Conservation as a MultiDisciplinary Effort

1
Conservation as a Multi-Disciplinary Effort
20 Aug 2009
2
(No Transcript)
3
Name That Dead Conservationist
4
(No Transcript)
5
John Muir

• Began formal debate on the best use of nature
  natural resources.
• Father of preservationism nature should be
  preserved in an undisturbed state.
• Founder of the Sierra Club (1892) modern NGO
  model.

(1838-1914)
6
(No Transcript)
7
Gifford Pinchot

• Father of the Resource Conservation Ethic the
  greatest good, for the greatest number, for the
  longest time.
• Efficiency (maximum sustained yield) equity
  (sustainable use).
• Organized US Forest Service, under Theodore
  Roosevelt.

(1865-1946)
8
(No Transcript)
9
Aldo Leopold

• Holistic focus on ecosystem processes.
• First to systematically combine science ethics.
• Land Ethic (A Sand County Almanac)
• wildlife game management

(1887-1948)
10
(No Transcript)
11
Rachel Carson

• Raised public awareness of environmental issues
  with popular writings.
• Silent Spring (1962)
• chronic effects of pesticides on ecosystems
  human health (bio-amplification still a major
  problem)
• Basis for environmental law.

(1907-1964)
12
William McDonough
Alive!

• Green architect designer.
• The Next Industrial Revolution.
• Cradle to Cradle
• 100 efficient infrastructure
• McDonough Partners

13
Wangari Maathai

• Green Belt Movement.
• grassroots environmentalism in Africa
• gt20 million trees planted in Kenya
• education employment of African women
• 2004 Nobel Peace Prize

14
Ted Ames

• Use of local knowledge in scientific research.
• historical contemporary models of Atlantic cod
• integration of conventional science anecdotal
  data
• Penobscot East Resource Center
• 2005 MacArthur Fellow

15
Ducks Unlimited

• c. 175 million / year on wetland conservation.
• gt12.5 million acres of habitat (2007)
• c. 775,000 members.
• Ecosystem service markets.
• carbon sequestration credits
• water quality

16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
Avg. no. activities 6
21
(No Transcript)
22
Conservation Biology is

• interdisciplinary
• a trial-and-error process
• a science of innovation opportunity
• there are relatively few rules

23
Primary Objectives of C.B.

• Document all biological diversity on Earth.
• Understand how humans impact species (including
  their genetics), communities, ecosystem
  function (i.e. biodiversity).
• Develop practical methods to protect restore
  biological diversity.

24
Why do we need to do these things?
Because biological diversity is valuable.
25
4 Types of Value

• Direct use value
• food timber
• Indirect use value
• water quality, recreation
• Option value
• pharmaceuticals
• Existence value

26
Gifford Pinchot

• Father of the Resource Conservation Ethic the
  greatest good, for the greatest number, for the
  longest time.
• Efficiency (maximum sustained yield) equity
  (sustainable use).
• Organized US Forest Service, under Theodore
  Roosevelt.

(1865-1946)
27
100 Smurfs
1 Smurf 1 lb. gold 1 oz. gold
939 therefore 1 Smurf 15,024 (1.5 million
for all 100)
28
100 Smurfs
1 Smurf 1 lb. gold 1 oz. gold
939 therefore 1 Smurf 15,024 (1.5 million
for all 100)
29
100 Smurfs
Ad revenues 1 million / week therefore 1 Smurf
is worth 10,000 / week or 52,000 / year
1 Smurf 1 lb. gold 1 oz. gold
939 therefore 1 Smurf 15,024 (1.5 million
for all 100)
30
Averting the Tragedythe Tlingit example
31
Conditions to Avert the Tragedy

• Boundaries of the resource clearly defined.
• Explicit rules to determine how groups value
  parcel the resource.
• Site-specific knowledge of resource constraints,
  promoting economic efficiency.
• Resources dedicated to monitoring the resource,
  and enforcing rules.
• Market system to facilitate bargaining.
• Rules are immune to external governance.

32
4 Types of Value

• Direct use value
• food timber
• Indirect use value
• water quality, recreation
• Option value
• pharmaceuticals
• Existence value

33
Aldo Leopold

• Holistic focus on ecosystem processes.
• First to systematically combine science ethics.
• Land Ethic (A Sand County Almanac)

(1887-1948)
34
Aldo Leopold
For one species to mourn the death of another is
a new thing under the sun. The Cro-Magnon who
slew the last mammoth thought only of steaks.
But we, who have lost our pigeons, mourn the
loss. Had the funeral been ours, the pigeons
would have hardly mourned us. In this fact . . .
lies objective evidence of our superiority over
beasts.
(1887-1948)
35
Even if there is no benefit to us. . .

• All species have the right to exist.
• Humans have a responsibility to act as stewards
  of the Earth.
• Humans have a responsibility to future
  generations.
• Nature has spiritual aesthetic value that
  transcends its economic value.

36
Religion and Conservation

• Judeo-Christian tradition
• I will remember my covenant between me and you
  and all living creatures of every kind. Never
  again shall the waters become a flood to destroy
  all life. (Genesis 915)
• Islam
• Hinduism
• Buddhism

37
(No Transcript)
38
Survivorship Curves
Type I
Type II
Surviving
Type III
Age
39
Survivorship Curves
100
United States (2000) IMR lt 0.001
Sierra Leone (2000) IMR 14
Surviving
17th Century England
0
0
100
Age
40
(No Transcript)
41
Does all of this really matter?
What if I dont care about biological diversity,
or the outdoors, or ecosystem processes?
42
Reading Assignments

• Read text p. 57-60, 95-102, 205-212, 235-238,
  285-287.
• Email 1-paragraph personal profile w/ photo to
  McGarvey by Friday (1st quiz)