HOW DO WE CONSERVE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY?

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HOW DO WE CONSERVE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY?

• 5 Strategies to Keeping Species Alive

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1. Protected Areas

• Governments set aside land to protect species
• Provincial and National Parks
• Allow animals to live in relatively undisturbed
  environments
• 244 540 square kilometers of Canada is national
  park land

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Canadian National Parks Map
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List of National Parks in Western Canada

• Banff
• Jasper
• Waterton Lakes
• Elk Island
• Wood Buffalo
• Glacier
• Gulf Islands
• Kootenay
• Mount Revelstoke
• Yoho

• Gwaii Haanas
• Pacific Rim
• Riding Mountain
• Wapusk
• Grasslands
• Prince Albert
• Ivvavik
• Kluane
• Vuntut
• Nahanni

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In-Situ Conservation

• Provincial and National Parks are examples of
  in-situ conservation
• These areas keep species in their natural
  environments rather than removing them

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Establishing Wildlife Corridors

• Corridors are important to share genetic
  information between populations
• All levels of government must work together to
  make these work

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2. Restoration of Ecosystems and Species

• There are various programs to restore endangered
  species and their habitats
• Could be charities, non-profit organizations,
  volunteer groups or private citizens doing the
  restorations
• Some examples include

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Ducks Unlimited Canada

• Conserves wetlands and other habitats for
  Canadas waterfowl - ducks, geese, loons, etc.
• Private non-profit organization
• www.ducks.ca

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Nature Conservancy of Canada

• Purchases land and turns it into an area to
  protect habitat and endangered species
• Owns about 1.8 million acres of Canada
• www.natureconservancy.ca

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Friends of Fish Creek

• protect, preserve, and enhance the diverse
  natural and human history found in Fish Creek
  Provincial Park.
• Non-profit and volunteer-driven
• www.friendsoffishcreek.org

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World Wildlife Fund

• stop the degradation of the planet's natural
  environment and to build a future in which humans
  live in harmony with nature
• Protects 96 millions acres in Canada through
  endangered species programs
• www.wwf.ca

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3. Resource Use Policies

• Governments pass laws to protect species that are
  endangered or threatened
• These laws say that these species cannot be
  hunted or captured

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Species at Risk Act

• Passed by the Canadian government in June 2004
• framework for actions across Canada to ensure
  the survival of wildlife species and the
  protection of our natural heritage
• To see a copy of this legislation, go to
  http//www.sararegistry.gc.ca/the_act/HTML/Guide_e
  .cfm

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Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in
Canada (COSEWIC)

• This is the national committee that studies
  organisms across Canada
• Determines whether or not organisms need to be
  protected by law
• Currently there are 456 Species at Risk in Canada
  (including 67 mammals and 60 birds)
• If people harm animals protected by this law,
  they face up to a 250 000 fine and/or up to five
  years in prison

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4. Controlling the Spread of Exotic Species

• A new species in an environment can have
  disastrous consequences
• There are two examples of this

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Purple Loosestrife

• Introduced to Alberta from Europe in the 1800s
• A plant that lives near wetlands
• Nothing eats this plant or uses it for shelter
• Purple loosestrife will reduce the size of
  natural plant communities
• Important to control this plant so that wetlands
  can continue to flourish

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Rabbits in Australia

• Englishman Thomas Austin brought 24 rabbits into
  Australia in 1859 because he was homesick
• These 24 rabbits reproduced and soon after the
  species was found all across the continent
• Rabbits would eat the grass and kill trees by
  stripping their bark
• Ate grass that should have been for sheep this
  cut down on Australias wool exports

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Controlling Rabbits in Australia

• Government gave rewards to people who killed
  rabbits
• Built a 2000 mile fence to protect key cereal
  crops
• In 1950, the government introduced a virus that
  killed rabbits
• As of 1997, there were still 300 million rabbits

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Rabbits in Australia

• http//rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects/rabbits/
  history.html

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5. Conservation of Genetic Resources

• These involve any activity that helps to store
  the genetic variations of as many of the worlds
  species as possible
• Ex-Situ Conservation the maintenance of
  organisms outside of their ecosystems
• Two examples are SEED BANKS and ZOOS

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Seed Banks

• Established to gather and store seeds from plants
  that are threatened by extinction
• Scientists are able to preserve the genetic
  diversity of many plant species
• One of the largest is the Royal Botanic Gardens
  in London, England

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Zoos

• The Calgary Zoo performs many functions
• Educational institution for children to visit
• Supports biodiversity research going on around
  the world
• Part of a worldwide network to protect and
  preserve endangered animals
• Share animals with zoos around the world to
  maintain the genetic diversity

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Panda Bears
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Our Trips to the Zoo
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Do we need Zoos?

• PROS
• Provide a place for animals with damaged or
  limited habitat
• Maintain biodiversity with animal breeding
  programs
• Supports research to re-establish extirpated
  species

• CONS
• Animals are put in enclosures so humans can
  observe them, causing stress to the animals
• Many animals wont breed in captivity so their
  genes are lost
• Money spent on zoos would be better spent
  protecting natural habitats