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Study Guide for Conservation Biology Lecture Exam #2 – 3C-4BTo Be Given on Monday, 21 March 2011Be familiar with the correct spelling and formal definition of terms in bold print.Chapter 3C: Indirect Economic Values- Recall that indirect economic values include nonconsumptive benefits, such as ecosystem services, recreation, ecotourism, and option values. What are some ofthe ecosystem services provided by life forms? Which is probably of greater economic value, indirect or direct economic benefits?- Ecosystem services are often accomplished via species relationships (i.e., biotic interactions such as pollination). Can you discuss some of the ways humans benefitfrom these biotic interactions, and what are some of the interactions involved?- How important is ecotourism globally as compared with tourism in general? What are some of the pitfalls associated with ecotourism?- What are some of the recreational benefits provided by biodiversity?- Can you cite some examples of the educational and option values of any given species? What is existence value?Chapter 3d: Ethical Values- Be able to argue on ethical grounds that biodiversity is important and species shouldbe conserved. Discuss the pros and cons of ethical arguments as opposed to economic arguments (i.e., direct economic benefits). Which set of arguments do you think are more sound and more convincing? You might base your arguments onreal life examples, such as those of the red cockaded woodpecker or the Devils Holepupfish. (Don't forget, many species have little or no known economic value. Don't forget about ethical arguments involving one's duty to other people and future generations.) Why does an appeal to ethical values have unique power?- The Endangered Species Act (ESA) recognizes multiple values (e.g., aesthetics) associated with species, but economics is not one of these. In some rare cases, theGod Squad has ruled in favor of economic development at the expense of an endangered species. Given the law as written in the ESA, do you feel the God Squad is legitimately using its power? Do you believe that in some situations local economic interests and the potential for future jobs should weigh more heavily than the protection of a single species? What are the pros and cons of favoring jobs? Favoring a single species?- With regard to biodiversity, be able to define or explain these terms: environmentalethics, intrinsic value, biophilia.- Religious doctrine may either encourage good stewardship or justify destruction of nature. How so? - What is the essence of deep ecology, and what is this philosophical movement asking Americans to change?Chapter 4a: Habitat Destruction, Fragmentation, & Global Climate Change- What is the number one underlying cause of today's biodiversity crisis? What are the major, direct threats to biodiversity? Human population size alone is not the solecontributing factor in today's crisis. What are the other two demographic factors that contribute to the human impact? Of the three most populous nations today, which one consumes the greatest share of the world's resources? Of the six direct threats to biodiversity, which one poses the greatest threat for most plants and animals?- Why does tropical deforestation cause more extinctions than does deforestation in other biomes? Remember that grasslands, mangroves, wetlands, and coral reefs are also greatly threatened today. What are the major direct threats facing coral reefs? Which human practices contribute to desertification of existing arid regions of the world?- What are the three main components (e.g., reduction in total size of the original habitat) associated with fragmentation? What are some natural factors or conditions that contribute to landscape heterogeneity? Which has more internal heterogeneity, natural or human caused habitat patches?- Can you discuss the overall effects of fragmentation, such as the types of species who are most vulnerable to extinction (e.g., rare or wide-ranging) and the abiotic (e.g., increased sunlight) and biotic consequences (e.g., changes in species composition) of fragmentation? You can also drawn from ideas of island biogeography. What are some workable solutions to fragmentation?- Which human activities contribute most to greenhouse gas emissions? What lines of evidence suggest that the current rate of warming is indeed caused by human activities? What are some current and likely future effects of climate change on ecosystems and the biota? In what ways can we mitigate and adapt to climate change? Chapter 4b -- Overexploitation, Exotic Species, and Disease- Many ocean-dwelling organisms are killed as "bycatch". What is "bycatch"? Remember that overexploitation threatens as many as 1/3 of all endangered vertebrates. - Overexploitation is being driven by globalization of markets, replacing traditional sustainable practices with unsustainable ones. At the same time, modern peoples are very ecologically efficient predators. How so? - Be familiar with some of the characteristics of exotic species. First, why are these species called "exotics"? How do these species negatively affect the biota of their new home? Can you list several repeat offenders, that is exotic species who have repeatedly colonized new environments and negatively affected the native biota? Not all introductions are successful. Many successful exotics share similar life history characteristics that facilitate their establishment in new "homes". What are some of these characteristics? Can you list some native species that have become pests in their home range? - Because of human activities, the spread of disease among wildlife is more likely today than in times past.


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UNCP BIO 4320 - Lecture Exam 2

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