Chapter 18 Conservation of Biodiversity

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Chapter 18 Conservation of Biodiversity
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The 6th Mass Extinction

• Extinction- when there are no longer any of the
  species in the world.
• We are currently losing approximately 50,000
  species per year.

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Characteristics of organisms that make them
susceptible to extinction

• Specialized feeding or food source
• Requires a large territory
• Preys on livestock/people
• Competes with humans
• Low reproductive rate
• Exploited for economic value
• Large size and slow speed
• Limited range of tolerance
• Small population linked to low genetic
  biodiverstiy

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Arguments in favor of preserving biodiversity

• Ecosystem function and/or stability based on
  organisms role
• Future medical resources
• Future food resources
• Economic potential(ecotourism, future products)
• Good for recreation (hunting, fishing, hiking)
• Scenic or aesthetic value
• Intrinsic value/ethical reasons
• Provides resources for indigenous people

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Genetic Diversity

• Scientists want to conserve genetic diversity so
  that the species can survive environmental change
  and inbreeding will not occur.
• Inbreeding occurs when individuals with similar
  genotypes, generally relatives, breed with each
  other. This concentrates harmful genes and leads
  to harmful defects.

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Categories of Endangerment

• Extinct- no known species exist today
• Threatened- species with a high risk of
  extinction in the future
• Near-threatened- species that are likely to
  become threatened in the future
• Least concern- species are widespread and abundant

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HIPPCO

• H- Habitat Loss
• I- Invasive Species
• P- Population Growth
• P- Pollution
• C- Climate Change
• O- Overharvested

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Habitat Loss

• For most species the greatest cause of decline
  and extinction is habitat loss.
• Most habitat loss is due to human development

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Invasive Species

• Alien species (exotic species)- species that live
  outside their historical range.
• Invasive species- when alien species spread
  rapidly across large areas.
• Ex- Kudzu Vine, Zebra Mussel, Silver Carp

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Pollution
Population Growth

• Habitat Loss, Invasive Species, Pollution,
  Climate change, and overharvesting are all
  problems caused by human population which is not
  declining.

• Threats to biodiversity can come from toxic
  contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals,
  acids, and oil spills.

Climate Change

• The concern is how climate change will affect
  temperature and precipitation around the world,
  and how this will impact biodiversity.

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Overharvesting

• When individuals of a species are removed at a
  rate faster than the population can replace them.
• Ex- Dodo, American bison, passenger pigeon.

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Lacey Act
Plant and Animal Trade

• For some species, legal and illegal trade in
  plants and animals represent a serious threat to
  their ability to persist in nature.

• One of the earliest laws in the U.S. to control
  the trade of wildlife.
• First passed in 1900, the act prohibited the
  transport of illegally harvested game animals,
  primarily birds and mammals, across state lines.

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CITES

• Convention on International Trade in Endangered
  Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
• Developed in 1973 to control the international
  trade of threatened plants and animals.
• Today, CITIES is an international agreement
  between 175 countries of the world.

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Red List

• The International Union for Conservation of
  Nature (IUCN) keeps a list of threatened species,
  known as the Red List.
• Each country has its own way to monitor and
  regulate the import and export of animals on the
  list. Ex. US Fish and Wildlife Service.

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How to conserve Biodiversity?

• Single Species Approach When a species
  declines to threatened or endangered, the
  populaiton is encouraged to rebound by improving
  conditions in which it lives. Ex remove
  contaminant or increase habitat.
• Ecosystem Approach A type of natural resource
  planning and management, or treatment that
  ensures consideration of the relationship between
  all organisms (including humans) and their
  environment.

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Conservation Legislation

• Marine Mammal Protection Act 1972- prohibits the
  killing of all marine mammals in the U.S. and
  prohibits the import or export of any marine
  mammal body parts.

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Endangered Species Act

• Endangered Species Act- first passed in 1973, it
  authorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to
  determine which species can be listed as
  threatened or endangered and prohibits the
  harming of these species.
• Trading these species is also illegal.
• The act also authorizes the government to
  purchase habitat that is critical to the species.

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Convention on Biological Diversity

• In 1992, nations came together and made a treaty
  to protect biodiversity internationally.
• The treaty had three objectives conserve
  biodiversity, sustainably use biodiversity, and
  equitably share the benefits that emerge from the
  commercial use of genetic resources such as
  pharmaceutical drugs.
• 2002 developed a plan to achieve a substantial
  reduction in biodiversity loss by 2010. In 2010
  they concluded the goal had not been met.

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Convention on Biological Diversity
Trends found from 2002 to 2010

• On average species at risk of extinction have
  moved closer to extinction.
• ¼ of all plants are still threatened with
  extinction.
• Natural habitats are becoming smaller and more
  fragmented.
• The genetic diversity of crops and livestock is
  still declining.
• There is a widespread loss of ecosystem function
• The causes of biodiversity loss are the same or
  increasing.
• The ecological footprint of humans has increased.

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Changes in protected land worldwide.
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Size, Shape and Connectedness

• Theory of island Biogeography How the size of a
  habitat and distance from others affects species
  richness.
• When designing and managing protected areas we
  must consider how close to another area they
  should be, how large the area is, and the amount
  of edge habitat the area contains.
• Edge habitat- the area where two different
  communities come together, typically forming an
  abrupt transition. Ex. A grassy field meeting a
  forest.

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Biosphere Reserves

• Protected areas consisting of zones that vary in
  the amount of permissible human impact.