Conservation and Restoration Ecology Flashcards
7 cards from real Ecology practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Conservation and Restoration Ecology flashcards as text
Which concept describes the idea that restored or conserved ecosystems provide benefits to people?
Answer: Ecosystem services
Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect benefits that healthy ecosystems provide to humans, including clean water, pollination, and climate regulation.
The 'source-sink' dynamic in metapopulation ecology means that:
Answer: High-quality habitats produce emigrants that sustain populations in poor-quality habitats
In source-sink dynamics, source habitats have net positive population growth and supply individuals to sink habitats where mortality exceeds reproduction.
What is 'assisted migration' in a climate change context?
Answer: Deliberately relocating species to habitats that will be suitable under future climate conditions
Assisted migration (also called assisted colonization) moves species to areas projected to become climatically suitable, preempting local extinction.
Which metric is commonly used to assess the integrity of a restored wetland?
Answer: Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI)
The Index of Biotic Integrity uses assemblage of native species (often fish or macroinvertebrates) to assess how closely a site approaches a reference condition.
What is the main purpose of a seed bank in conservation?
Answer: Preserving genetic diversity of wild and cultivated plant species against extinction
Conservation seed banks store seeds from wild and domesticated plant species at low temperature and humidity to preserve genetic diversity against future extinction.
Which of the following best defines 'rewilding' in modern conservation?
Answer: Restoring self-sustaining ecosystems by reintroducing missing species and natural processes
Rewilding focuses on restoring ecological processes and trophic interactions, often by reintroducing keystone species, to allow ecosystems to self-regulate.
What does the term 'defaunation' describe in conservation ecology?
Answer: The loss of animal species and populations from ecosystems due to human activity
Defaunation refers to the human-caused depletion of animal diversity and abundance, which cascades through food webs and ecosystem functions.