Success Criteria Describe the need for conservation of: Students will be assessed on their ability to: Describe the need for conservation of: - species and their habitats - natural resources (water) - and non-renewable materials including fossil fuels Explain how limited and nonrenewable resources can be recycled: - recycling of paper - treatment of sewage to make the water that it contains safe to return to the environment or for human use

GLOBAL WARMING © 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

Since the Industrial Revolution Concentration of Carbon Dioxide from trapped air measurements for the DE08 ice core near the summit of Law Dome, Antarctica. (Data measured by CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research from ice cores supplied by Australian Antarctic Division)

Is it really getting warmer 1979 2003 © NASA

The consequences Sea level rise Flooding coastal areas Reduced agricultural land Displacement of populations Climate change Displacement of ecosystems Change in range of insect vectors of pathogens Reduced biodiversity © 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

The consequences Increased rates of photosynthesis Increased agricultural production at high latitudes BUT faster growth means: less protein in cereals trees taller and more exposed to storm damage © 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

Knock-on effects Increased temperature melts the permafrost Frozen plant remains decompose More methane released Similarly soils will lose organic carbon (humus) more rapidly in a warmer climate Ice caps melt more sea exposed Snow reflects light (high albedo) Water absorbs light, increases warming More CO2 dissolving in water lowers pH Currently this is buffered and remains stable Eventually pH will drop sea life will die CO2 produced as organisms decompose © 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

What can be done? Reduce carbon emissions Improve mass transport systems (public transport) Design more efficient motors Design alternative power sources Hydrogen powered motors BUT problems of fuel reservoir, delivery, fabrication Renewable energy (wind, tidal, hydro, geothermal, biomass) BUT growing crops for biofuel reduces farmland available for food Hydroelectric dams disrupt river ecosystems Nuclear power BUT problems of nuclear waste treatment/storage © 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

What can be done? Increase natural CO2 sequestering Reduce deforestation Increase reforestation © 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

What can be done? Artificial CO2 sequestering Filter CO2 sources using hydroxide scrubbers Injection of CO2 into deep ocean layers Forms CO2 reservoirs Impact on sea life unknown Injecting CO2 into disused oil wells Mineral deposition as carbonates © 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

The bottom line Two factors will ultimately govern what happens: 1. Human population growth More people means greater demand for non-renewable resources 2. The ecological footprint of each individual human Higher standards of living usually means higher consumption of fossil fuels The planet will look after itself in the end There are plenty of examples where human communities have disappeared because they outstripped the environmental resources © 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

The planet will look after itself in the end Easter Island (Rapanui) in the Pacific Settled between AD900 and 1200 Community in severe decline AD 1700 Cause: excessive deforestation The Moai statues, Easter Island © Martin Gray, World Mysteries © Text 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

The planet will look after itself in the end Chaco Canyon, New Mexico Anasazi culture AD 850 – 1250 Cause: Deforestation combined with a decline in rainfall © New Mexico Tourism Department © Text 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

The planet will look after itself in the end Mesopotamia Sumerian civilization 3100 – 1200 BC Increased salt levels in soil due to irrigation systems & arid environment Reduced food yield © Asociación Cultural Nueva Acrópolis en Barcelona © Text 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

The planet will look after itself in the end Greenland Viking colony AD982 – 1350 Cause: Deforestation, soil degradation & cooling of the climate © Emporia State University © Text 2007 Paul Billiet ODWS

Who’s next? forumpolitics.com/pics/earth-photo.jpg © NASA

Management of Resources Humans obtain resources from the Earth. This has led to the destruction of habitats. This has led to a decrease in species diversity. Resources are managed for: Agriculture Forestry Fish stocks SPECIES DIVERSITY:  variety of species present in a given area. Conservation is important to prevent the loss of resources and wildlife.

Poor management of resources Overfishing in the North Sea Destruction of rainforests Overuse of land, leading to desert soils. Solutions Have fish quotas, or increase net mesh to allow smaller fish to survive Produce food more efficiently to limit areas being logged for agriculture. Set aside areas as national parks. Use different agricultural practices, such as crop rotation and natural fertilisers.

Overfishing in North Sea Solutions? Have fish quotas Increase net mesh size to allow smaller fish to survive Great Yarmouth 2008 1 boat 1955 >1000 boats http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1575561/Town's-last-fishing-boat-fights-tide-and-time.html

Destruction of rainforests Solutions? Produce food more efficiently to limit areas being logged for agriculture Set aside areas as National Parks

Deforestation (inc rainforests) Problems: Reduces photosynthesis which removes CO2 Reduces the rate at which carbon dioxide, CO2 , is “locked up” in wood Satellite images show logged areas are much greater than thought. http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/forests/problems

These statements about the effects of deforestation are all mixed up These statements about the effects of deforestation are all mixed up. Put them in the correct order. Trees are removed. B. New trees grow more slowly and there are less species. C. Soil is now less fertile and the unprotected surface becomes dry and compacted. D. Trees do not protect soil so nutrients are washed out by the rain. E. It is hard for rain to soak into the soil, so flooding may occur.

Overuse of land, leading to desert soils http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/desertification/22# Solutions? Use different agricultural practices such as crop rotation and natural fertilisers Plant shelter beds of trees, grass cover, develop irrigation schemes

Managing land for agriculture Farmers need to control: Nutrient supply Addition of fertilisers – natural and artificial The habitat of the plant Clearing land of competitors (kills weeds) Cultivation (fertiliser, soil pH, water content) Erects fences (keeps out herbivores) and scarecrows whilst planting (birds) Sprays crop with pesticides (kills insects, fungi)

Sewage Treatment 1. Large object such as sticks screened out of raw sewage. 2. Suspended grit allowed to settle out by gravity in grit settling tank. 3. Organic matter allowed to settle out by gravity in sludge-settling tank – after digestion in a sludge digester, sludge can be used as fertiliser on farmland – methane gas can also be generated for fuel. 4. Remaining liquid sprinkled on to the top of an aeration tank containing stone – microorganisms (protoctists and aerobic bacteria) on surface of stones digest any remaining organic mater. 5. Water passing out may be chlorinated to kill any bacteria, so it is safe to drink.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaXth88i7rk

CONSERVATION

In situ Ex situ In situ: Conservation of species in their natural habitat E.g. natural parks, nature reserves Ex situ: Conserving species in isolation of their natural habitat E.g. zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

In situ conservation Setting up wild life reserves is not just a matter of building a fence around an area and letting it grow “wild” Without grazing animals heathlands which contain a number of rare species will revert to woodland © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

Nature reserves and national parks First the area that is suitable for the creation of a reserve has to be identified and delimited This requires surveys to collect data on key species Property may have to be expropriated A legal framework may need to be set up to control human activities in the area and in it’s immediate surroundings (set up of quotas) Policing the area may also be necessary © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

Les Ecrins National Park, France Buffer zone Park © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

Nature reserves and national parks If part of the area has been degraded due to bad land use it may need restoring Alien species that have penetrated the area may need excluding or eliminating Constant management will be needed to maintain the habitat of the species being conserved © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

The advantages of in situ conservation The species will have all the resources that it is adapted too The species will continue to evolve in their environment The species have more space Bigger breeding populations can be kept It is cheaper to keep an organism in its natural habitat Wordpress.com © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

However there are problems It is difficult to control illegal exploitation (e.g. poaching) The environment may need restoring and alien species are difficult to control Sciencemuseum.org © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

Ex situ conservation Captive breeding The Hawaiian goose was practically extinct in the wild 12 birds were taken into captivity A population of 9000 was released back into the wild The experiment failed because the original cause rats had not been eliminated. The rats eat the eggs and the nestlings of the geese State Symbols USA © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

Pere David’s deer success or failure? Pere David’s deer was a native species of China In 1865 18 were taken into zoological collections Meanwhile it became extinct in the wild By 1981 there were 994 individuals scattered through zoological collections America Zoo © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

Ex situ conservation Captive breeding of endangered species is a last resort These species have already reached the point where their populations would not recover in the wild It works well for species that are easily bred in captivity but more specialised animals are difficult to keep (aye aye) Isolated in captivity they do not evolve with their environment © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

Zoos: The land of the living dead? They have a very small gene pool in which to mix their genes Inbreeding is a serious problem Zoos and parks try to solve this by exchanging specimens or by artificial insemination where it is possible In vitro fertilisation and fostering by a closely related species has even been tried (Indian Guar – large species of cattle - cloned) Even if it is possible to restore a population in captivity the natural habitat may have disappeared in the wild Species that rely on this much help are often considered to be “the living dead” © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

Botanical gardens Botanical gardens show the same problems as captive breeding of animals Originally the role of botanical gardens was economic, pharmaceutical and aesthetic There range of species collected was limited The distribution of botanical gardens reflects the distribution of colonial powers Most are found in Europe and North America But plant diversity is greatest in the tropics © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

Seed banks Seeds can be maintained for decades or even centuries if the conditions are controlled <5% humidity and –20°C Not all species are suited to this treatment Seeds need to be regularly germinated to renew stock or the seeds will eventually loose their viability Seed banks are at risk from power failure, natural disasters and war Duplicate stocks can be maintained Seeds kept in seed banks do not evolve with changes in the environment © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

The doomsday vault - Spitzbergen BBC Bergen Nat Acc of Arts

International agencies CITES (The Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species) Set up in 1988 to control and encourage the sustainable exploitation of species The CITES conferences determine the status of a species and whether or not its exploitation requires regulation Species are placed into different appendices depending on their status CITES © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

CITES Appendices Appendix 1: Total ban on exploitation Appendix 2: Limited exploitation subject to quotas Appendix 3: Species requiring protection in certain states only Species are reassessed every 2 years © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature formerly World Wildlife Fund) Set up in 1961 as a non-governmental organisation Raises funds for conservation Lobbies parliaments for conservation Runs education programmes Provides advice to government conservation agencies Raises awareness on conservation issues WWF © 2008 Paul Billiet ODWS

In your groups, create a mini poster to present solutions or management strategies to one of these major issues. Forestry Agriculture Fish stocks