BIOL 3130 Study Guide - Winter 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Zygosity, White Hole, Species Problem
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
BIOL 3130
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Expanding human demands
•
Every natural ecosystem has been changed
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Extinctions, altered functioning of ecosystems, reduced availability of
resources, soil erosion
•
Why conservation biology?
Humans 'may' have been responsible for mega-fauna extinctions in the
Americas shortly after human colonization from Asia ~11,000 years
ago
•
Aristotle (382-334 BC) commented on the widespread destruction of
forests in the Baltic region
•
Barren landscapes of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran are unnatural
deserts that resulted from mass exploitation of fragile woodlands
•
Deforestation of Europe by the early 18th Century, forest areas
maintained as private game management and royal preserves
•
In Great Britain, many forests were gone by 12th century
•
Southeastern Ontario was largely deforested between 1800-1900
(trend has been reversing since WWII)
•
Historical Context
A gradual landscape change results in profound transformations.
Half of Hawaii's native birds went extinct soon after Polynesians
arrived
•
Half of the remaining species of birds went extinct after Captain
James Cook arrived
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Long-Term Changes: Hawaiian Islands
We consume a large fraction of the planets resources
•
35% of NPP from oceanic shelves
○
Consume 60% of freshwater runoff
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We now consume 20-40% of the planet's annual net primary
productivity (energy from the sun converted to plant biomass)
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Northern part of the world is 10% the population but 50% oil
○
Consumption is highly unequal
•
Present Day:
Introduction to Conservation Biology
Monday,*January*9,*2017
10:15*AM
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Northern part of the world is 10% the population but 50% oil
consumption
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Agriculture
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Urbanity, suburban sprawl, roads
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Pollution
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83% of the Earth's land surface shows evidence of our impacts
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Fertile grasslands = 98% transformed
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Ecological Footprint
Economy vs. natural resource industries
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Human Challenges: inertia and fear
Response by the scientific community to the environmental crisis:
pollution, loss of biodiversity, loss of ecosystem services…
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Latest phase of long-standing interest in preserving our natural
resources
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Conservation Biology: the scientific study of the nature and status of
Earth's biological diversity with the aim of protecting species, habitats
and ecosystems from excessive extinction rates that are linked to the
modern human enterprise
•
Endangered species management
○
Reserve design
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Ecological economics
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Restoration ecology
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Ecosystem conservation
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Environmental ethics
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Environmental law
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Environmental business
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Conservation journalism
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Conservation marketing
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Eco-arts
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Multidisciplinary: overlaps with Natural and Social Sciences
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Crisis Management: unites theoretical perspectives with the need for
rapid responses to environmental change
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Our concerns surpass our solutions
○
Inexact: when in doubt, use precaution
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Varying definitions of wilderness
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Value-laden: charismatic mega fauna
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Conservation Biology
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Extinctions, altered functioning of ecosystems, reduced availability of resources, soil erosion. Humans "may" have been responsible for mega-fauna extinctions in the. Americas shortly after human colonization from asia ~11,000 years ago. Aristotle (382-334 bc) commented on the widespread destruction of forests in the baltic region. Barren landscapes of turkey, syria, iraq and iran are unnatural deserts that resulted from mass exploitation of fragile woodlands. Deforestation of europe by the early 18th century, forest areas maintained as private game management and royal preserves. In great britain, many forests were gone by 12th century. Southeastern ontario was largely deforested between 1800-1900 (trend has been reversing since wwii) A gradual landscape change results in profound transformations. Half of hawaii"s native birds went extinct soon after polynesians arrived. Half of the remaining species of birds went extinct after captain. We consume a large fraction of the planets resources.
