Human Impacts on Biodiversity (College Board AP® Environmental Science): Flashcards
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What does the acronym HIPPCO stand for?
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What does the acronym HIPPCO stand for?
HIPPCO stands for Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Population growth, Pollution, Climate change, and Overexploitation, the main factors leading to biodiversity loss.
True or False?
Habitat destruction refers only to clearing forests.
False.
Habitat destruction also includes draining wetlands and destroying coral reefs, as well as clearing forests for agriculture, urban development, and logging.
How does human population growth contribute to biodiversity loss?
Population growth increases demand for resources, which leads to habitat loss, pollution, and overexploitation.
Which strategies can mitigate overexploitation?
Sustainable harvesting practices and catch limits can mitigate overexploitation, such as the overfishing that caused drastic declines in Atlantic cod.
Define habitat fragmentation.
Habitat fragmentation is when large, continuous habitats are broken into smaller, isolated patches, often by human activities.
How do roads and highways fragment habitats?
Roads and highways cut through habitats and divide populations; for example, U.S. highways have isolated black bear populations.
Clearing land for crops and livestock replaces diverse ecosystems with .
Clearing land for crops and livestock replaces diverse ecosystems with monocultures.
How does energy infrastructure fragment habitats?
Power lines, pipelines, and dams create barriers to wildlife movement; for example, hydroelectric dams prevent salmon migration.
True or False?
Climate change cannot cause habitat fragmentation.
False.
Climate change is an indirect cause of fragmentation because it shifts habitats and forces species to migrate.
Which two risks increase in small, isolated populations with less genetic variation?
Small, isolated populations face a higher risk of inbreeding and disease, as seen in Florida panthers.
Define bottleneck effect.
The bottleneck effect is when a population shrinks to critically low numbers, so only a small genetic pool remains and offspring have less genetic variation.
True or False?
When a bottlenecked population rebounds in number, its genetic diversity recovers too.
False.
Northern elephant seals were hunted to fewer than 100 individuals in the 1800s; their numbers have rebounded, but their genetic diversity remains very low.
Define edge effects.
Edge effects are the changes at the boundaries between habitats and human activities, which are less suitable for many species and increase predation and competition.
Habitat fragmentation can lead to a loss of species but may not affect edge species to the same extent.
Habitat fragmentation can lead to a loss of interior species but may not affect edge species to the same extent.
How can habitat fragmentation alter species interactions?
Fragmentation can disrupt food webs and predator-prey relationships; for example, generalists like raccoons may thrive in fragmented forests and prey on native birds.
Why does habitat fragmentation make species more vulnerable to climate change?
Isolated habitats limit the ability of species to migrate in response to climate shifts, such as amphibians in fragmented wetlands moving to cooler areas.
How do rising temperatures cause habitat loss?
Rising temperatures push species out of their optimal temperature range; for example, Arctic sea ice loss is shrinking habitats for polar bears and seals.
How can changing precipitation patterns cause habitat loss?
More frequent droughts or intense rainfall degrade habitats; for example, droughts in California dry up wetlands that migratory birds use as stopover points.
Which coastal habitats does sea level rise flood?
Rising sea levels flood coastal habitats such as mangroves, salt marshes, and estuaries.
True or False?
Climate change has no effect on how often wildfires occur.
False.
Higher temperatures and droughts increase the likelihood of wildfires, which destroy habitats.
Define domestication.
Domestication is the process of taming wild species and adapting them for human use, including agriculture, work, and companionship.
Why are domesticated species often genetically distinct from their wild relatives?
Domesticated species are genetically distinct because of selective breeding for traits useful to humans.
True or False?
Selectively breeding livestock for fast growth and high yield increases their genetic diversity.
False.
Selective breeding reduces genetic diversity, which makes livestock such as cattle, pigs, and chickens more vulnerable to diseases.
Define genetic erosion.
Genetic erosion is the shrinking of the genetic pool caused by focusing on a narrow range of high-yield breeds or strains, such as the Cavendish banana, which is highly vulnerable to Panama disease.
How does domestication displace wild species?
Expanding agricultural land for domestic species causes habitat loss, as when soybean and palm oil plantations replace tropical forests.
Why do monocultures and high-density livestock farming increase disease risk?
Large, uniform populations allow diseases to spread rapidly, as in foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in livestock.
Which ecosystem services does biodiversity support?
Biodiversity supports ecosystem services such as pollination, water purification, and climate regulation.
Biodiversity increases ecosystem to disturbances and environmental changes.
Biodiversity increases ecosystem resilience to disturbances and environmental changes.
Which types of protected area help conserve habitats?
National parks, wildlife reserves, and marine protected areas conserve habitats; for example, Yellowstone National Park protects species and ecosystems from development and exploitation.
How do habitat corridors help conserve biodiversity?
Habitat corridors connect isolated habitats, letting species migrate safely and maintain genetic diversity, as wildlife overpasses in Canada do across highways.
True or False?
Small, isolated reserves are the most effective design for protected areas.
False.
Larger, connected, compact reserves with buffer zones and intact ecosystems are preferable.
Which sustainable land use practices help reduce biodiversity loss?
Agroforestry, crop rotation, and reduced pesticide use minimize environmental impacts; for example, shade-grown coffee plantations help preserve tropical forest habitats.
How can degraded habitats be restored to recover biodiversity?
Reforestation, wetland restoration, and invasive species removal help recover biodiversity, as mangrove restoration projects do in Southeast Asia.
True or False?
CITES is a U.S. law that protects endangered species within the United States.
False.
CITES is an international treaty that regulates trade in species; the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is the U.S. law that protects species.
How do Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) help protect biodiversity?
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) help prevent projects that could harm biodiversity.
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