AP Environmental Science Flashcards: Human Impacts on Biodiversity
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 14 cards to help you master important concepts.
What does the acronym HIPPCO describe?
HIPPCO is an acronym that describes the main factors leading to a decrease in biodiversity caused by human activities.
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What does the acronym HIPPCO describe?
HIPPCO is an acronym that describes the main factors leading to a decrease in biodiversity caused by human activities.
How does global climate change contribute to habitat loss?
Global climate change can cause habitat loss through significant changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, and rising sea levels.
What is the purpose of a habitat corridor?
Habitat corridors are created to connect fragmented habitats, allowing species to move between isolated areas and thus mitigating the impact of biodiversity loss.
A coastal wetland is lost due to rising ocean levels. What is the underlying human-caused factor contributing to this habitat loss?
The underlying factor is global climate change, which leads to sea level rise and the subsequent loss of coastal habitats.
What is the relationship between human activities and biodiversity?
Human activities are the main drivers of the decrease in biodiversity, as described by concepts like HIPPCO.
Besides creating protected areas, what are two other strategies to combat biodiversity loss?
Two other strategies are promoting sustainable land use practices and actively restoring lost habitats.
What does it mean to restore a lost habitat?
Restoring a lost habitat is a mitigation strategy where humans actively work to rebuild or rehabilitate an ecosystem that has been damaged or destroyed.
Identify one strategy humans can use to mitigate the loss of biodiversity.
One way humans can mitigate biodiversity loss is by creating protected areas, such as national parks or wildlife refuges.
A logging company clear-cuts several paths through a dense forest to extract timber. What is the primary ecological problem this creates?
This action causes habitat fragmentation, which breaks a large habitat into smaller, isolated areas and can decrease biodiversity.
List three human activities that cause habitat fragmentation.
Three causes of habitat fragmentation are the construction of roads and pipelines, clearing land for agriculture or development, and logging.
What is a negative consequence of domesticating organisms for economic returns?
The domestication of organisms can have a negative impact on the biodiversity of that organism, often by reducing its genetic diversity.
List four general strategies humans can employ to mitigate the loss of biodiversity.
Four strategies are: creating protected areas, using habitat corridors, promoting sustainable land use practices, and restoring lost habitats.
To build a new suburb, a developer clears a large section of forest but preserves two large patches and connects them with a wide strip of trees. What two mitigation strategies are being used?
The strategies being used are creating protected areas (the two preserved patches) and using a habitat corridor (the connecting strip of trees).
Define habitat fragmentation.
Habitat fragmentation occurs when large, continuous habitats are broken into smaller, isolated areas or patches.