Biodiversity at Risk

Biodiversity at Risk Extinction  ______is called a mass extinction.  The last mass extinction event occurred when the dinosaurs disappeared.  Scientists warn that we are ______. The current mass extinction is different from previous ones because it is being ______Species Prone to  An endangered species is Extinction ______ A threatened species is ______ The major causes of extinction today are the ______. Habitat  As human populations grow, we Destruction and ______Fragmentation ______ In the process, we destroy and ______of other species.  It is estimated that habitat loss causes almost ______now occurring. Ex. ______Invasive Species  An exotic species is

______ Even familiar organisms such as ______are considered to be exotic species when they are brought to regions where they never lived before.  ______, they are called invasive species Hunting,  ______can also lead to Harvesting, and extinction Poaching – Ex. ______ Thousands of rare species worldwide are ______ Poaching is the ______

Pollution  ______are making their way into food webs around the globe. Ex. ______Areas of Critical  Some areas of the world have a greater number of Diversity ______than others  An endemic species is ______ Areas of high biodiversity include ______Captive Breeding  When a species is clearly on the verge of extinction, people can Programs start a ______ Species are ______Ex. ______Preserving Genetic  One way to save the essence of a species is by Material ______ Germ plasm is ______ Many botanical gardens and zoos act as ______Other Efforts to  ______Preserve Species __ are living museums of the world’s biodiversity.  But, these kinds of facilities ______ Ultimately, saving a few individuals ______Preserving  Priority is now given to Habitats and ______Ecosystems ______ By saving the ecosystem, ______ When possible large areas are preserved for two reasons: 1. ______2. ______Endangered  Under the ______of the Endangered Species Act of Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) must 1973 ______. As of 2002, 983 species of plants and animals were listed.  The ______ The ______CITES  ______(CITES)  The CITES treaty was the ______being killed by poachers who would then sell the ivory tusks.  In 1989, the members of CITES proposed ______hoping to put a stop the problem. The Biodiversity  The Biodiversity Treaty is an Treaty ______ The treaty’s goal is to ______Private  Many private organizations work to protect species worldwide, Organizations often more effectively than government agencies.  World Wildlife Fund – ______ Nature Conservancy – ______ Conservation International – ______ Greenpeace International – ______

Balancing Human  Attempts to protect species often come into Needs ______ Sometimes an endangered species represents ______.  Many people don’t ______is to stable ecosystems.  Many conservationists feel than an important part of protecting species is ______