Science vocab chapter 3

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  1. Biodiversity
  2. The number and variety of organisms found in a specific region
    E.g. in a forest there are birds, wolves, hare, etc.
  3. Protect
  4. To legally guard from harm a species that is listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern
    E.g. to make sure no one hunts an endangered species like the giant panda
  5. Biodiversity hotspot
  6. A place where there is an exceptionally large number of species in a relatively small area
    E.g. somewhere that has 20 different species is a biodiversity hotspot as opposed to somewhere that only has 5
  7. Community
  8. All the populations of different species that interact in a specific area or ecosystem
    E.g. symbiosis: mutualism, competition & parasitism
  9. Dominant species
  10. A species that is so abundant that it has the biggest biomass of any community member
    E.g. more hare population than any other species
  11. Keystone species
  12. A species that can greatly affect population numbers and the health of an ecosystem
    E.g. if hare are wiped out, then wolves have no food, etc.
  13. Captive breeding
  14. The breeding of a rare or endangered wildlife in controlled settings to increase the population size
    E.g. the Pere David's deer was saved from extinction through captive breeding
  15. Ecosystem engineer
  16. A species that causes such dramatic changes to a landscape that it creates a new ecosystemE.g. beavers create dams, drastically changing the landscape
  17. Succession
  18. The series of changes in ecosystems that occurs over time following a disturbanceE.g. tree falls over, hare crushed, wolf can’t find food, can’t feed wolf family, family dies
  19. Habitat loss
  20. The destruction of habitats, which usually results from human activities
    E.g. we cut down a forest, leaving a bunch of woodland creatures homeless
  21. Deforestation
  22. The practice of clearing forests for logging or other human uses, and never replanting them
    E.g. clear cutting a forest
  23. Alien species
  24. A species that is accidentally or deliberately introduced to a new location, usually due to human activity
    E.g. zebra mussels being carried over from Asia in ballast water
  25. Invasive species
  26. A species that can take over the habitat of native species or invade their bodies
    • E.g. dandelions, take over lawns and fields wiping out other native plants
    •  
  27. Overexploitation
  28. The use or extraction of a resource until it’s depleted
    E.g. mining a mineral until it’s all gone
  29. Extinction
  30. The death of all of the individuals of a species
    E.g. golden frog, big horn ram, dinosaurs, etc.
  31. Biodiversity crisis
  32. The current accelerated of extinctions on earth
  33. Restoration ecology
  34. The renewal of degraded or destroyed ecosystems through active human interventionE.g. replanting trees in a destroyed forest
  35. Reforestation
  36. The regrowth of a forest either through the planting of seed or trees in an area where a forest was cut down
  37. Biocontrol
  38. The use of a species to control the population growth or spread of an undesirable species
    E.g. releasing Asian ladybugs to kill aphids
  39. Bioremediation
  40. The use of living organisms to clean up contaminated areas naturally
    E.g. releasing bacteria cleans up ecosystems
  41. Bioaugmentation
  42. The use of organisms to ass essential nutrients to depleted soils
    E.g. using clover to add nitrogen to soil

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Author:
 dilanf
ID:
 238422
Filename:
 Science vocab chapter 3
Updated:
2013-10-02 22:36:14
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Science vocab chapter 3
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