| Term | Definition |
| conservation biology | a goal-oriented science that seeks to counter the biodiversity crisis |
| biodiversity | diversity of living things |
| biodiversity crisis | rapid decrease in Earth's great variety of organisms |
| threatened species | species that are likely to become endangered in the future |
| biophilia | sense of connection to nature and other forms of life |
| ozone layer | protects earth from harmful ultraviolet rays in sunlight |
| biological magnification | accumulation of persistent chemicals in the living tissues of consumers in food chain |
| global warming | warming of earth that causes glaciers to melt |
| landscape ecology | application of ecological pronciples of the structure and dynamics of a collection of ecosystems |
| movement corridor | narrow strip or series of small clumps of high-quality habitat connecting isolated patches |
| biodiversity hot spots | small geographic area with concentration of endangered and threatened species |
| restoration ecology | uses ecological principles to develop ways to return degraded ecosystems to conditions similar to natural |
| bioremediation | use of living organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems. used in restoration ecology. |
| sustainable development | long-term prosperity of human societies and the ecosystems that support them |
| ecological footprint | an estimate of the amount of land needed to support out multiple demands on Earth's resources |
| demographic transition | shift from zero population growth in which birth rates and death rates are high to zero population growth characterized instead by low birth and death rates |
| age structure | proportion of individuals in different age groups |
| 4 ways humans mess up environment | 1. habitat destruction* 2. invasive species 3. over exploitation 4. pollution |
| DDT | insecticide that caused bioaccumulation in top predators such as eagles |
| PCB | electrical transformers/devices |
| acid rain | caused by coal burning power plants. coal - sulfur oxides (H2O - sulfur acid) and nitric oxides (H2O - nitric acid) |
| CFCs | destoys ozone layer |
| flagship species | species that are advertized and popular |
| keystone species | huge impact on environment |
| keystone predators | predators that affect keystone species |
| endemic species | a species whose distribution is limited to a specific area |