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enviro
chapter 17 vocabulary
36
Science
10th Grade
11/08/2008

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Term
Species
Definition
A group of more or less distinct organisms that are capable of interbreeding with one another in the wild but do not interbreed with other organisms
Term
Biological diversity (biodiversity)
Definition
The number and variety of Earth's organisms; consists of three components: genetic diversity, species richness, and ecosystem diversity
Term
Genetic diversity
Definition
Biological diversity that encompasses the genetic variety among individuals within a single species
Term
Ecosystem diversity
Definition
Biological diversity that encompasses the variety among ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands, deserts, lakes, estuaries, and oceans
Term
Ecosystem services
Definition
Important environmental benefits, such as clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and fertile soil in which to grow crops, that ecosystems provide
Term
Extinction
Definition
The elimination of a species from Earth; occurs when the last individual member of a species dies
Term
Background extinction
Definition
The continuous, low-level extinction of species that has occurred throughout much of the history of life
Term
Mass extinction
Definition
The extinction of numerous species during a relatively short period of geological time
Term
Endangered species
Definition
A species whose numbers are so severely reduced that it is in imminent danger of becoming extinct in all or a significant part of its range
Term
Range
Definition
The area of Earth in which a particular species occurs
Term
Threatened species
Definition
A species in which the population is so low enough for it to be at risk of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range
Term
Endemic species
Definition
Localized, native species that are not found anywhere else in the world
Term
Habitat fragmentation
Definition
The division of habitats that formerly occupied large, unbroken areas into smaller areas by roads, fields, cities, and other land-transforming activities
Term
Deforestation
Definition
The temporary or permanent clearance of large expanses of forests for agriculture or other uses
Term
Adaptive radiation
Definition
The evolution of a large number of related species from an unspecialized ancestral organism
Term
Biodiversity hotspots
Definition
Relatively small areas of land that contain an exceptional number of endemic species and are at high risk from human activities
Term
Biotic pollution
Definition
The introduction of a foreign species into an ecosystem in which it did not evolve
Term
Invasive species
Definition
Foreign species that spread rapidly in a new area where they are free of predators, parasites, or resource limitations that may have controlled their population in their native habitat
Term
Federal Noxious Weed Act
Definition
The act in which the United States banned the importation of Caulerpa
Term
Commercial harvest
Definition
The collection of a live organism from nature
Term
Wild Bird Conservation Act
Definition
The 1992 act that imposed a moratorium on importing rare bird species
Term
Bellwether species (sentinel species)
Definition
An organism that provides an early warning of environmental damage. Examples include lichens, which are very sensitive to air pollution, and amphibians, which are sensitive to pesticides and other environmental contaminants.
Term
Conservation biology
Definition
The scientific study of how humans impact organisms and of the development of ways to protect biological diversity
Term
In situ conservation
Definition
Conservation efforts that concentrate on preserving biological diversity in the wild
Term
Ex situ conservation
Definition
Conservation efforts that involve conserving biological diversity in human-controlled settings
Term
Restoration ecology
Definition
The study of the historical condition of a human-damaged ecosystem, with the goal of returning it as close as possible to its former state
Term
Artificial insemination
Definition
A technique in which sperm collected from a suitable male of a rare species is used to artificially impregnate a female (perhaps located in another zoo in a different city or even in another country)
Term
Embryo transfer
Definition
A technique in which a female of a rare species is treated with fertility drugs, which cause her to produce multiple eggs; some of these eggs are collected, fertilized with sperm, and surgically implanted into a female of a related but less rare species, which later gives birth to offspring of the rare species
Term
Seed banks (gene banks)
Definition
The more than 100 seed collections around the world that collectively hold more than 3 million samples at low temperatures
Term
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
Definition
The 1973 act in the United States that authorized the FWS to protect endangered and threatened species in the US and abroad
Term
Habitat conservation plans (HCPs)
Definition
Plans that provide a way to resolve conflicts between protection of endangered species and development interests on private property
Term
World Conservation Strategy
Definition
The detailed plan for managing and preserving the biological diversity of that specific country
Term
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES):
Definition
The convention that bans the hunting, capturing, and selling of endangered or threatened species and regulates the trade of organisms listed as potentially threatened
Term
flyways
Definition
Established routes for birds
Term
bioaccumulate
Definition
Pollutants present at low concentrations in ocean water
Term
ecotourism
Definition
People pay to visit natural environments to view native species
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