| Term | Definition |
|---|
| acid precipation | rain, snow, sleet or fog with a pH below 5.6; causes the deterioration of forests, lakes, statues and buildings |
| biodiversity | variety of life in an area; usually measured as the number of species that live in an area |
| edge effect | different environmental cnditions that occur along the boundries of an ecosystem |
| endangered species | a species in which the number of individuals falls so low that extinction is possible |
| exotic species | nonnative species in an area; make take over niches of native species in an area and eventually replace them |
| extinction | the disappearance of a species when the last of its members dies |
| habitat degradation | damage to a habitat by air, water and land pollution |
| habitat fragmentation | separation of wilderness areas from each other; may cause problems for organisms that need large areas for food or mating |
| ozone layer | layer of the atmosphere that helps to protect living organisms on Earth's surface from damaging doses of ultraviolet radiation from the sun |
| threatened species | when the population of a species is likely to become endangered |
| captivity | when members of a species are held by people in zoos or other conservation facilities |
| conservation biology | field of biology that studies methods and implements plans to protect biodiversity |
| habitat corridors | natural strips of land that allow the migration of organisms from one wilderness area to another |
| natural resources | parts of the environment that are useful or necessary for living organisms |
| reintroduction programs | programs that release organisms into an area where their species once lived in hopes of reestablishing naturally reproducing populations |
| sustainable use | philosophy that promotes letting people use resources in wilderness areas in ways that will not damage the ecosystem |
Combine with other sets
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