Name
Class
Date
7.3 Protecting Biodiversity
Key Concepts
Nations can pass laws and sign international treaties that protect biodiversity.
Species Survival Plans manage, protect, and reintroduce threatened and endangered
species.
Strategies that manage whole ecosystems and habitats, such as the hotspot approach,
conservation concessions, and wildlife corridors, protect many species at once.
Answer the following questions as you read section 7.3 in your text (p. 212-219).
1. According to noted ecologist E.O. Wilson, the role of humans has shifted away from local
conqueror of nature to that of _____________________ ________________________.
2. In the U.S., the major law that protects biodiversity is the ____________________________
______________________ ______________, or ______________, which was passed by
Congress in 1973.
3. The three parts of the ESA include:
A)_______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
B)_______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
C)_______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
4. Give 2 examples of the success of the ESA in the U.S.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Explain one of the controversial issues associated with the Endangered Species Act.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6. What is CITES? ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7. Explain how CITES can help protect some endangered species such as tigers.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
8. What are the three goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity agreement of 1992?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
9. Explain what is meant by a Captive Breeding Program. ______________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
10. What is a SSP and give one successful example. ___________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
11. Explain how cloning may play a role in saving a species from extinction.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
12. What is one of the limitations of the Endangered Species Act? ________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
13. What is meant by a biodiversity hotspot? _________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
14. A species is _________________________ to an area if it is found nowhere else in the
world.
15. Explain the criteria for an area to be classified as a “biodiversity hotspot”.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
16. What is meant by a wildlife corridor? ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
17. What is the main benefit of establishing a wildlife corridor? __________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Legal Efforts
1. Complete the following paragraph with terms from the word bank.
biodiversity treaty
CITES
DDT
In the United States, the main
Endangered Species .Act
law
treaties
that protects biodiversity is the
. In effect since 1973, it has helped with the recovery of a number
of species including the bald eagle and other birds that were at risk of extinction due to
effects of the pesticide
. Several
protect biodiversity on an international level.
help to
, for example, has
been in effect since 1975 and bans the international transport of endangered species.
The Convention on Biological Diversity, sometimes commonly referred to as the
, has the commitment of about 200 nations. Although it has been
signed by the United States, it has not yet been ratified.
2. What are the three main parts of the Endangered Species Act?
3. Do you think the costs outweigh the benefits of treaties that serve to protect biodiversity?
Explain.
Single-Species Approaches
4. How does captive breeding help to protect single species?
5. How would cloning, if successful, save a species from extinction?
For questions 6 and 7, circle the letter of the correct answer.
6. Which of the following involves inserting DNA from an endangered species into a
cultured egg cell that has had its nucleus removed?
A. cloning
B. captive breeding
C. Species Survival Plan
D. species reintroduction
7. Which of the following is a main goal of a Species Survival Plan?
A. breeding new species
B. using DNA to recover extinct species
C. reintroducing captive-bred organisms into the wild
D. cloning extremely endangered organisms to increase their population size
Ecosystem and Habitat Approaches
For Questions 8 and 9, write True if the statement is true. If the statement is false,
replace the underlined word or words to make the statement true. Write your changes
on the line.
8. Most laws provide protection for habitats and ecosystems.
9. Many conservation efforts attempt to protect the land, wildlife,
and economic interests of the local people.
10. What are the two main outcomes of a debt-for-nature swap?
11. Give one example of a conservation concession.
12. What is one benefit and one drawback of mapping hotspots?
Organize Information
13. Use what you learned about legal efforts and single-species approaches to complete the
table below. Two entries have been done for you.
Ways to Protect Biodiversity
Categories
Examples
Legal efforts
Single-species
approaches
Benefits
Drawbacks
Gives a chance for threatened and endangered
species in the United States
to recover
Captive
breeding
Answer the questions to test your knowledge of lesson concepts. You can check your
work using the answers on the bottom of the page.
14. Name three examples of laws or treaties that protect biodiversity.
15. In what types of institutions do captive breeding programs take place?
16. What are two examples of economic approaches to conservation?