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Exploring Conservation Biology and Biodiversity

This comprehensive outline delves into the field of Conservation Biology and Biodiversity, encompassing the essential aspects such as extinction rates, the value of biodiversity, causes of extinction, and effective conservation techniques. It emphasizes the importance of ethical principles, sustainability, and the preservation of natural resources for present and future generations. By examining the impact of habitat loss, alien species, pollution, and overexploitation, this resource aims to raise awareness about the urgent need to protect and manage biodiversity to sustain ecosystems and species diversity.

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Exploring Conservation Biology and Biodiversity

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  1. Conservation Biology

  2. Outline • Conservation Biology & Biodiversity • Extinction Rates • Value of Biodiversity • Direct Value • Indirect Value • Causes of Extinction • Habitat Loss • Alien Species • Pollution • Overexploitation • Conservation Techniques

  3. Conservation Biologyand Biodiversity • Considers all aspects of biodiversity • General goal is conserving natural resources for this and future generations • Primary goal is the management of biodiversity for sustainable use by humans

  4. Conservation Biology and Biodiversity • Conservation biology supports certain ethical principles • Biodiversity is desirable for the biosphere • Extinctions due to human actions are undesirable • Ecosystem interactions supporting biodiversity are desirable • Biodiversity brought about by evolutionary change has value in and of itself

  5. Biodiversity • At its simplest level, biodiversity is the variety of species on Earth • Estimated that between 5 and 15 million species currently exist • Genetic diversity refers to variations among the members of a population • Community diversity increases biodiversity • Landscape diversity involves a group of interacting ecosystems

  6. Number of Described Species

  7. Biodiversity • Biodiversity hotspots • Contain about 20% of earth’s species • Represent only about 1% of earth’s land area

  8. Eagles and Bears Feed on Spawning Salmon

  9. Value of Biodiversity • Direct Value • Medicinal Value • Agricultural Value • Crops • Biological Pest Controls • Pollinators • Consumptive Use Value • Wood • Skins

  10. Direct Value of Wildlife

  11. Value of Biodiversity • Indirect Value • Biogeochemical Cycles • Waste Disposal • Provision of Fresh Water • Prevention of Soil Erosion • Regulation of Climate • Ecotourism

  12. Indirect Value of Ecosystems

  13. Causes of Extinction • Habitat Loss • Occurs in all ecosystems • Recent concern focused on tropical rain forests and coral reefs • Habitat Fragmentation

  14. Habitat Loss

  15. Alien Species • Nonnative species that move, or are moved, into a new ecosystem • Often have competitive edge against native species • Avenues of Human Introduction • Colonization • Horticulture and Agriculture • Accidental Transport

  16. Alien Species

  17. Pollution • Any environmental change that adversely affects living things • Acid Deposition • Eutrophication • Ozone Depletion • Organic Chemicals • Global Warming

  18. Global Warming

  19. Overexploitation • When the harvest is so great that the population becomes severely reduced in numbers • The market forces driving the harvest: • Exotic Pets • Hunting / Poaching • Over-Harvesting Fisheries

  20. Trawling

  21. Conservation Techniques • Habitat Preservation • Keystone Species • Metapopulations • Small populations isolated because of habitat fragmentation • Source Populations • Sink Populations

  22. Habitat Preservation

  23. Conservation Techniques • Landscape Preservation • Landscape protection for one species benefits other wildlife in the same space • Edge Effect • The edge around a patch of habitat has conditions different from the patch interior • Edge does not count as effective habitat for species requiring the conditions of the interior

  24. Edge Effect

  25. Conservation Techniques • Computer Analyses • Gap Analysis • Find gaps in preservation efforts • Try to identify areas where biodiversity is high outside of currently preserved areas • Population Viability Analysis • Determine how much habitat a species requires to maintain itself

  26. Conservation Techniques • Habitat Restoration - Three Principles • Begin as soon as possible before remaining fragments are lost • Once natural history is understood, use biological techniques to mimic natural processes • Goal is sustainable usage

  27. Restoration of the Everglades

  28. Review • Conservation Biology & Biodiversity • Extinction Rates • Value of Biodiversity • Direct Value • Indirect Value • Causes of Extinction • Habitat Loss • Alien Species • Pollution • Overexploitation • Conservation Techniques

  29. Conservation Biology

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