Conservation Biology and Biodiversity
What is biodiversity?
The variety of life on Earth and the interactions between living things:
Be able to describe the “Greenhouse Effect”.
A natural process where certain gases in the Earth's atmosphere, known as "greenhouse gases," absorb and re-emit infrared radiation from the sun, trapping heat near the planet's surface and keeping it warmer than it would otherwise be, thus allowing life to exist as we know it; essentially acting like a blanket that prevents heat from escaping into space
What can individuals do to reduce greenhouse gasses?
Switching to renewable energy sources at home, improving energy efficiency by using energy-saving appliances and LED bulbs, reducing transportation emissions by walking, biking, carpooling, or using public transit, consuming less meat and dairy, composting food waste, recycling, and buying locally produced goods whenever possible
What is a Mesophyll Cell and where are they?
The internal ground tissue located between the two epidermal cell layers of the leaf
Be able to identify these system levels: Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biosphere
Population: A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular area.
Community: A collection of different populations of organisms living in the same area and interacting with each other.
Ecosystem: A community of living organisms interacting with their nonliving physical environment.
Biosphere: The entire part of the Earth where life exists, including all ecosystems and their interactions across the planet
Why should humans try to maintain biodiversity?
It is essential for the health of our planet's ecosystems
Be able to identify the Keeling Curve that monitors CO2
A graph that monitors atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, specifically by recording continuous measurements taken at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii since 1958
What can World Nations do to reduce greenhouse gasses?
Phase out fossil fuels, protect forest, set and strength targets, and using carbon pricing
What are Chloroplasts and where do they occur in plants?
Found in all green plants and algae. They are the food producers of plants.
What is a Keystone Species? What are some examples?
A keystone species is a plant, animal, fungi, or bacteria that has a large impact on its ecosystem
Prairie dogs,wolves, tiger sharks, sea otters, elephants, and starfish
What are major threats to global and local biodiversity?
Habitat loss, climate change, pollution, overexploitation of resources, invasive species, and destructive agricultural practices
Be able to describe primary sources of greenhouse gases.
Burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation.
How can we get involved in managing our Public Lands?
Volunteer, intern, comment on rules or what one notices, and participate in planning
How are Eudicot Plants different from Monocots?
Primarily by having two embryonic leaves called cotyledons when they germinate, while monocots only have one
Be able to describe how scientists test climate models.
By using a process called "hindcasting," where they input known historical climate data from the past (like temperature, greenhouse gas levels, and volcanic activity) into the model and compare the model's simulated climate to the actual recorded climate
What are the most threatened biological systems on the Planet?
Coral reefs, tropical rainforests, coastal wetlands, grasslands, Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems, freshwater ecosystems, and certain mountain regions
Be able to identify which countries release the most CO2 into the atmosphere.
China, the United States, India, Russia, and Japan
What do we mean by “Sustainable” energy use, farming, logging, fishing?
Practices that meet current needs while also preserving the environment and ensuring that resources are available for future generations
How are Gymnosperms versus Angiosperms distinguished?
Gymnosperms are primary distinguished from Angiosperms by the way their seeds develop
What is an Environmentally Sustainable Society, and how can we maintain quality of life and living standards, but maintain a safer world, with less pollution, clean foods, wildland preservation and open spaces for future generations?
One that lives within the limits of the planet's natural resources, ensuring that current needs are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, by minimizing pollution, preserving wildlands, and prioritizing clean food production, all while maintaining a high quality of life and living standards for its citizens
Why are Exotic Species potentially harmful to Native Species?
Causing extinctions of native plants and animals, reducing biodiversity, competing with native organisms for limited resources, and altering habitats.
Be able to describe how scientists reconstruct past climates.
Studying "proxy data," which are physical characteristics preserved in natural elements like tree rings, ice cores, coral reefs, lake sediments, and fossils
Why do you think we are facing so many Environmental Problems?
Primarily due to human activities like overpopulation, unsustainable consumption patterns, burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and improper waste management
What is the basic evolutionary lineage of Plants from the ancestral Green Algae?
Ancestral green algae -> streptophyte algae (including charophytes) -> land plants (embryophytes).
What is the status of Wolf and Grizzly populations in Yellowstone?
The wolf population in Yellowstone National Park is doing well, with at least 124 wolves in the park as of January 2024
The grizzly bear population in Yellowstone is healthy and growing, but the mortality rate is high