Bio1152 Chapter 56 Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology
  1. Human activities are destroying and degrading natural ecosystems, resulting in the loss of               and the             of species.





     
     
     
     
  2. Most species loss can be traced to four major threats:
     
     
     
     
    • Habitat              and                reduces biodiversity.

       
       
       
       
    •             species can displace native species and disrupt their adopted communities.

       
       
       
       
    •                   can reduce population size and reduce          diversity.

       
       
       
       
    • Disruption of              networks.


     
     
     
     
  3. Conserving endangered and threatened species:
     
     
     
     
    • Small-population approach: a small population is prone to           -feedback loops that draw the population down an             vortex.



       
       
       
       
    • Declining-population approach: study populations that show a           trend, and take proactive               strategies to halt the decline.


     
     
     
     
  4. Landscape ecology and ecosystem management:
     
     
     
     
    • Boundaries between natural ecosystems are called           and are zones of rich biodiversity, but artificial edges often           and deteriorate ecosystems.







       
       
       
       
    • Establishing            areas, especially in      spots of biodiversity.

       
       
       
       
    • Large, pristine nature           are rare;        reserves are an alternative in heavily populated areas.





       
       
       
       
    •              ecology attempts to restore degraded ecosystems to a more natural state.













       
       
       
       
    • Ultimately, the drive for conservation may be based on            .