrubs and trees with wet, mild winters and very dry summers.
  • Savannah: Widely scattered trees interspersed with grassy areas.
  • Deserts: Little precipitation, with communities adapted for water conservation.
  • Tropical rainforest: Located around the equator in Central and South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
  • Rainforest: Temperatures are warm year-round with almost daily precipitation; 125-660 cm annually.
  • Soil: highly weathered, mineral poor, and species diversity abundant.
  • Trees: form a dense multi-layered canopy.
  • Deforestation is a major problem in tropical rainforests.
  • 10.2 million acres of primary rainforest lost globally in 2022
  • 40% of that tree loss occurred in Brazil, then the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bolivia.
  • Clearing land for agriculture and firewood are the main causes of Deforestation.

Species Endangerment and Extinction:

  • Threatened Species: Any species vulnerable to extinction in the near future.
  • IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature): leading authority on threatened species

Three Categories of Threatened Species:

  • Vulnerable Species: Least critical, but face a high risk of extinction, e.g. Jamaican Yellow-Billed Amazon parrot, cheetah, lion, polar bear, giant panda, komodo dragon.
  • Vulnerability is usually caused by habitat destruction
  • Endangered Species: Face a very high risk of extinction, e.g. Giant swallowtail butterfly, Jamaican Black-Billed Amazon parrot, blue whale, tiger, Tasmanian devil.
  • Threat: environmental changes and habitat destruction.
  • Critically Endangered Species: Face an extremely high risk of extinction, e.g. Jamaican Iguana, Vaquita .
  • Critically endangered species have had an 80% population decrease in three generations

Extinct Species:

  • A species that no longer survives anywhere.
  • Not declared extinct until extensive surveys confirm absence.
  • Some possibly extinct species are categorized as "critically endangered." The IUCN has put in place two categories of extinct: “extinct” and “extinct in the wild".

Mass Extinction:

  • Times in Earth's prehistory with many disappeared species during a relatively short time.

Range:

  • The particular area in which a species is found.

Characteristics of Endangered Species:

  • Occupy a Extremely Small Area.
  • Require a Large Territory to Survive.
  • Living in Isolation: Populations in isolation.
  • Low reproductive rates: Organisms invest.
  • Breed only in specialized Areas: Species only bread.

Human Causes of Species Endangerment and Extinction:

  • Habitat Destruction: Most species facing extinction are endangered because of habitat destruction by human activities.
  • Biotic pollution: Introduction.
  • Hunting: Species become.

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