Conservation Biology quiz Flashcards

Conservation biology is the effort to preserve Earth's species, habitats, and ecosystems to maintain biodiversity.

Biodiversity includes variation within species, the number of species, and ecosystem variety.

Coral reefs are rich in species diversity, making them some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet.

About 50% of Earth's species are estimated to live in tropical rainforests.

Genetic diversity refers to the total genetic information contained within individuals of a species.

Endemic species are species that are unique to a specific geographic location and are not found anywhere else.

Genetic barcoding uses genetic markers to determine if an organism belongs to a particular species.

Genetic diversity is crucial for species survival as it helps populations adapt to changing environments and resist diseases.

Ecosystem diversity includes variation in ecosystems across the planet and within regions.

Ecosystem services are the benefits humans obtain from ecosystems, such as clean water, air, and pollination.

Biodiversity hotspots are biogeographic regions rich in biodiversity but threatened with destruction.

Habitat fragmentation reduces habitat quality and forces populations into smaller, isolated pockets, increasing extinction risk.

Pollution introduces contaminants that can surpass the critical load of nutrients, damaging ecosystems and causing biological magnification.

Climate change, driven by increased greenhouse gases, leads to global warming, which threatens global biodiversity.

The extinction vortex is a downward spiral where small populations become increasingly vulnerable to extinction due to inbreeding and genetic drift.