Chapter 12 Key Terms

Question 1

Biosphere Reserves

Answer 1

World heritage sites identified by the IUCN as worthy of national park or wildlife refuge status because of high biological diversity or unique ecological features

Question 2

Closed-Canopy Forest

Answer 2

a forest where tree crowns spread over 20 percent of the ground; has the potential for commercial timber harvests

Question 3

Core Habitat

Answer 3

essential habitat for a species

Question 4

Corridor

Answer 4

a strip of natural habitat that connects two adjacent nature preserves to allow migration of organisms from one place to another

Question 5

Debt for nature swap

Answer 5

forgiveness of international debt in exchange for nature protection in developing countries

Question 6

Desertification

Answer 6

conversion of productive lands to desert

Question 7

Ecosystem management

Answer 7

an integration of ecological, economic, and social goals in a unified systems approach to resource management

Question 8

Ecotourism

Answer 8

a combination of adventure travel, cultural exploration, and nature appreciation in wild settings

Question 9

Edge Effects

Answer 9

a change in species composition, physical conditions, or other ecological factors at the boundary between two ecosystems

Question 10

Forest

Answer 10

any area where trees cover more than 10% of the land

Question 11

Landscape Ecology

Answer 11

the study of the reciprocal effects of spatial pattern on ecological processes. the study of how landscape history shapes the features of the land and the organisms that inhabit it, as well as our reaction to, and interpretation of, the land

Question 12

Man and Biosphere (MAB) program

Answer 12

a design for nature preserves that divides protected areas into zones with different purposes. a highly protected core is surrounded by a buffer zone and peripheral regions in which multiple use resource harvesting is permitted

Question 13

Monoculture agroforestry

Answer 13

intensive planting of a single species; an efficient wood production approach, but one that encourages pests and disease infestations and conflicts with wildlife habitat or recreational uses

Question 14

Overgrazing

Answer 14

allowing livestock to eat so much forage that the ecological health of the habitat is damaged

Question 15

Pastoralists

Answer 15

people who make a living by herding domestic livestock

Question 16

Primary Forest

Answer 16

forest composed primarily of native species, where there are no clearly visible indications of human activity and ecological processes are not significantly disturbed

Question 17

Roadless Rule

Answer 17

a clinton-era ban on logging, road building, and other development on the lands identified as deserving of wilderness protection in the roadless area review and evaluations (RARE)

Question 18

Rotational Grazing

Answer 18

confining animals to a small area for a short time (often only a day or two) before shifting them to a new location

Question 19

Savannas

Answer 19

a grassland with sparse or scattered trees

Question 20

Wildland urban interface

Answer 20

a transition zone in which scattered housing and buildings encroach on forests or undeveloped lands

Question 21

World Conservation Strategy

Answer 21

a proposal for maintaining essential ecological processes, preserving genetic diversity, and ensuring that the utilization of species and ecosystems is sustainable.