Review Questions
- What is the largest cause of deforestation today?
- How can habitat destruction through pollution kill a species over a long period of time?
- Why do introduced exotic species have unexpected and negative effects in the new
ecosystems? - Why are so many exotic species now being introduced either accidentally or intention-
ally to native habitats? - Explainhowbiologicalmagnificationplayedaroleinthedisappearanceoftheperegrine
falcon from the eastern U.S. - Loss of biodiversity limits our ability to increase the genetic diversity of crops. What is
the advantage of producing hybrids of crop species with wild species adapted to local
climate and disease? - What are some of the things you can do to have a sustainably managed backyard?
Further Reading / Supplemental Links
- Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition. Random House, New York, 1998.
- http://www.fws.gov/endangered/kids/index.html
- http://www.blm.gov/education/LearningLandscapes/students.html
- http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/kids.html
- http://www.biodiversityproject.org/biodiversity.htm
- http://ology.amnh.org/biodiversity
- http://www.biodiversity911.org
- http://en.wikipedia.org
Vocabulary
biodiversity The number of different species or organisms in an ecological unit (i.e. biome
or ecosystem).
biological magnification The process in which synthetic chemicals concentrate as they
move through the food chain, so that toxic effects are multiplied.
bionics Engineering which uses the design of biological organisms to develop efficient prod-
ucts.
desertification A process leading to production of a desert of formerly productive land.
extinction The cessation of existence of a species or group of taxa.