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Sustaining Biodiversity &
Human Societies
Chapter 8-10 & 18
Questions 1-5
Question #1
How have human
activities affected the
Earth’s biodiversity &
why should we care?
(p.155-6)
Human Population
Size and resource use
Human Activities
Agriculture, industry, economic
production and consumption,
recreation
Human
Impacts on
Biodiversity
Direct Effects
Degradation and destruction
of natural ecosystems
Changes in number
and distribution of
species
Alteration of natural chemical
cycles and energy flows
Pollution of air, water,
and soil
Indirect Effects
Climate
change
Loss of
biodiversity
Stepped Art
Fig. 8-2, p. 155
Biodiversity Loss in the U.S.

95% of virgin
(uncut) forests
in the lower 48
states have
been logged
for:
•
•
•
•
Lumber
Agriculture
Housing
Industry
Biodiversity Loss in the U.S.
98% of tall grass
prairie in the
Great Plains and
the Midwest are
gone
85% of California’s
redwood forests
are gone
Biodiversity Loss in the World
50% of wetlands are
lost
27% of coral reefs are
severely damaged
40% of commercial fish
stocks are depleted or
overfished
Protecting Biodiversity

Goals:
• Protect species & prevent premature
extinction

Strategies:
• Identify endangered species & protect and
preserve their habitats
The Species Approach
The Ecosystem Approach
Goal
Goal
Protect species from
premature extinction
Protect populations of species
in their natural habitats
Strategy
• Identify endangered
species
• Protect their critical
habitats
Tactics
• Legally protect
endangered species
• Manage habitat
• Propagate endangered
species in captivity
• Reintroduce species
into suitable habitats
Protecting
Biodiversity
Strategy
Preserve sufficient areas of
habitats in different biomes
and aquatic systems
Tactics
• Protect habitat areas through
private purchase or
government action
• Eliminate or reduce
populations of nonnative
species from protected areas
• Manage protected areas to
sustain native species
• Restore degraded ecosystems
Stepped Art
Fig. 8-3, p. 156
Why Should We Care About
Biodiversity?
Intrinsic values:

•
Simply because
biodiversity exists,
regardless of its use to us
Instrumental values:

•
•
Useful to us
2 types:

use & nonuse values
Instrumental Values

Use Values
• Goods & services for our direct use
• Ex: wood, fruits, ecotourism

Existence Values
• Important for us to know wild things exist

Aesthetic Values
• Appreciate the beauty

Bequest Values
• willingness of some people to pay to protect it for future
generations (could be the most important way most people
can help)
• Ex: Public Lands Trust / Conservation Society / Sierra Club
Question #2
What is ecological
restoration and why is
it important?
(p.177-9)
Ecological Restoration*
Repairing human damage to biodiversity
and ecosystems
BEFORE
AFTER
Examples of Ecological
Restoration

Replanting forests

Restoring wetlands and rivers
• Trout Unlimited / Ducks Unlimited

Removing invasive species

Returning native species

Removing dams
KUDZU
REMOVAL
Restoration of a Stream Bank
Fig. 8-28, p. 178
4 Science Based Principles of
Ecological Restoration

Encourage secondary succession
• Let nature do the work!

Recreate lost ecological niches

Rely on pioneer species, keystone species, &
foundation species to help the process

Remove invasive species
Secondary Succession at Work!
Education, awareness & INVOLVEMENT are the best ways to restore & protect
ecosystems!!!
Becoming involved helps to create that VALUE discussed in Question 1!
Question #3
What can we do to help
sustain the Earth’s
biodiversity ?
(p.181-2)
Solutions: Edward O. Wilson
(Harvard)

Immediately preserve biological hot spots
(terrestrial & marine)
Solutions: Edward O. Wilson
(Harvard)

Save the old growth forests
What Can We Do? Wilson’s Priorities*

Map world biodiversity so we know what we have

Protect and restore lakes and rivers (most threatened)

Create global conservation strategy that includes all
land & water ecosystems

MAKE CONSERVATION PROFITABLE!!!

Start ecological restoration projects worldwide
(QUESTION 2!)
We abuse the land because we regard it as a
commodity belonging to us.
When we see the land as a community to
which we belong, we may begin to use it
with love and respect.
~Aldo Leopold
Question #4
How can we help
prevent the premature
extinction of species?
(p.198-203)
Preventing Extinction

Legal Approach
• International Treaties


help protect endangered
or threatened wild species
Sanctuary Approach
Legal Approach*

CITES
• Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species, 1975
• 160 countries, almost 30,000 species that
cannot be traded as live specimens or
products
Legal Approach*

Endangered Species Act, 1973
• Illegal to sell, buy, hunt,
kill, collect or injure any
threatened or
endangered species as
designated by the NMFS
(National Marine
Fisheries Service) or the
USFWS (U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service)
Legal Approach –
Endangered Species Act*
• 1973 (92 species) to 2005 (1260 species)
• Designates and protects the critical
habitats needed for the survival and
recovery of the listed species

So far critical habitats have only been
established for 1/3 of species on list!!!
• The USFWS and NMFS must prepare a
plan for recovery

As of 2004, only ¼ of species have active plans
Legal Approach –
Endangered Species Act

Act is under constant pressure to be
abolished or weakened by those who
see it as:
• Ineffective
• Causing economic loss b/c of inability to
develop certain areas
• Inability to use private lands
Legal Approach –
Endangered Species Act

Conservation Biologists contend:
• 40% of species on list are stable or
improving
• Has not caused severe economic loss
(only 0.05% of projects have been blocked)
• Could be improved to provide financial
incentives to private landowners who
agree to protect endangered ecosystems
Sanctuary Approach

Wildlife Refuges & Protected Areas
• National Wildlife Refuge System
The U.S. has set
aside 542
refuges, but
many are
suffering from
environmental
degradation
Georgia Wildlife Refuges
Sanctuary Approach

Gene/Seed Banks
• Refrigeration of millions
of seeds

Botanical Gardens
Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Sanctuary Approach*

Zoos /
Farms

Aquariums
Question #5
What is reconciliation
ecology & how can it
help prevent the
premature extinction
of species?
(p.203-4)
Reconciliation Ecology
Creating new habitats to conserve
biodiversity in places where people
live, work & play
Learning to share the spaces we
dominate with other species
How can we do it?
Change home landscaping into
sanctuaries for native species instead
of collections of highly bred plants like
zoysia grass and trimmed hedges
How can we do it?
Convert city parks and school campuses
into biodiverse communities
GOLDEN GATE PARK, SAN FRANCISCO