ESS: Topic 3

• Biodiversity includes genetic, species, and habitat diversity of organisms in a given area
• Niche refers to the specific role or function that an organism or species has within its ecosystem
• Habitat diversity encompasses a range of different habitats, from microhabitat to a large community
• Biodiversity hotspots are regions with high biodiversity levels under threat from human activities
• Hotspots have an unusually high number of endemic species, which are species only found in that region
• Natural selection is the evolutionary process where bearers of some genes reproduce more successfully than others (survival of the fittest)
• Speciation is the formation of new species over a long time via natural selection and/or isolation
• Isolation can lead to the production of different species that are unable to interbreed to yield fertile offspring
• Sympatric speciation involves ecological or behavioral isolation
• Land bridges allow migration of species, leading to extinctions or colonization of new habitats
• There have been 6 mass extinctions in history
• Species are groups of organisms that can potentially interbreed in nature, producing fertile offspring
• Flagship species are popular and charismatic species
• Habitat conservation is crucial, but protected areas may lose biodiversity and become isolated like islands
• Cities refer to the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species
• IUCN: the International Union for Conservation of Nature, publishes a yearly list of endangered and threatened species
• Why can species do undiscovered?

  • Areas undiscovered
  • Speciation
  • Identification
  • Central database needed
• At Cretaceous Tertiary mass extinction (65 million years ago), large land and sea animals died. Why?

  • Volcanic eruptions; Deccan plateau (India)
  • Meteor Impact Yucatan (Mexico)
  • Climate change
• Factors that make species more prone to extinction (remember at least 5)

  • Low reproductive potential
  • Behavior: only breeds in the wild, very territorial, solitary
  • Distribution (on islands/national parks more prone)
  • Narrow geographical range
  • A large body
  • Seasonal migrants
  • Poor dispensers (how easy can they move?)
  • Vulnerability to pollution
  • High market value
  • Small number of individuals left
  • High degree of specialization
• Factors that help to maintain biodiversity:

  • Complexity and size of the ecosystem
  • Many trophic levels(feeding), food chain(complex: food web)
  • Stage of succession
  • Where an ecosystem is gradually changing overtime, biodiversity increases, climax(highest) stage of succession
  • Limiting factors
  • If resources are already limited, further limitation can decrease biodiversity, water is a limiting factor in the desert
  • Inertia
  • an ecosystem to resist change when subjected to a disruptive force
• Factors that lead to loss of biodiversity

  • Natural hazards
  • examples: volcanic eruptions, drought(climate change, we can mitigate the effects), storms, floods
  • Fragmentation of habitat
  • Fragmentation happens when parts of a habitat are destroyed, leaving behind smaller unconnected areas. This can occur naturally, as a result of fire or volcanic eruptions, but is normally due to human activity.
  • Eutrophication: run-off of fertilizer in water bodies → causes algal bloom
  • Overexploitation
• An EVS is set of paradigms that shapes the perception of:

  • Environmental threats
  • How they may impact the environment
  • Whether or not that matters.
• A system is a simplified way of visualizing a complex set of parts and their interconnections
• Systems have inputs, outputs, and processes
• Instrumental value:

  • Valued because it is a means to an end and provides something tangible
  • Natural resources like gold, diamonds, and fossil fuels are valued for their ability to be sold in return for something else
• Intrinsic value:

  • Valued simply for existing and cannot be exchanged for something else
• Ecocentrism:

  • Nature-first thinking that considers all living things and ecosystems as important
• Anthropocentrism:

  • Humans-first view that prioritizes human needs and interests over everything else in nature
• Technocentrism:

  • Trusting technology above all else to solve environmental problems
• Deep ecologist:

  • Someone who deeply cares about nature and believes all life has inherent value
• Self-reliance soft ecologists:

  • Environmentalists who focus on local communities being self-sufficient while still caring for the environment, not as extreme as deep ecologists
• Environmental managers:

  • People who oversee and enforce environmental rules and practices
• Cornucopians:

  • Believers in unlimited resources and technology's ability to solve any environmental issues