Conservation of biodiversity

• What does the term biodiversity refer to?

  Variety of life and differences among organisms
• What are the different levels of biodiversity?

  • Ecosystem diversity: different environments and organisms
  • Species diversity: variety of species in an ecosystem
  • Genetic diversity: variations within a species
• How does species diversity differ from genetic diversity?

  Species diversity refers to different species present
• What is the estimated number of species on Earth?

  Between 2 and 10 million species
• Why is estimating the number of species difficult?

  Many species may not be identified yet
• What is a challenge in estimating extinct species?

  Fossil records provide limited information
• What cycles have occurred throughout Earth's history regarding biodiversity?

  • Cycles of increasing biodiversity
  • Cycles of mass extinctions
• What distinguishes the current mass extinction from previous ones?

  It is caused by human activities
• What does the term anthropogenic mean?

  Caused by humans
• What are some human activities contributing to biodiversity loss?

  • Overharvesting and poaching
  • Habitat loss
  • Invasive species introduction
  • Pollution
  • Global climate change
• How is an ecosystem defined?

  Biotic and abiotic factors in an area
• What are biotic factors in an ecosystem?

  Living organisms like plants and animals
• What are abiotic factors in an ecosystem?

  Non-living elements like water and sunlight
• What causes ecosystem loss?

  • Dams and mining
  • Land exploitation for resources
  • Diversion of water for irrigation
• Why is the current biodiversity crisis unprecedented?

  It involves an unprecedented loss of ecosystems
• What evidence supports the biodiversity crisis?

  • Habitat degradation
  • Species diversity loss
  • Population range reductions
  • Genetic diversity loss
• What is the Simpsons diversity index used for?

  Measuring biodiversity loss
• How is the Simpsons diversity index calculated?

  Using total organisms and species counts
• What does a high diversity index indicate?

  Lots of different species and evenness
• What does a low diversity index indicate?

  Low species variety and dominance
• How do you calculate the diversity index for Place A?

  Use total organisms and species counts
• What is the diversity index for Place A?

  3.7
• What is the diversity index for Place B?

  Approximately 2.4
• Why does Place A have a higher diversity index than Place B?

  Place A has better species evenness
• What are the root causes of the current biodiversity crisis?

  • Overpopulation
  • Habitat destruction
  • Resource exploitation
• What is the goal of conservation efforts?

  To prevent massive biodiversity loss
• What are the two types of conservation strategies?

  • In situ: conservation in natural environments
  • Ex situ: conservation outside natural environments
• What does in situ conservation involve?

  Protecting natural environments and species
• What does ex situ conservation involve?

  Removing species to controlled environments
• What is the Edge of Existence program?

  • Focuses on evolutionarily distinct species
  • Targets globally endangered species
• What criteria determine prioritized species for conservation?

  Uniqueness and high extinction likelihood
• What does "evolutionarily distinct" mean?

  Species without closely related relatives
• What does "globally endangered" mean?

  High likelihood of extinction everywhere
• What is the focus of conservation efforts according to the Edge of Existence program?

  • Prioritize unique and endangered species
  • Ensure conservation resources are effectively allocated