BIOL 103 Chapter Notes -Flagship Species, Sloss Debate, Insular Biogeography
27 Sep 2013
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Document Summary
Biodiversity is examined at 3 levels: genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity. Threatened species: those likely to become endangered in the future. Conservation biology uses principles and knowledge from molecular biology, genetics and ecology to protect the biological diversity of life at each of those 3 levels. We have an ethical responsibility to protect what are our only known living companions in the universe. Humanity has obtained lots of benefits from foods, medicines, and industrial products derived from plants, animals, and microorganisms. Preserve essential services provided by ecosystems: clean air and water. Preservation of biological diversity can be justified based on the ecological and economic values of diversity as well as on ethical grounds. World"s ecosystems were worth more than trillion per year, twice the gross national product of world"s economies combine. Estruaries are important for nutrient cycling, water supply and disturbance regulation.
