| A | B |
|---|
| biodiversity | the number and variety of species in an area |
| habitat destruction | destroying animal habitats in order to use land to build homes and harvest natural resources |
| threatened species | species that are likely to become endangered if they are not protected |
| endangered species | species whose population is so low that it may become extinct if protective measures are not taken immediately |
| Endangered Species Act | a law created in 1973 designed to protect plant and animal species in danger of extinction |
| poaching | illegal killing or taking of wildlife |
| exploitation | using natural resources for selfish benefit (usually for money) |
| non-indigenous species | species that are not-native to an area |
| finite | limited |
| genetic diversity | combination of different genes found within a population of a single species |
| deforestation | removing trees to use the land or to use the wood for timber |
| pollution | chemicals or other harmful elements getting into the air, soil, and water |
| extinct | no longer in existence |
| herbivore | an animal that eats plants/producer organisms |
| carnivore | an animal that eats other animals |
| conservation | strategies to reduce the use of natural resouces |
| preserve | an area of land or water set aside for the protection of the ecosystem in that area |
