Biodiversity
The diversity of living things found in
the natural world. The concept usually
refers to the different species, but also
includes ecosystems and the genetic
diversity within a given species.
Biota
The sum total of all living organisms
Endangered Vs. Threatened (how
many)
Total endangered US species: 402
animals, 599 plants
Total threatened US species: 154
animals, 146 plants
The Lacy Act (1900) and its
Amendments
Forbid interstate commerce in illegally
killed wildlife, and allowed the US Fish
and Wildlife Service to bring federal
charges against violators. The Lacy Act
and its amendments have become the
most important piece of legislature
protecting wildlife from illegal killing
or smuggling.
Wilderness Act (1964)
Federal Legislation that provides for the
permanent protection of undeveloped
and unexploited areas so that natural
ecological processes can operate freely
in them.
Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA)(1972)
Legislation that prohibits the taking of
marine mammals, and provides
consequences for illegal import, export,
or sale of marine mammals or any part
of them.
Endangered Species Act (1973)
Federal legislation that mandates the
protection of species and their habitats,
which are determined to be in danger of
extinction.
CITES (1973)
The Convention on Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. An
international agreement signed by 169
nations that focuses on trade in wildlife
and wildlife parts. CITES Acts include
restrictive trade permits and
agreements on species in danger of
extinction, and banning the
international ivory trade in 1990 to stop
elephant slaughter.
Convention on Biological Diversity
(The Biodiversity Treaty)(1992)
The biodiversity treaty signed by 158
nations at the Earth Summit in Rio de
Janeiro in 1992. The three main
objectives were 1) the conservation of
biodiversity, 2) The sustainable use of
biodiversity services, and 3) the
equitable sharing of the use of genetic
resources found in a country.
Keystone Species
Species whose role is absolutely vital to
the survival of many other species in an
ecosystem.
Endocrine Disrupters
Any of a class of organic compounds,
often pesticides, that are suspected of
having the capacity of interfering with
hormonal activities in animals
Ethonobotany
The study of relationships between
plants and people.
Fragmentation
The division of a landscape into patches
of habitat by road construction,
agricultural lands, or residential areas
Game Animals and Poaching
Game animals are those usually hunted
for sport, meat, or pelts. Poaching is
illegally hunting these animals.
Instrumental Value
The value that living organisms or
species have in virtue of their benefit to
people; the degree to which they benefit
humans.
Intrinsic Value
The value that living organisms or
species have in their own right.
Organisms and species do not have to
be useful to have value. (Moral value.)
Recreational, aesthetic, and
scientific value
The value of nature; ranging from
casual aesthetic enjoyment to serious
scientific study. This category can
represent either intrinsic value or
instrumental value.
Ecotourism
The enterprises involved in promoting
tourism of unusual or interesting
ecological sites.
Extractive Reserves
Forest lands, such as those of Brazil,
which are protected for native peoples
and rubber tappers who harvest natural
products of the forests, such as latex
and brazil nuts.
Deforestation
The removal of forest and
replacement by another land use.
Conservation
The management of a resource in such a
way as to assure that it will continue to
provide maximum benefit to humans
over the long run
Natural Capital (Ecological
Capital)
The natural assets and the services they
perform. One form of the wealth of a
nation is its complement of natural
capital.
Natural Goods
Provisioning services that can be
extracted from ecosystems.
Natural Services
Functions performed free of charge by
natural ecosystems
EX: control of runoff and erosion,
absorption of nutrients, and
assimilation of air pollutants.
National Wildlife Refuge
Areas managed by the United States
Fish and Wildlife Service that are
protected in order to conserve
America’s fish, wildlife, and plant
species.
Public lands in US
Lands that are publicly owned by a
state or the federal government.
Preservation
Ensuring the continuity of a species or
ecosystem, regardless of their potential
utility.
The Precautionary Principle
Says that where there are threats of
serious or irreversible damage, the
absence of scientific certainty shall not
be used as a reason for postponing costeffective measures to prevent
environmental degradation.
Restoration
Repairing damage to specific lands and
waters so that normal ecosystem
integrity, resilience, and productivity
return.
Wilderness
Land given the greatest protection.
Marine fisheries and overfishing
Fishery: a limited marine area or a
group of fish or shellfish species being
exploited.
Total Allowable Catch (TAC)
In a fisheries management, a yearly
quota set for the harvest of a species by
managers of fisheries.
Maximum Sustainable yield
The maximum amount of renewable
resource that can be taken year after
year without depleting the resource. It
is the maximum rate of use or harvest
that will be balanced by the
regenerative capacity of the system.
The “Wise Use” movement
A form of environmental backlash
reacting against regulations and
restrictions on the use of public lands
for recreation and extractive activities
such as mining, forestry, and grazing.
International Whaling Commission
International organization that
regulates the harvesting of whales; the
IWC placed a ban on all whaling in
1986.
World Wildlife Fund
An international, non-governmental
organization that deals with the
conservation, research, and restoration
of the environment.
Now know as the World Wide Fund for
Nature.
Greenpeace
An international, non-governmental
organization that deals with the
protection and conservation of the
environment using direct action,
lobbying, and research.
Xeriscaping
Landscaping with drought-resistant
plants that need no watering.
Clear Cutting
Tree-harvesting method that involves
removing an entire stand at once