BIOL 121 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Carolina Parakeet, Passenger Pigeon, Habitat Conservation
Document Summary
1. genetic diversity: amount of genetic variation that occurs within and between populations. 3. ecosystem diversity: diversity of structure and function within an ecosystem. 3. 1. 1 conservation biology protects biological diversity at all levels. Humans depend on plants, animals and microorganisms for a wide range of good, medicine, and industrial products. Preserve essential services of ecosystems, such as clean air and water. Ethical responsibility to protect what are our only known companions in the universe. 25% of prescription rugs in canada and the us are derived from plants. Conservation of biodiversity is linked to community and ecosystem stability. Biodiversity crisis: growth of human population linked to number of extinctions (section 58. 2) Habitat destruction: deforestation a prime cause of extinction, planting agricultural crops and urbanization also destroy habitat. Direct exploitation: passenger pigeon and carolina parakeet hunted to extinction by the early 20th century, whale species driven to the brink of extinction prior to 1988 moratorium on commercial whaling.
