Download Ch 16 Lecture 09

Chapter 16
Preserving Earth’s Biological Diversity
Your Responsibility…
Read pages 355-360 and take notes (use page 2 in
your class notes) on the following topics:
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Extinction, background extinction, mass extinction
State of extinctions today
Endangered species vs. threatened species
Characteristics of species that make them vulnerable
Endemic species & vulnerability to extinction
Habitat fragmentation
DUE NEXT
Biodiversity hotspots
CLASS!!
The Story of the Bald Eagle
Only 417 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states in 1963
Listed as an endangered species in the ESA of 1973
Factors:
1. Clearing forests near lakes/rivers (habitat destruction)
2. Hunting (thought to have an impact on commercial fisheries)
3. Reproductive Failure (could not reproduce at high enough
levels to ensure population growth)
1. Result of ingesting food contaminated with DDT
•Caused eggs to be thin shelled & cracked before
embryos were mature
•Banning DDT (1972) started the recovery process
2. Mercury, lead and selenium were also environmental
pollutants that harmed reproductive health
3. Captive breeding programs, removal of eggs from nests
in nature, raising baby eagles in refuges
Results……
• 1994 bald eagle removed from endangered
list and transferred to threatened list
• More than 6,000 nesting pairs in 2002
How Many Species Are
There?
• Estimate >5-10 million species
• 1.8 M organisms scientifically
named and described
270,000 plant
45,000 vertebrate animal
950,000 insect
Biological Diversity/Biodiversity
Variation among organisms….
Genetic diversity:
genetic variety within all
populations of a species
Ecosystem Diversity:
variety of interactions among
organisms in natural communities
– Ecosystem food web as well as
the variety of ecosystems on Earth.
SPECIES RICHNESS:
The number of species present in the ecosystem.
Why do we need organisms?
What do they do for us?
– Pollinators, weed control, pest control, food,
antibiotics, medicines, biological processes
(N2 Fixation)
– Biological diversity
represents a rich untapped
resource for future uses and
benefits
– Ecosystem Services & Resources
FIVE GOOD REASONS WHY
WE NEED ORGANISMS…..
1. Ecosystem Services
Important environmental functions that
organisms within ecosystems provide
• Maintain the living world and we are completely
dependent on these services
» Forests provide lumber for us, but they also provide
watersheds where we obtain fresh water, they reduce the #
and severity of local floods, prevent soil erosion.
» Flowering plants depend on insects for pollen transfer
» Animals, fungi and microorganisms keep species
population in check
» Earthworms/bacteria maintain soil fertility &
decomposition
» Removal of organisms from a community
makes an ecosystem run less smooth
American Alligator’s Ecosystem Services
-Maintain small fish
populations by eating the
gar (eats small fish)
-Dig underwater holes that
other aquatic organisms use
during periods of drought
-Nest mounds eventually form
small islands colonized by
trees/plants, trees support
bird populations.
2. Genetic Reserves
–Maintenance of a broad genetic base is
critical for long term health/survival
Ex) Crops- genetic uniformity resulted in
increased susceptibility to pests/disease
– Crossing “super strains” with genetically diverse
relatives disease and pest resistance can be
introduced into plants
» Ex) Corn Blight (1970) brought under
control by crossing uniform US varieties
with ancestral varieties from Mexico.
3. Scientific Importance of
Genetic Diversity
Genetic Engineering: the incorporation of
genes from 1 organism into another species.
• Ex) Insulin: gene for insulin engineered into bacteria
We do not have the ability to
make genes that encode for
specific traits...
We depend on
millions of
years of evolution to
produce diversity!!!
4. Medicinal, Agricultural & Industrial
Importance of Organisms
A. Medicinal: derivatives of plants play important
roles in the treatment of illness/disease
Ex) AZT for treatment of AIDS is a
synthetic derivative of a compound from a
sponge
B. Agricultural: number of different kinds of foods
we eat is limited when compared with the total
number of edible species. Many species that
provide more nutrition are not commonly used.
Ex) Quinoa from the Andes Mts. Looks
and tastes like rice but has more protein
and is more nutritionally balanced.
C. Industrial: modern industrial technology
depends on genetic material from
organisms. Plants are used in many
products.
Oils, lubricants, perfumes, fragrances,
dyes, paper, lumber, waxes, rubber,
elastic latexes, resins, poisons, cork, fibers
D. Organisms: animals with characteristics or
chemicals useful to humans
Wool, silk, fur, leather,
lubricants, waxes,
transportation,
medical research.
5. Aesthetic, Ethical & Spiritual
Value of Organisms
– Aesthetic: Provide recreation,
inspiration & spiritual solace
• Artistry, poetry, writers,
architects, musicians
– Ethical: How humans perceive themselves in
relation to other species
• Traditionally viewed as superior beings &
exploited other forms of life for their benefit.
(Western World View/Frontier Ethic)
• New view: organisms have intrinsic value
on earth and humans should protect their
existence (Deep Ecology View)
Go over…
CLASS ASSIGNMENT
Reading: R&B: p. 355-360
Address the following:
– Extinction, Background Extinction, Mass Extinction
– The state of extinctions today
– Endangered Species, Threatened Species
– Characteristics of species that make them more
vulnerable to extinction
– Why are Endemic species vulnerable to extinction?
– Habitat Fragmentation - why is it a factor?
– Why are Tropical Rainforests in trouble?
– What are Biodiversity Hotspots & where are they?
CLASS BRAINSTORM…..
WHAT ARE SOME HUMAN CAUSES
OF SPECIES ENDANGERMENT?
1. Habitat Destruction, Fragmentation & Degradation.
- Reduces a species’ biological range and ability to survive.
2. Invasive Species
- Foreign species whose introduction can cause environmental/
ecological harm
ex) Cats of Borneo
3. Pollution
- Acid rain, ozone-depleting compounds, pollutants etc.
4. Overexploitation
- Over hunted or over harvested animals
(eradicate pest/predator or illegal commercial hunting)
Group Foldable: Conservation Biology
• Create your foldable follow my instructions.
• Everyone does:
– The introduction section
– Conservation Organizations
• Split up for the other sections:
– Protecting Habitats
– Restoring Habitats (part of 366) AND Zoos &
Aquaria (all of 367)
– Reintroducing Endangered Species
– Seed Banks
• Remember: you have to know all of it!!!
FRONT
BACK
INTRODUCTION
ZOOS
&
AQUARIA
PROTECTING
HABITATS
REINTRODUCING
ENDANGERED
SPECIES
RESTORING
HABITATS
SEED
BANKS
INSIDE:
Specifics for Introduction:
DEFINITION
GUIDING CONCEPTS
IN-SITU
EX-SITU
Summarize the other sections
CONSERVATION
ORGANIZATIONS
THESE ARE IN THE APPENDIX
IUCN (World Conservation Union)
WWF (World Wildlife Fund)
GREENPEACE
NATIONAL WILDLIFE
FEDERATION
NATURE CONSERVANCY
SIERRA CLUB
Everyone does Introduction info
& the Conservation Groups.
Split the others among 4 people:
1. Protecting habitats
2. Restoring habitats & Zoos/Aquaria
3. Reintroducing Endangered Species
4. Seed Banks
Conservation Biology:
Scientific study of how humans impact
organisms and the development of ways to
protect biological diversity
• Several concepts guide conservation biologists
1. A single large area of habitat is more
effective at safeguarding species than
several habitat fragments
- Supports greater species richness
2. Areas of habitat that lack roads or are
inaccessible to humans are better than
human-accessible areas
3. More effective to preserve intact ecosystems
than to work on preserving individual
species one at a time
4. Assign a higher priority to preserving areas
that are more biologically diverse than other
areas
• In Situ Conservation:
includes the establishment of
parks, reserves, concentrates on
preserving biological diversity in nature.
– With increasing demands on land, in situ
conservation cannot guarantee the preservation of
all types of biological diversity.
• Ex Situ Conservation: conserving biological
diversity in human-controlled setting.
• Breeding of captive species in zoos and the
seed storage of diverse plant crops
Conservation Policies
& Laws
Endangered Species Act
Habitat Conservation Plans
US Biological Resources
Discipline
International Conservation
Policies
1973 – Endangered Species Act
• FWS now can protect threatened/endangered species
– 1260 species have been listed to date.
• Illegal to sell/buy any product made from an
endangered or threatened species.
• FWS must also select critical habitats and design a
detailed recovery plan for each species listed.
– They basically find the same information you researched for
your brochure.
• Considered one of the strongest pieces of US
environmental legislation
– Species are listed ONLY using biological information…
economics cannot influence the list.
…the ESA is CONTROVERSIAL!
• Advocates: doesn’t do enough for the species!
• Critics: goes too far to hurt private landowners!
• Can be an impediment to economic progress.
– Northern spotted owl & the timber industry in Pacific NW (ch.3)
• Few endangered species have recovered enough to be delisted!
(only 8 as of 2002)
– We ARE expecting several dozen to be delisted in the next 10-20 years.
• Geared more toward saving a few popular species rather
than the many important less-glamorous species!
– 1995: more than ½ of the funding went to helping just 10 species.
• Should manage whole ecosystems and maintain
complete biodiversity rather than help just 1 species.
Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP)
• 1982 - Resolved conflicts between protection of
ES and development interests on private property
• Landowner may “take” a rare species if the
taking doesn’t threaten the survival or recovery of
the species on that property
– As long as the landowner provides
habitat, he is permitted to develop
other parts of the property
• Controversial: some say it could contribute to
extinction!
US Biological Resources Discipline
(BRD)
• 1993; now part of US Geological Survey (USGS)
• Provides information & technologies to manage and
conserve biological resources on federal lands
• Published report: Status and Trends of the Nation’s
Biological Resources
• 1st comprehensive assessment of plants, animals and
ecosystems in the US.
– Shows how biological resources are changing
– Identifies invasive species
– Details conservation problems that need to be addressed
International Conservation Policies & Laws
1975 – Convention
on International
Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Flora & Fauna “CITES”
– Attempts to control international trade in End. Species
– 160 countries
– Bans hunting, capturing, and
selling endangered or threatened species
– Regulates trade of potentially threatened organisms
– Problem: enforcement & penalties aren’t universal
or strong
– Example: African Elephants
• They can ruin the habitat, but
should we allow the ivory trade
again?
CITES ISSUES
African
Elephants
CITES ISSUES
Tigers
Sources:
TRAFFIC International, 2004
http://www.solcomhouse.com/tigers.htm
1980 –
World Conservation Strategy
• Created by:
–IUCN (World Conservation Union)
–WWF (World Wildlife Fund)
–UN Environment Program
• Conserves Biodiversity
• Seeks to preserve the vital ecosystem processes
on which all life depends for survival
• Develop sustainable uses of organisms and the
ecosystems they make up
1992 – Biological
Diversity Treaty
… at the “Earth Summit”
186 nations signed it
– Each signed nation must:
• Inventory its own biodiversity
• Develop a national conservation strategy, a
detailed plan for managing & preserving the
biodiversity of that country
Wildlife
Management
Wildlife
Management
• Is an applied field of conservation biology that
focuses on the continued productivity of plants
and animals.
• Includes:
– Regulation of hunting & fishing
– Management of food, water, & habitats
Wildlife
Management
Often differs from Conservation Biology…
– Focuses on maintaining populations of specific species
(cons. bio: managing whole communities to ensure biodiversity)
– Regulates an area by population control & habitat manipulation
•Lack of Predators = populations of squirrel, duck,
and deer can go above carrying capacity!!
Ex: Sport Hunting of Deer (Population Control)
– Lack of predators has increased the deer population…
wildlife managers keep the high population in-check.
Ex: Prescribed Burning of Forests (Habitat Manipulation)
– Yellowstone Case Study
– Effectively controlling the stage of Ecological Succession
Low intensity prescribed burn in the lower
App Mts.
PRESCRIBED BURNING
Source: www.clemson.edu/rxfire/pfcglossary.htm
Wildlife
Management
Managing Migratory
Animals
Require international
agreements!
Flyways must be protected!
Protect wetlands, which are
important breeding,
resting, and feeding
grounds
Case-in-Point:
Arctic Snow Geese
Flyways
Sources:
The Nutty Birder
SydneyOlympicPark.com.au
Wildlife
Management
• Managing Aquatic Organisms
– Commercial Fishing:
• Regulate time of year, size of catch, max # caught
• Natural habitats are maintained to maximize
population size
• Ponds/Lakes/Streams are
restocked from hatcheries
– Remember Tragedy of the Commons???
– Commercial Extinction: so few remained that it
was unprofitable to hunt them (whales)
Whaling
• Many whale species are commercially extinct
& threatened or endangered…
• 1946 International Whaling Commission
– Set an annual limit on whales taken
– Populations remained on the decline
• Finally, a moratorium was enacted in 1986.
– It’s working!
• Populations of most whales are growing…
• The gray whale has even been reclassified as threatened!
• 1994 – Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary
(Antarctic) was created
Whaling
• Norway & Japan continue to whale, despite the
moratorium & designation of the sanctuary
• Ironic twist:
– Japan found high levels of heavy metals &
pollutants in the whale meat sold in their
markets…
– Bioaccumulation had been occurring… low
concentrations of pollutants in the water increase
in concentration inside the whales’ bodies
• Up to 70,000 times the level of pollutants in the water!
• Occurs in other species as well…
What can WE do
about declining
biodiversity??
Increase public awareness
Support research in
conservation biology
Support the establishment of an
international parks system
Control pollution
Provide economic incentives
to landowners and other local people
THE LORAX
Assume the little boy is a highly-motivated AP student, and
has successfully re-created the original ecosystem that the
Lorax and all his friends once loved. Everyone’s back, and the
environment is back to its original health.
Invite the Once-ler back, but give him strict instructions on a
sustainable development plan that will work without harming
the environment. Use everything you know about sustainable
development to create this plan.
Relate the following to your sustainable development plan:
•Environmental worldviews
•Optimal level of pollution / marginal cost
•Natural income, natural capital, sustainable yield
MEDICINE
MAN
MOVIE
Watch Medicine Man &
relate the information
presented in the movie
to the information
learned in this unit
(Chapters 4, 5, 16, & 7).