Unit 3:Populations Chapter 10: Biodiversity

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Unit 3PopulationsChapter 10 Biodiversity

• C/S 10.1 What is Biodiversity?
• C/S 10.2 Biodiversity at Risk
• C/S 10.3 The Future of Biodiversity

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C/S 10.1 What is Biodiversity?

• How involved should we be when it comes to
  plant/animal extinctions?
• A World Rich in Biodiversity (biological
  diversity)
• Start by cataloging species (Figure 1)
• It is unknown exactly how many species there are
  (estimated 10 million). We know of 1.7 million,
  most of which are insects.
• Levels of Biodiversity
• Species Diversity - the differences between
  populations of species and different species
• Ecosystem Diversity - the variety of habitats,
  communities, and ecological processes w/in and
  b/t ecosystems
• Genetic Diversity - the different genes (the DNA
  codes for a specific trait, inherited) w/in
  members of a population

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C/S 10.1 What is Biodiversity?

• Benefits of Biodiversity
• Every species is dependent or depends on another
  species
• What happens when a species (plant/animal)
  disappears?
• What is a keystone species? (think of a keystone
  in an arch)
• Once a population reaches its critical point
  (bottleneck in figure 4) it is difficult to
  recover and be healthy, typically diseases will
  be passed on due to inbreeding
• About 1/4 of all medicines are derived from
  plants
• Most antibiotics come from fungi
• Zoopharmacognosy - learning about medicinal
  plants by observing animals.
• Many plant foods that we eat today originated
  someplace else and was adapted to be grown in
  different areas Hybrid
• Why is it a good idea to grow the same plant in
  different areas?
• What are some reasons for preserving different
  plants/ animals.

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C/S 10.2 Biodiversity at Risk

• What is a mass extinction and how long does it
  take to rebound?
• Current Extinctions
• In current times humans are the primary cause of
  extinctions
• Large population species are at the least risk of
  extinction, small population and migrating
  species are at the greatest risk
• How do Humans Cause Extinctions
• Table 3
• Habitat loss causes 75 of extinctions
• What is one problem that cougars have with people
  building in the wilderness?
• What are some methods of extinction?
• What is wrong with exotic species being
  introduces into a new area?
• How can hunting/poaching lead to extinction?
• What is wrong with pesticides or other chemicals?

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C/S 10.2 Biodiversity at Risk

• Areas of Critical Biodiversity
• Because plants form the basis of ecosystems the
  numbers of endemic plants are used to determine
  the health of an ecosystem
• Tropical rain forests cover 7 of Earth's
  surfacecontain 50 of Earth's species
• Coral reefs are the tropical rain forests of the
  marine world.
• Almost 60 of coral reefs are threatened
• Also in trouble are swamps, marshes, shores, and
  kelp beds
• Islands hold a very distinct, captive, set of
  species
• There are 25 biodiversity hotspots
• High numbers of endemic species but also
  threatened by humans
• Lost at least 70 of original natural vegetation
• Last sentence on p. 250 in text
• The California Floristic Province (Hotspot)
• 3,488 native plant species gt 2,124 endemic gt 565
  threatened/endangered
• Threats are agriculture, housing, dams,
  construction, water overuse, destructive
  recreation, mining POPULATION GROWTH

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C/S 10.3 The Future of Biodiversity

• Saving Species One at a Time
• Captive Breeding Programs
• Captive breeding programs are focused on bringing
  a decimated species population back to
  sustainable levels and re-introducing them to
  their natural habitat.
• Give an example
• Preserving Genetic Material
• Material may be stored as seeds, sperm, eggs, or
  pure DNA
• Germ plasm is typically stored in a controlled
  environment super-cooled
• Zoos, Aquariums, Parks, and Gardens
• What was the original idea of Zoos?
• What is the new improved role zoos play in our
  ecosystem?
• More Study Needed
• Better more productive methods are needed to
  preserve species because of disease and
  inbreeding in small populations.
• What is the easiest way to fix the species
  extinction problem?

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C/S 10.3 The Future of Biodiversity

• Preserving Habitats and Ecosystems
• In order to save a species one needs to do more
  than just focus on the species one need to also
  focus on the species habitat.
• Conservation Strategies
• Priority given to ecosystem
• 1st Identify areas that can be preserved and/or
  restored and linked.
• 2nd Promote sustainable farming/land-use
  practices.
• More Study Needed
• It is necessary to have knowledge on species
  being protected.
• How much land needed?
• How much use can the ecosystem withstand?

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C/S 10.3 The Future of Biodiversity

• Legal Protection for Species
• US Laws
• Endangered Species Act (1973) - Table 4 p 255
• 1st Provision USFWS must list all endangered and
  threatened species in US 983 plants and animals
  (2002).
• 2nd Provision Protects listed species from human
  harm.
• 3rd Provision Federal Govt cannot carry out any
  projects that may cause harm to listed species.
• Recovery and Habitat Conservation Plans
• 4th Provision A species recovery plan must be
  drawn up for each species.
• What does this plan include?
• How can this be controversial?

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C/S 10.3 The Future of Biodiversity

• International Cooperation
• Globally it is the International Union for the
  Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
  (IUCN).
• What do they do or how do they operate?
• International Trade and Poaching
• How did the CITES (Convention on International
  Trade in Endangered Species) treaty help to save
  Elephants?
• The Biodiversity Treaty
• Developed at Earth Summit 1992 in Rio de Janeiro,
  Brazil.
• More than 100 world leaders and 30,000 other
  participants.

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C/S 10.3 The Future of Biodiversity

• Private Conservation Efforts
• World Wildlife Fund Sustainable use of
  resources, wildlife protection.
• Nature Consevancy Helped to purchase millions
  of hectares of habitat preserves in 29 countries.
• Conservation International helps identify
  biodiversity hotspots and develop ecosystem
  conservation.
• Greenpeace International Organizes, directs,
  and sometimes confronts organizations with
  environmentally harmful actions.
• Balancing Human Needs
• What needs to be done
• Make biodiversity value known.
• Compromise human needs with biodiversity/human
  needs.