1. Bell Questions 1/12/11 1.What is a mass extinction? 2.What is the difference between an endangered species and a threatened species? 3.What is one way a species may be prone to extinction?

2. How Do Humans Cause Extinctions?

4. 1. Habitat Destruction and Fragmentation Habitat has been destroyed or broken up by roads, canals, fences and homes. Florida panther requires large area of forest and large amount of prey. In 2001 less than 80 panthers east of Mississippi

5. 2. Invasive Exotic Species exotic species - species that is not native to a particular region. Exotic species can threaten native species that have no natural defenses against them. Cheatgrass

6. 3. Harvesting, Hunting, and Poaching Poaching - the illegal harvesting of fish, game, or other species. Excessive hunting can lead to extinction. (passenger pigeons)

7. 4. Pollution Pesticides, cleaning agents, drugs, and other chemicals used by humans are making their way into food webs around the globe. Bald Eagles and DDT

8. Areas of Critical Biodiversity endemic species - species that is native to a particular place and that is found only there

9. Biodiversity Hotspots

10. Tropical Rain Forests Half of world’s species live in these forests that cover only 7% of earth’s land surface.

11. Coral Reefs and Coastal Ecosystem Reefs provide millions of people with food, tourism revenue, coastal protection, and sources of new chemicals.

12. Islands Colonized by a limited number of species that can evolve into new species. Thus, islands often hold a very distinct but limited set of species. Galapagos Islands

13. Biodiversity in the United States Unique ecosystems in the U.S.; Florida Everglades, the California coastal region, Hawaii, the Midwestern prairies, and the forests of the Pacific Northwest.