Ch 11 - Biodiversity and Conservation Biology:

1. Ch 11 - Biodiversity and Conservation Biology:

2. Biodiversity • Growing human population and resource use is threatening Earth’s diversity of life • Biodiversity, or biological diversity = the sum of an area’s organisms, considering the diversity of species, their genes, their populations, and their communities • Biodiversity exists on several levels: ecosystem, species and genetic diversity

3. Components of biodiversity Ecosystem: number and variety of ecosystems Species: number and diversity of species Genetic: amount of diversity within a species

4. Species and taxonomy Each species is classified within a hierarchy reflecting evolutionary relationships. Two related species might be in the same genus, e.g. Panthera tigris and Panthera onca Two related genera in the same family, etc.

5. Most life on the planet is microscopic

6. Distribution of biodiversity

7. Biodiversity loss and species extinction • Extinction = last member of a species dies and the species vanishes forever from Earth • Extirpation = disappearance of a particular population, but not the entire species globally • These are natural processes. -e.g. On average, one species of mammal goes extinct naturally every 1,000-10,000 years—this is the background rate of extinction. • Most of all species that ever lived are now extinct.

8. Definitions: • Extinct species – species that no longer exist on earth. • Extant species – species currently living on the Earth. • 2. Extirpated species – local populations of a species that • no longer exist in a certain area (the species may still • exist in other areas of its range). • Endangered species – species that are in imminent • danger of becoming extinct • Threatened species – a species that is showing a decline • in numbers and is likely to become endangered.

9. Earth has experienced five mass extinction events • in which over half its species were wiped out and it is • experiencing a sixth mass extinction right now. • Mass Extinction Events • Ordovician (440 mya) • Devonian (370 mya) • Permo-Triassic (250 mya) • End-Triassic (202 mya) • Cretaceous-Tertiary (65 mya) • Quaternary (100,000 years ago – present) • - in the 21st century, half of all species • could become extinct. • http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/hall_tour/extinct.html

10. Today’s mass extinction • We live in the Quaternary Period and Earth is now undergoing its sixth mass extinction—because of us. • Humans have increased the extinction rate by a factor of 100-1,000. • > 1,100 species are known to have gone extinct in the past 400 years. • The Red List, from the IUCN, lists species that today are facing high risks of extinction (23% of mammal and 12% of bird species are threatened with extinction). • http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/TESSBoxscore

11. Causes of Extinction and the Decline in Biodiversity -Many factors contribute to the loss of species • Destruction and alteration of habitat • Commercial overharvesting • Invasive species • Pollution • Climate change

12. Why Protect Biodiversity? • Many species have direct benefits to humans (food, medicines, scientific information, other products). • Loss of biodiversity by extinction can lead to loss of “ecosystem services” on which humans depend. E.g? • Ethical reasons: other species have a right to exist so humans have an obligation to respect that right. • Aesthetic reasons: species loss diminishes the aesthetic quality of human life. • Caution: just don’t know…

13. Categories of Ecosystem Services Provisioning – products obtained from ecosystems, e.g. food and water Supporting – services needed for the production of all other ecosystem services, e.g. nutrient cycling Regulating – benefits obtained from regulation of ecosystems, e.g. climate regulation and water purification Cultural – non-material benefits obtained from ecosystems, e.g. cultural heritage http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/index.aspx

14. Biodiversity’s foremost spokesman • Biologist Edward O. Wilson has become the best-known spokesperson for biodiversity. • An accomplished scientist and writer, he has raised awareness of threats to Earth’s life, and of impending species extinctions.

15. Conservation biology • Scientific discipline devoted to understanding the factors, forces, and processes that influence the loss, protection, and restoration of biological diversity within and among ecosystems. • Applied and goal-oriented: conservation biologists intend to prevent extinction. • This discipline arose in recent decades as biologists grew alarmed at the degradation of natural systems

16. What are we doing about it? • Legislation: U.S.Endangered Species Act, 1973 -Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), 1973 -Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 1992 (the U.S. has signed, but not ratified, the CBD) http://www.cbd.int • Captive Breeding and Release Programs: e.g. California condor, Whooping crane, Gray Wolf, Vancouver Island Marmot • Protecting habitat: various laws and acts

17. Biodiversity hotspot= an area that supports an especially high number of species endemic to the area, found nowhere else in the world Endangered golden lion tamarin, endemic to Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest, which has been almost totally destroyed. Conservation approaches: Setting aside Biodiversity hotspots

18. Conservation approaches: Biodiversity hotspots (http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org) Global map of biodiversity hotspots, as determined by Conservation International.

20. Conservation approaches • Community-based conservation -People from developed nations work with local communities to get them invested in the conservation of their own natural resources. -This approach is more complex, but will probably be more successful in the long run. • Economic incentives -Debt-for-nature swaps= an organization raises money and offers to pay off debt for a developing country, in exchange for setting aside parks, reserves, protection of habitat - Conservation concession= an organization offers money to a developing nation’s government for some of its land – for conservation, rather than resource extraction.

21. Long-term conservation approaches • Restructuring human systems (use resources more efficiently, sustainability education) • Setting aside biologically rich regions (“hot spots”) • Creating buffer zones and wildlife corridors • Improving and enforcing regulations about the use of resources and wildlife (limits on hunting, fishing; stiff penalties for poaching). • Note: a commitment from governments for more resources for the above is crucial . Personal solutions: saving species & protecting biodiversity require personal actions. We cannot wait for government or business to solve problems for us. http://www.wikihow.com/Help-Protect-Biodiversity

23. Some critically endangered species • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ5ACLVjYwM&feature=related – Slow Loris Tickle • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-7wLdKjf2Y – super short list of endangered species with pictures • http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=f5zhdiUdKqI – Amur Leopard • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18-xvIjH8T4 – Slow Loris eats