Download Name: Date: Notes Chapter 9.3 APES 9.3 How Do Humans

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Notes Chapter 9.3 APES
9.3 How Do Humans Accelerate Species Extinction and Degradation of Ecosystem Services?
What does HIPPCO stand for? What is the greatest threat for wild species? Give an example for rain
forests and coastal wetlands/coral reefs and the threat of wild species found in these systems. Why are
island species at risk of extinction?
•HIPPCO: Habitat destruction, degradation, fragmentation; Invasive (nonnative) species; Population
growth and increasing use of resources; Pollution; Climate change; and Overexploitation
• The greatest threat is the “H” in HIPPCO being habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation.
• Rain forests are specifically vulnerable to deforestation with a loss to the high amount of biodiversity
found within its ecosystem
• Coastal wetlands/coral reefs have to worry about the overall destruction and degradation of these
areas by coastal development
• Many species that have their habitats located in island biomes are isolated. Are therefore especially
vulnerable to extinction when habitats are destroyed, disturbed, fragmented.
How does habitat fragmentation affect forests? How does it affect species that are divided into smaller
populations? How does it affect national parks? How does it affect freshwater lakes?
• Fragmentation occurs when forests/grasslands are divided into smaller isolated patches or habitat
islands by roads, crop fields, or other urban/rural developmental purposes. It decreases tree cover in
forests and blocks animal migration routes.
• Fragmentation divides populations of species into smaller groups and creates barriers that limit the
abilities of some species to disperse and colonize new areas because of either predators found in new
areas or other environmental situations.
•National parks are considered habitat islands with many surrounded by potentially damaging logging
companies and mining operations, coal-burning power plants, industrial activities, and human
settlement.
• Freshwater lakes are considered habitat islands that are vulnerable to invasive species and pollution
from human activity (fertilizers/pesticides).
What is the next biggest threat to animal and plant extinction after habitat loss and degradation? Name
a case where invasive species brought to a country improved the sustainability of the country’s
ecosystem? What are some problems that can occur with the introduction of invasive species in a new
habitat/ecosystem? Give an example of 3 species brought to the U.S. that have caused ecological and
economical harm.
• Invasive Species
• In the U.S.:
Corn, wheat, rice, cattle and poultry. Honeybees are also a very important nonnative species
brought over to the U.S. back in the 1600’s which is an important insect used for pollination.
• Problems are some invasive/nonnative species do not face the same predators, competitors, parasites,
viruses, bacteria, or fungi that help control their population in their native habitat. Can either degrade
the new habitat they were introduced in or slowly/sharply decrease the overall species biodiversity,
sometimes leading to extinction of some species.
• 1.) Argentina fire ant 2.) African honeybee 3.) Kudzu vine
What plant was brought to the U.S. that is now considered a hindrance in southeastern U.S. and could
possibly travel to the northern U.S.? How could this plant possibly invade the northern states? What is
one way scientists are trying to control the spread of this plant and what reason is this not being mass
produced? What other invasive species was brought to the U.S. because of the invasive plant?
• Kudzu vine – used to control erosion, but grows too rapidly and engulfs all surrounding land surfaces
• Could spread north if the climate conditions become warmer in these areas.
• Use of goats and herbicides, but goats are too slow to eat them and herbicides are a hazard to other
species and are a form of water pollution due to runoff. Instead, scientists are trying to use a common
fungus to eradicate the vines but the harmful side effects are still unknown for the fungus to be massed
produced.
• Kudzu bug was brought over due to the kudzu vine introduction.
What are four ways nonnative species can enter a new ecosystem accidentally? What is one species
that was possibly brought accidentally to the U.S. and is a great hindrance on southern states? Why is
this species such a problem to ecosystems? What did the U.S. do to try and reduce the spread but
instead caused it to spread rapidly?
• 1.) Stowaways on aircrafts 2.) Tankers and cargo ships 3.) Hitchhikers on imported products in wooden
packing crates 4.) Cars and trucks spread seeds from plants embedded in tires.
• Fire ants
• More aggressive than other ant colonies and can wipe out as much as 90% of native ant populations in
the ecosystems they reside in.
• Tried to use pesticides to eradicate them, but instead not only reduced the amount of fire ants in the
area, but also killed many native ants in the process that made it even easier for fire ants to spread.
How much funding from American taxpayers is being placed in eradicating invasive species? Instead of
trying to eradicate the already existing invasive species, what are three ways scientists suggest we
should do to prevent invasive species entering countries to begin with?
• $160 billion
• 1) Increased studies on how to track invasive plant and animal species and predict how they will
spread or be harmful to a new ecosystem.
2.) Fund a massive research center/database that characterizes the successful introduction of invasive
species to a new ecosystem.
3.) Require cargo ships to discharge their ballast water and to replace it with saltwater at sea before
entering ports or sterilize such water.
Besides the population growth of humans and our overuse of resources, what is another huge threat
humans do to increase species extinction almost on a daily basis? In what way do you think humans can
change this?
• Pollution through the use of herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers that kill and decrease many species
and lower biodiversity.
• Try using organic methods (real organic methods) for growing crops, vegetables, and fruits.
In what way are some humans continuing to decline species that are already on the
endangered/threatened list? Name three species that are being sold off this way and the amount of
money you can acquire from the parts that are sold.
• Illegally being killed by poachers for the selling of species valuable parts. Some make upwards of
$600,000 an hour.
• 1.) Live mountain gorilla = $150,000 (approximately 880 left in the world that are wild)
2.) Pelt of giant panda = $100,000 (approximately 1,600 to 3,000 left in the world that are wild)
3.) Rhinoceros horn = $99,000 per kilogram (certain species of rhinoceros’s are on the endangered
species list)
Why has bushmeat hunting skyrocketed in many African tribes? What effect has it had on some of the
species found in these African ecosystems? How is the U.S. getting involved?
• Have tried to provide food for rapidly growing populations in these underdeveloped/developing
countries or make a living by selling meats from exotic restaurants for profits.
• In some forests in Africa (like the Congo basin) they are being stripped of certain species like monkeys,
apes, antelope, elephants, hippos, other wild animals. Gone as far as driving one species to complete
extinction such as the red colobus monkey.
• USAID is trying to reduce the unsustainable hunting for bushmeat in some areas of Africa by
introducing food alternatives.
Explain what four letters in HIPPCO are threatening the world’s bird populations?
• 1.) Around 13% of all bird’s species are threatened by the “H” in HIPPCO from deforestation.
2.) Around 28% of all bird’s species are threatened by the “I” in HIPPCO from such species as bird-eating
rats, snakes, and mongooses.
3.) The first “P” in HIPPCO is threatening birds by the growing number of humans increasing their
ecological footprints.
4.) The “O” in HIPPCO threatens some bird’s species by poachers selling wild bird species for profit.