Chapter 55: Conservation Biology & Restoration Ecology 1. What is conservation biology?

- The integration of all aspects of biology to conserve biological diversity at all levels- Ecology, physiology, molecular biology, genetics & evolutionary biology

2. What is restoration ecology?- Applies ecological principles to return humanly disturbed ecosystems back

to their natural state3. What is biodiversity?

- Biological diversity- 3 levels

- Genetic diversity- Genetic variation within a population & genetic variation

between populations- Species diversity

- The variety of species in an ecosystem or throughout the biosphere- Threatened species – species likely to be considered endangered

in the foreseeable future- Endangered species – species in danger of becoming extinct

within their range- Ecosystem diversity

- The variety of biosphere’s ecosystems - Extinction of 1 species can impact its community & ecosystem

Figure 55.2 Three levels of biodiversity

Genetic diversity in a vole population

Species diversity in a coastal redwood ecosystem

Community and ecosystem diversityacross the landscape of an entire region

Chapter 55: Conservation Biology & Restoration Ecology 1. What is conservation biology?2. What is restoration ecology?3. What is biodiversity?4. What things are threatening biodiversity?

- Habitat loss- Introduced species- Overexploitation

Figure 55.1 Tropical deforestation in West Kalimantan, Borneo

Habitat loss

Figure 55.6 Two introduced species

(a) Brown tree snake, intro- duced to Guam in cargo

(b) Introduced kudzu thriving in South Carolina

Figure 55.7 Overexploitation

North Atlantic bluefin tuna

Chapter 55: Conservation Biology & Restoration Ecology 1. What is conservation biology?2. What is restoration ecology?3. What is biodiversity?4. What things are threatening biodiversity?5. What’s the difference between fragmentation, an edge, and a corridor?

- Fragmentation – division of natural habitat- Edge – boundary between ecosystems – species rich- Corridor – movement strip that connects habitats

Figure 55.16 An artificial corridor