Term
| distinguish between conservation biology and restoration biology |
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Definition
conservation integrates ecology, physiology, molecular biology, genetics, and evolutionary biology to conserve biological diversity at all levels.
Restoration biology seek to initiate or speed up the recovery of degraded ecosystems, usually through bioremediation (using organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems) and biological augmentation (uses organisms to add essential materials to a degraded ecosystem) |
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Term
| list three major threats to biodiversity and give examples of each |
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Definition
1. Habitat loss. Ex- deforestation
2. Introduced species. Ex- kudzu plant in SC
3. Over-harvesting. Ex- Elephant ivory |
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Term
| define and compare the small population approach and the declining population approach |
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Definition
| The small population approach studies the processes that cause extinction once population sizes have been reduced, such as the extinction vortex. The declining population approach focuses on threatened and endangered populations that show a downward trend, even if the population is above minimum viable population. The small population approach emphasizes smallness itself as an ultimate cause of a population's extinction. In contrast, the declining population approach emphasizes the environmental factors that caused a population decline in the first place. |
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Term
| distinguish between the total population size and the effective population size |
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Definition
total population size is a count of all the members of a population. However, effective population size is a measure of the breeding potential of the population.
= (4*Nf*Nm)/(Nf+Nm)
conservation programs attempt to sustain total population sizes that include at least the minimum viable number of reproductively active individuals. |
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