Biodiversity

1. Biodiversity What is it? Where is it? Is it important? Should we worry about losing it? and Conservation

2. Biodiversity – What is it? • Genetic • Number of different versions of the same genes within individual species • Species • Number of different kinds of organisms within communities or ecosystems • Landscape • Number of different types of environments – ecosystems, habitats, associations, communities

3. So what’s a species? • “all organisms of the same kind able to breed in nature and produce live, fertile offspring”

4. And how many are there? Group Identified Estimated Bacteria and viruses 5,800 10,000(?) Protozoa and algae 100,000 250,000 Fungi 80,000 1,500,000 Invertebrates 1,500,000 7-50 million Amphibians and reptiles 12,000 13,000 Fish 20,000 23,000 Birds 9,100 9,200 Mammals 4,200 4,300 Vascular plants 250,000 300,000 Nonvascular plants 150,000 200,000 Total 2,125,300 9-52 million

5. Where is most biodiversity? Major trend • as move from poles toward equator, species diversity increases • so tropical rainforests and coral reefs, found in the tropics, are the most diverse habitats in the world perhaps partially because they are in the tropics

6. Why? • Possible explanations • High primary productivity • Year-round growth of plants • High rainfall • More solar energy • High habitat diversity (lots of “structure”) • Few extremes in climate

7. Is Biodiversity Important? Or . . .What did other species ever do for us? • Biological values • Social and cultural values

8. Atmospheric/climate Composition of atmosphere Moderation of local and regional weather, esp. temp and rainfall Hydrological Water quality and quantity Stream-bank stability Control of severity of floods Stability of coastal zones Economic and social Support of human cultures Aesthetic value and ecotourism Biological and chemical Biotransformation, detoxification, dispersal of wastes Cycling of elements Moderation of hydrological cycle Control of parasites and diseases Maintenance of genetic library Habitat and food-chain support Agricultural Crop production, timber and biomass energy production, pollination Stabilization of soils Biological values– ecosystem services

9. Product Source Use Penicilllin fungus antibiotic Bacitrain bacterium antibiotic Tetracycline bacterium antibiotic Digitalis foxglove heart stimulant Quinine Chincona bark malaria Diosgenin Mexican yam birth control Cortisone Mexican yam inflammation Cytarabine sponge leukemia cure Vinblastine Rosy periwinkle cancer Reserpine Rauwolfia hypertension Bee venom bee arthritis Allantoin blowfly larva wound healer Morphine Oriental poppy analgesic Curare frog skin anesthetic Biological values – drugs and medicines

10. Many more edible foods ex. Indonesia – 250 edible fruits – 43 widely cultivated Source of desirable genetic qualities – raw material for plant breeding - 1930-1980 - new varieties helped: - double yield of rice, barley, soybeans, wheat, cotton, sugarcane - triple tomato yields - quadruple maize, sorghum, and potato yields Biological values – food

11. Social/cultural values Biophilia? Aesthetics Sense of place Wallace Stegner 1962 – “Our migratoriness has hindered us from becoming a people of communities and traditions .. . It has robbed us of the gods who make places holy. It has cut off individuals and families and communities from memory and the continuum of time.” Religion?

12. Social/cultural values - the obvious • – all resources come from the environment, and so most jobs are ultimately connected to biodiversity

13. Should we worry about losing biodiversity? Extinction of species is a natural process, so why should we be concerned?

14. Aldo Leopold “The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the pieces.”

15. Things to consider: • Value of species to ecosystem function • Monetary value of ecosystem services • Rights of species to exist • Rights of humans to exist

16. Habitat destruction Invasive species Pollution Population increase (human) Overconsumption Also and including: diseases, genetic assimilation, pet and garden trade, predator and pest control, hunting and fishing, wetland draining, coastal development, erosional silt, habitat fragmentation, those damn dams! Main causes of biodiversity loss

17. Habitat destruction Invasive species Population increase Overconsumption Pollution

18. Decrease in wooded area of Cadiz Township in southern Wisconsin during European settlement Just a few examples – habitat loss

19. This is the (reversed E to W . . . Oops!) area of virgin forest in 1600 (right below) and 1985 (left below). Notice that that means “old growth” – no cutting in the last 400 years since Europeans have arrived. The point brought up in class about forests in KY – those are not virgin, but second or third growth forests. However, I don’t know why there is not more decrease in Canada.

20. World catch of whales - notice series of peaks as each species was hunted until no longer commercially profitable - since moratorium on whale hunting some have come back Originally 2.5 mil Now may be 1 mil minke whales – twice original number 24,000 CA gray whales – twice number of 20 years ago 3400 humpbacks in Hawaii – triple number in mid-80s Just a few examples - overconsumption

21. Conservation – what’s being done? Legislation Hunting and fishing laws Endangered Species Act HCPs – habitat conservation plans CITES National, state, and local reserves and preserves Zoos, botanical gardens, and captive breeding Private organizations (NGOs)

22. Past and current status of ESA 1973 – ESA enacted - 3 levels of protection – endangered, threatened, and vulnerable (of special concern) - important shift in thinking – not just game animals, but all species - regulated wide range of activities – anything that harmed habitat 1992 – ESA officially expired – have been debating since then - issues include: rights of private property owner economic losses to developers and individuals effectiveness of ESA for protection of species and habitats cost effectiveness of “cures” “no surprises” in future 1996 - 2 species removed from ESA list – bald eagle and American alligator

23. National, state and local preserves Difficult issues: funding service to variety of groups enforcement habitat fragmentation (island biogeography)

24. Zoos, botanical gardens, captive breeding Major switch in zoo priorities in last 50 years - Karl Haugenbeck – realistic, “barless” cages - improved living co dition for animals - few wild-caught animals - captive breeding programs – for rerelease and production of zoo animals Today: education conservation entertainment

25. NGOs - Conservation organizations Participate in all parts of the conservation movement: - preservation - activism - education - legal action - lobbying for policy change Vary in power, type of actions taken, reknown

26. And what about individuals? - What can you (I) do?