22 Sustaining Wild Species

1. 22 Sustaining Wild Species Miller’s - Living in the Environment 13th Edition

2. Factors that increase biodiversity Physically diverse habitat Moderate environmental disturbance Small variation in environmental conditions Middle stages of succession Evolution Factors that decrease biodiversity Environmental stress Large environmental disturbance Extreme environmental conditions Severe limitations of an essential resource Introduction of a non-native species Geographic isolation Factors Affecting Biodiversity

3. Fig. 22-2 p. 561 Human Impacts on Biodiversity

4. The State of US Species Diversity

5. Strategies for Protecting Biodiversity • Species approach • Ecosystem approach

6. Species Extinction • Local extinction • a species is no longer found in an area it once inhabited, but is still found elsewhere in the world • Ecological extinction • so few members of a species are left that it can no longer play its ecological roles in the biological communities where it is found

7. Species Extinction • Biological extinction • a species is no longer found anywhere on the earth. Biological extinction is forever!

8. Animal species that have become prematurely extinct Passenger pigeon Dusky seaside sparrow Great auk Dodo Aepyornis (Madagascar)

9. ‘Endangered’ and ‘Threatened’ Species • Endangered species • species with so few individual survivors that the species could soon become extinct over all or most of its natural range. Northern spotted owl (threatened) Florida panther Florida manatee Bannerman's turaco (Africa) Gray wolf © 2004 Brooks/Cole-Thomson Learning

10. Endangered and Threatened Species • Threatened (vulnerable) species • species that is still abundant in its natural range but because of declining numbers is likely to become endangered in the near future. Northern spotted owl (threatened) Florida panther Florida manatee Bannerman's turaco (Africa) Gray wolf © 2004 Brooks/Cole-Thomson Learning

11. Extinction Rate • Background (natural) rate of extinction • 0.0001% per year (1/10,000) • Massextinctions Adaptive radiations - recovery after mass extinctions

12. Extinction Risks • Factors: population size, habitat, and genetics • Population viability analysis • Minimum viable population • Minimum dynamic area

13. What are some characteristics of extinction-prone species?

14. Characteristic Examples Low reproductive rate (K-strategist) Blue whale, giant panda, rhinoceros Specialized niche Blue whale, giant panda, Everglades kite Narrow distribution Many island species, elephant seal, desert pupfish Bengal tiger, bald eagle, grizzly bear Feeds at high trophic level Fixed migratory patterns Blue whale, whooping crane, sea turtles Rare Many island species, African violet, some orchids Commercially valuable Snow leopard, tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, rare plants and birds Large territories California condor, grizzly bear, Florida panther

15. Effects of Human Activities on Extinction Rates • Before humans, extinction rate was one species per million annually • Current rate of extinction is estimated at 100 to 1000 times the rate before humans • Speciation Crisis - limiting long-term recovery of biodiversity by reducing the rate of speciation for some types of species.

16. Why Should We Care About Biodiversity? • Instrumental value • their usefulness to us • Intrinsic value • they exist, regard-less of whether they have any usefulness to us

17. Instrumental Values of Biodiversity • Utilitarian (use) • Economic Goods • Food, fuel, fiber, lumber, paper, medicine, other useful products • 90% of food crops were domesticated from wild plants • A majority of our medicines were derived from plants. • Bioprospecting – evaluating species for their economic potential

18. Pacific yew Taxus brevifolia Pacific Northwest Ovarian cancer taxol

19. Cinchona Cinchona ledogeriana South America Quinine for malaria treatment

20. Rosy periwinkle Cathranthus roseus native to Madagascar Hodgkin's disease, lymphocytic leukemia

21. Neem tree Azadirachta indica native to India Treatment of many diseases, insecticide, spermicide

23. Instrumental Values of Biodiversity • Utilitarian (use) • Economic Goods • Food, fuel, fiber, lumber, paper, medicine, other useful products • 90% of food crops were domesticated from wild plants • A majority of our medicines were derived from plants. • Bioprospecting – evaluating species for their economic potential

24. Instrumental Values of Biodiversity • Utilitarian (use) • Ecological Services Flow of materials, energy, and information from the biosphere • Photosynthesis • Pollination • Soil formation • Nutrient recycling • Pest control • Climate regulation • Flood control • Waste decomposition

25. Instrumental Values of Biodiversity • Utilitarian (use) • Information • Genetic information • Scientific information • Educational information

26. Instrumental Values of Biodiversity • Utilitarian (use) • Options • People are willing to ‘pay’ for the option of using resources directly

27. Instrumental Values of Biodiversity • Utilitarian (use) • Recreation • We value recreational pleasure. • Eco-tourism • Should not cause ecological damage. • Should provide income to preserve wildlife. • Should provide funds for the purchase and maintenance of wildlife preserves and conservation programs.

28. Instrumental Values of Biodiversity • Non-utilitarian (no use) Values • Existence – value in knowing a thing exists • Aesthetic – value in the beauty • Bequest – willingness to pay to protect natural capital for future generations

29. Intrinsic Value of Biodiversity • Each species has an inherent value and right to exist that is unrelated to their usefulness to humans • Biodiversity matters and should not be depleted or degraded by our activities

30. Habitat loss Habitat degradation Overfishing Basic Causes Introducing nonnative species Climate change • Population growth • Rising resource use • No environmental accounting • Poverty Commercial hunting and poaching Pollution Sale of exotic pets and decorative plants Predator and pest control HIPPO

31. Major types of habitat disturbances • Agriculture • Commercial development • Water development • Outdoor recreation • Livestock grazing • Pollution

32. Habitat Fragmentation When a large continuous area of habitat is • reduced in area • divided into a patchwork of isolated areas or fragments

33. HABITAT FRAGMENTATION • Reduction in ranges of four wildlife species, mostly due to habitat loss and overharvest.

34. Indian Tiger Range 100 years ago Range today (about 2,300 left)

35. Black Rhino Range in 1700 Range today (about 3,600 left)

36. Probable range 1600 African Elephant Range today

37. Asian or Indian Elephant Former range Range today (34,000–54,000 left)

38. Figure 22-15Page 574 Cerulean warbler Sprague’s pipit Bichnell’s thrush Blacked-capped vireo Golden-cheeked warbler Florida scrub jay California gnatcatcher Kirtland’s warbler Henslow’s sparrow Bachman’s warbler Ten most threatened species of U.S. songbirds. Habitat loss and fragmentation most common threat.

39. Biome % of Area Disturbed Temperate broadleaf forests 94% Temperate evergreen forests 94% Temperate grasslands 72% Mixed mountain systems 71% Tropical dry forests 70% Subtropical and temperate rain forests 67% Cold deserts and semideserts 55% Mixed island systems 53% Warm deserts and semideserts 44% Tropical humid forests 37% Tropical grasslands 26% Temperate boreal forests 18% Tundra 0.7%

40. Extinction Threats from Non-native Species • After habitat loss and degradation, non-native species are the biggest cause of animal and plant extinctions. • Deliberately or accidentally introduced

41. Type of Nonnative Organism Annual Losses and Damages Crop disease $23.5 billion Crop weeds $23.4 billion Rats $19 billion Feral cats and outdoor pet cats $17 billion Crop insects $14 billion Livestock diseases $9 billion Forest insects and diseases $4.8 billion Zebra mussels $3 billion Common pigeon $1.1 billion Formosan termite $1.1 billion Fishes $1.1 billion Asian clam $1.1 billion Feral pigs $0.8 billion Starlings $0.8 billion Fire ant $0.6 billion

42. Figure 22-17 (1)Page 576 Purple loosestrife European starling African honeybee (“Killer bee”) Nutria Salt cedar (Tamarisk) Marine toad Water hyacinth Japanese beetle Hydrilla European wild boar (Feral pig) Deliberately Introduced Species

43. Figure 22-17 (2)Page 576 Sea lamprey (attached to lake trout) Argentina fire ant Brown tree snake Eurasian muffle Common pigeon (Rock dove) Gypsy moth larvae Asian long-horned beetle Formosan termite Asian tiger mosquito Zebra mussel Accidentally Introduced Species

44. Kudzu Vine

45. INVASIVE SPECIES • The Argentina fire ant was introduced to Mobile, Alabama in 1932 from South America. • Most probably from ships. • No natural predators.

46. 1918 2000 Expansion of the fire ant in southern states.

47. Characteristics of Successful Invader Species Characteristics of Ecosystems Vulnerable to Invader Species • High reproductive rate, short generation time (r-selected species) • Pioneer species • Long lived • High dispersal rate • Release growth- inhibiting chemicals into soil • Generalists • High genetic variability • Similar climate to habitat of invader • Absence of predators on invading species • Early successional species • Low diversity of native species • Absence of fire • Disturbed by human activities

49. Habitat loss Habitat degradation Overfishing Basic Causes Introducing nonnative species Climate change • Population growth • Rising resource use • No environmental accounting • Poverty Commercial hunting and poaching Pollution Sale of exotic pets and decorative plants Predator and pest control HIPPO

50. Extinction from hunting and poaching