Biodiversity

Evolution and Natural Selection

Biodiversity

Our Planet Life: Biodiversity Ecosystem Diversity – the richness and complexity of a biological community, including the number of niches, trophic levels, and ecological processes in an ecosystem. Species Diversity – the number of different kinds of organisms within individual communities or ecosystems. Genetic Diversity – the variety of different variations of genes within a species.

Benefits of Biodiversity

Benefits of Biodiversity Food Drugs and Medicine Ecological Services Aesthetic and Cultural Benefits

Loss of Biodiversity - Extinction

Species Extinction: History Extinction – elimination of a species, and is a natural process. Current Extinction – Undisturbed ecosystems lose species at a rate of about one species every decade. In this century, that has been accelerated to hundreds or thousands of species, subspecies, or varieties becoming extinct each year.

Extinctions

Species Characteristics that make them vulnerable to extinction

Loss of Biodiversity - Other Means

HIPPO

Indian Tiger Range 100 years ago Range today (about 2,300 left) Figure 11.8 Natural capital degradation: reductions in the ranges of four wildlife species, mostly as the result of habitat loss and hunting. What will happen to these and millions of other species when the world’s human population doubles and per capita resource consumption rises sharply in the next few decades? (Data from International Union for the Conservation of Nature and World Wildlife Fund) Range 100 years ago Range today (about 2,300 left)

African Elephant Probable range 1600 Range today Figure 11.8 Natural capital degradation: reductions in the ranges of four wildlife species, mostly as the result of habitat loss and hunting. What will happen to these and millions of other species when the world’s human population doubles and per capita resource consumption rises sharply in the next few decades? (Data from International Union for the Conservation of Nature and World Wildlife Fund) Probable range 1600 Range today

Restoration

The Search for Solutions Restoration – To reverse degradation and reestablish some aspects of an ecosystem that previously existed on site. Remove physical stressors Control invasive species Replant Captive breeding and reestablishing fauna Monitoring

Types of Restoration Rehabilitation- rebuild a community to a useful, functioning state. Not necessarily its original condition Intervention- discourage or reduce undesired organisms, promote desired Reallocation- use a site to create a new community Remediation- clean up chemical contaminants Reclamation- severe clean up, usually after mining, in the past referred to deserts and wetlands Recreation- new communities are built

Mitigation A way to describe projects or programs intended to offset known impacts to an existing historic or natural resource such as a stream, wetland, endangered species, archeological site or historic structure.

Mitigation Misconception The mitigated recovery is not necessarily in the same geographic location as the infraction.

Conservation and Policy Laws CITES Treaty A global convention where we took the first step towards worldwide protection of endangered flora and fauna Banned all international trade in elephant products to protect elephant populations that were being decimated by poachers. Signed by 152 countries and lists more than 800 species that cannot be commercially traded as live specimens or wildlife products because they are in danger of extinction and 29,000 other species whose international trade is monitored because they are at risk of becoming threatened.

Conservation Policy & Laws: Endangered Species Act- 1973 One of the world’s toughest environmental laws. It is illegal for Americans to import or trade in any product made from an endangered or threatened species unless it is used for an approved scientific purpose or to enhance the survival of the species. Authorizes the Marine Fishery Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to identify and list all other endangered & threatened species. These species cannot be hunted, killed, collected or injured in the U.S.

Endangered Species Because of scarcity of inspectors, probably no more than 1/10th of the illegal wildlife trade in the U.S. is discovered.

Vulnerability Levels of the USESA Endangered species – species in imminent danger of extinction Threatened species – likely to become endangered in the future Vulnerable species – naturally rare or have been locally depleted by humans

Conservation Policy and Laws Hunting and Fishing Laws Protect species habitat Restriction on threatened species

Endangered Species Conservation Recovery Plan – once a species is listed as endangered, Fish and Wildlife Services is required to prepare a recovery plan detailing how populations will be rebuilt to sustainable levels. Private Land – 80% of habitat for more than half of endangered species is found on private land. The Supreme Court has established precedent to restrict private land owners from altering the habitat of an endangered/threatened species. Large Scale Regional Planning

Endangered Species Conservation Captive Breeding – Zoos and botanical gardens are havens for endangered species. Genetics can be preserved and programs are created to increase genetic diversity. Zoos reintroduce endangered species through captive breeding programs such as the California Condor Zoos also engage in breeding exchange programs

Links Video “Learning to Protect Biodiversity” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHhspf5IfdE&list=PL9xaQhzMTukMpqxOqyhjfWn6jvgIzJsQM Video “Bridges for Animals” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjCJvn__N5c