Biodiversity: Genetic Variation & Habitat Loss Wednesday, February 1st, 2017 & Friday February 3rd, 2017

WHAT CAN WE DO? Eight Priorities for Protecting Biodiversity Take immediate action to preserve world’s biological hot spots. Keep intact remaining old growth. Complete mapping of world’s biodiversity for inventory and decision making. Determine world’s marine hot spots. Concentrate on protecting and restoring lake and river systems (most threatened ecosystems).

Ensure that the full range of the earths ecosystems are included in global conservation strategy. Make conservation profitable. Initiate ecological restoration products to heal some of the damage done and increase share of earth’s land and water allotted to the rest of nature.

Biodiversity: Tree Activity D – Douglas Fir                   L – Lodge pole Pine N – Noble Fir                       WP – Western White Pine C – Western Red Cedar      B – Big leaf Maple M – Vine maples                  WD – Western Dogwood H – Western Hemlock         WF – White Fir Everyone's card should be D side face up. Go around the room and 'meet' 3 different people. Write their names on a page in your notebook and return to your seat. Monoculture vs Old Growth Forest

Monoculture vs Old Growth Forest Biodiversity Activity D – Douglas Fir                   L – Lodge pole Pine N – Noble Fir                       WP – Western White Pine C – Western Red Cedar      B – Big leaf Maple M – Vine maples                  WD – Western Dogwood H – Western Hemlock         WF – White Fir Flip your card over. Now, go around the room and 'meet' 3 different people again. Write their names on your piece of paper and return to your seat. Monoculture vs Old Growth Forest

Why didn’t all the trees in the Old Growth Forest get the disease? Discuss with your group and in your notebook.... Answer these questions What difference did you notice in the number of trees that were infected with the disease between the monoculture Douglas Fir forest and the Old Growth Forest?  Why didn’t all the trees in the Old Growth Forest get the disease?

Discuss with your group and in your notebook.... Answer these questions In which type of forest would you need to use more chemicals to control disease? Why? Which forest would you expect to have the greater animal diversity? Why?

Currently logged forests are replanted with a single type of tree (harvesting a single type of tree is easier, faster & cheaper). If the variety of trees in a forest are cut down and replanted with 1 type of tree, what will happen to much of the wildlife that was adapted to that forest?

6. Many species can only live/reproduce in one type of forest 6. Many species can only live/reproduce in one type of forest. The spotted owl is an example: it can only live and successfully reproduce in old growth forests. If these old growth forests are cut down, it’s unlikely this owl will survive. Environmentalists call it an “indicator species.” What does this mean? Why be concerned about one species? 7. If you wanted to help wildlife, what would you do with regards to the landscaping of your own home?

Genetic Biodiversity Biological evolution by natural selection involves the change in a population’s genetic makeup through successive generations. genetic variability Mutations: random changes in the structure or number of DNA molecules in a cell that can be inherited by offspring. A population’s ability to adapt to new environmental conditions through natural selection is limited by its gene pool and how fast it can reproduce. Humans have a relatively slow generation time (decades) and output (# of young) versus some other species.

GEOLOGIC PROCESSES, CLIMATE CHANGE, CATASTROPHES, AND EVOLUTION The movement of tectonic plates, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes can wipe out existing species and help form new ones. The locations of continents and oceanic basins influence climate. The movement of continents have allowed species to move. Asteroids and meteorites hitting the earth and upheavals of the earth from geologic processes have wiped out large numbers of species and created evolutionary opportunities by natural selection of new species.

SPECIATION, EXTINCTION, AND BIODIVERSITY Speciation: A new species can arise when member of a population become isolated for a long period of time. Genetic makeup changes, preventing them from producing fertile offspring with the original population if reunited.

Geographic Isolation …can lead to reproductive isolation, divergence of gene pools and speciation.

HUMAN IMPACTS ON TERRESTRIAL BIODIVERSITY

Causes of Loss of Biodiversity: HIPPO Habitat Loss: Greatest cause of decline & extinction Primary cause – human development that removes natural habitats Alteration (deforestation, damming) has an effect as well Reduction in size of habitat can also lead to extinction Supports smaller population, smaller population = less genetic diversity Decreases climatic options during periods of extreme conditions Increased interactions with harmful species

Lab: Habitat Fragmentation & Grizzly Bears Important Vocabulary Biodiversity Species Geographic range Biomass Corridors Inbreeding

Round 1 Open Breeding Range

Private Fence is built. Do not cross the fence. Round 2 Private Fence is built. Do not cross the fence.

Logging road is created. Do not cross road or fence. Round 3 Logging road is created. Do not cross road or fence.

Environmentalists lobby to reopen bear habitats. Open breeding range. Round 4 Environmentalists lobby to reopen bear habitats. Open breeding range.

Food is limited. Bears cannot move more than 3 steps Round 5 Food is limited. Bears cannot move more than 3 steps

Round 6 Green/“Pear”/”Lemon” bears are affected with a disorder that makes them infertile. These bears do not mate.

Round 7 Red/Rainbow bears are unable to adapt to climate change. Rainbow bears do not mate.

Bears are in the zoo. Bears cannot move. Round 8 Bears are in the zoo. Bears cannot move.

Grizzly species biodiversity is reflected in the number of different species of grizzlies in Yellowstone. The geographic range of grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park is limited by the borders of the park. The biomass of humans is greater than the biomass of grizzly bear species in the wild. The lack of corridors between Yellowstone National Park and other grizzly habitats isolates the genes of the grizzlies living within the park. When the geographic range of a species is too small, the chance of inbreeding is greater.