Glossary: harnessing science and education for biodiversity conservation

All of the following terms appear in the videos or articles for this tutorial on harnessing science and education for biodiversity conservation. The terms are arranged here in alphabetical order, and nouns are given in just their singular form unless the plural of the term is unusual.

analogy: a comparison of two things based on their being similar in some way

biodiversity: the variety of life on Earth or some specified geographic area of the planet; the diversity of life occurs at the genetic level, at the species level, at the ecosystem level, and in evolutionary lineages

biogeography: the study of how species are distributed on Earth

biologist: a scientist that studies living or formerly living organisms

calcium carbonate: CaCO ${}_3$‍; a white, insoluble solid that occurs naturally in certain types of rock such as chalk, limestone and marble; is a main component of coral and echinoderm skeletons, shells of mollusks, exoskeletons of crustaceans, pearls, and bird eggshells

captive breeding program: a program at zoos, aquaria or research facilities designed to facilitate the reproduction of wild species that are endangered or facing some type of pressure or threat; often part of a formal Species Survival Plan

conservation: in a biological context, the management of natural resources to help ensure their long-term sustainability

conservation genetics: a scientific discipline that applies genetic knowledge and methods to the conservation and restoration of biodiversity; genetic diversity is one of the important levels or types of  biodiversity

Coral Triangle: a name given to the area of tropical ocean outlined if you drew a line from the Philippines to Indonesia, to Papua New Guinea, and back to the Philippines; it is home to the greatest coral reef biodiversity in the world

education: learning knowledge or skills

ecosystem: the community of different species in a particular geographic area and all of their interactions with each other and the physical environment; ecosystems are also called ecological networks

ecosystem function: the processes that occur within an ecosystem that are related to species interactions, energy flow and the cycling of materials

ecosystem services: the ways in which intact ecosystems benefit humans; these services can be direct, indirect or related to aesthetic and ethical values

environment: an area or habitat; includes living and non-living components

environmental degradation: a decrease in the quality, function, or services of an ecosystem due to the depletion of resources or some other damage such as pollution

evolutionary lineage: a group of species descended from a common ancestral species; it represents a branch or series of branches on the evolutionary tree of life

expedition: a journey or voyage undertaken for a specific purpose; much of our knowledge about Earth’s biodiversity is the result of biological expeditions

extinction: the loss of a species completely and forever; happens when the last living member of a species dies

food web: the collection of all the food chains in an ecosystem that describe who eats what, and represents the flow of energy and nutrients in that ecosystem

genetic diversity: a measure of how much difference there is in the DNA of the members of a population or species

habitats: a general term for the type of environment in which an organism lives

hotspot: a general term for a place where something important is going on, such as a biodiversity hotspot that has unique and threatened species; a geologic hotspot where volcanoes are active; or a Wi-Fi hotspot where you can get online

metaphor: describing an object or event by comparing it to something that is unrelated

mollusk: the biological group of animals such as snails, clams, and squid that have a soft body without a backbone, and usually have a shell; an extremely large and diverse group including marine, freshwater, and terrestrial representatives

observation: the action or process of looking closely at something; the data or information that results from that process

organism: a living or formerly living thing

overharvesting: the capture and use of a natural resource such as fish or trees at a rate that is not sustainable for the long-term survival of the species

photosynthesis: the process of capturing the energy in sunlight to create energy-rich organic molecules from inorganic molecules; organisms that photosynthesize are called photosynthesizers

population: all the individuals of a particular species that live in a specific geographic area; a species may be made up of one or more populations

remote sensing: obtaining information about environments, geographic areas or organisms through machines such as satellites or remote-controlled cameras without humans being in the area or being in contact with the organisms

research: in general terms, to study or investigate something; in scientific terms, the way science is done, to answer a specific question and with careful attention to the methods used

science: both a body of knowledge and a process for obtaining that knowledge of the natural and physical world through observation and experiment; there are many specialized subsets of science such as biology, chemistry, physics, or geology

species: a distinct type of organism

species survival plan (SSP): a detailed protocol that sets breeding goals and other management recommendations for captive populations of endangered or threatened species; designed to maintain maximum genetic diversity for the species; frequently involves national and international collaborations among zoos, aquaria and research facilities

symbiosis: a long-term relationship or interaction between individuals from two different types of species; the symbiotic relationship has a positive, negative or neutral impact on the participants