Biodiversity and Conservation Flashcards
6 cards from real Environmental Science practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Biodiversity and Conservation flashcards as text
Which U.S. law provides the primary legal framework for protecting threatened and endangered species and their habitats?
Answer: Endangered Species Act (ESA)
The Endangered Species Act (1973) prohibits harm to listed species and requires recovery plans and critical habitat designation.
What is habitat fragmentation and why is it a concern for wildlife?
Answer: Breaking up continuous habitat into isolated patches; reduces gene flow and increases extinction risk
Fragmentation isolates wildlife populations in smaller patches, limiting movement, reducing genetic diversity, and increasing local extinction risk.
What is the IUCN Red List?
Answer: The global inventory of threatened species' conservation status
The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive inventory of species' global conservation status, categorizing extinction risk.
What is an invasive species?
Answer: A non-native species that spreads rapidly and harms native ecosystems
Invasive species are non-native organisms introduced to new areas where they spread aggressively and disrupt native ecosystems.
Which biodiversity hotspot concept identifies areas for conservation priority based on what criteria?
Answer: High endemic species richness combined with severe habitat loss
Biodiversity hotspots are defined by having at least 1,500 endemic plant species and having lost at least 70% of their original habitat.
What does in-situ conservation mean?
Answer: Conserving species within their natural habitats
In-situ conservation protects species within their natural ecosystems, maintaining ecological relationships and evolutionary processes.