| A | B |
|---|
| Biodiversity Crisis | The current rapid decline in the variety of life on Earth, largely due to the efffects of human culture. |
| Conservation Biology | The science of species preservation; the scientific study of ways to slow the current high rate of species loss. |
| Ozone Layer | The layer of O3 in the upper atmosphere that protects life on Earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays in sunlight. |
| Biological Magnification | The accumulation of persistent chemicals in the living tissues of consumers in food chains. |
| Greenhouse Effect | The warming of the atmosphere caused by CO2, CH4, and other gases which absorb infrared radiation and slow its escape from Earth's surface. |
| Biodiversity Hotspots | A small geographic area with an exceptional concentration of species, especially endemic species. |
| Endemic Species | A species of organism whose distribution is limited to a specific geographic area. |
| Endangered Species | As defined by the U.S. Endangered Species Act, a species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. |
| Threatened Species | As defined by the U.S. Endangered Species Act, a species that is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. |
| Population Viability Analysis (PVA) | Scientific analysis of the current status of a population or species and predictions of its chances for long-term survival. |
| Landscape Ecology | The application of ecological principles to the study of land-use patterns; the scientific study of the biodiversity of interacting ecosystems. |
| Gap Analysis | A method researchers use to study the distribution of organisms relative to landscape features and habitat types. |
| Movement Corridor | A series of small clumps or a narrow strip of quality habitat (usable by organisms) that connects otherwise isolated patches of quality habitat. |
| Restoration Ecology | The use of ecological principles to develop ways to return degraded ecosystems to conditions as similar as possible to the natural predegraded state. |
| Bioremediation | The use of living organisms to detoxify and restore polluted and degraded ecosystems. |
| Augmentation of Ecosystem Processes | The process of determining wat factors have been removed from the area and are limiting is rate of recovery. |
| Sustainable Development | The long-term prosperity of human societies and the ecosystems that support them. |
