| Term | Definition |
|---|
| biodiversity | the variety of life in an area |
| terrestrial biodiversity | tends to increase as you move towards the equator |
| tropical rainforests, coral reefs and large tropical lakes | the richest environments for biodiversity |
| index of diversity | mathematical way of expressing the amount of biodiversity and species distribution in a community |
| taxol | a strong anti-cancer drug, was first discovered in the Pacific yew |
| rosy periwinkle | the source of drugs for Hodgkin's disease and leukemia |
| willow bark | original source of aspirin |
| biodiversity | brings stability to an ecosystem |
| penicillium | the antimalarial drug quinine came from the bark of a cinchona tree |
| extinction | the disappearance of a species when the last of its members dies |
| extinction | can occur as result of natural processes or by humans |
| threatened species | when the population of a species begins declining rapidly |
| endangered species | when a species numbers become so low that extinction is possible |
| habitat loss | the biggest threat to biodiversity |
| habitat fragmentation | the separation of wilderness areas from other wilderness areas |
| edge effect | different conditions along the boundaries of an ecosystem |
| habitat degradation | the damage to a habitat by pollution |
| types of pollution | air, water and land |
| acid precipitation | rain, snow, sleet & fog with low PH values; responsible for the deterioration of forests and lakes |
| ozone layer | helps protect living organisms on Earth's surface from receiving damaging or lethal doses of ultraviolet radiation |
| chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) | synthetic chemicals that break down the ozone layer |
| 1.8kg solid waste | the average solid waste Americans produce daily |
| exotic species | are organisms that are not native to a particular area |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace