SUSTAINING WILD SPECIES Chapter 22

Factors affecting Biodiversity Increasing biodiversity: Physically diverse habitat Moderate environmental disturbance Small variations in environmental conditions Middle stages of succession evolution Decreasing biodiversity: Environmental stress Large environmental disturbance Extreme environmental conditions Severe limitations of resources Introduction of exotics Geographic isolation

How have human activities affected global biodiversity? Taken over or degraded 40-50% of earth’s surface Waste or destroy 27% of total net primary productivity Losing our wetlands Deforestation Coral reefs Threatening many organisms with premature extinction

According to E.O. Wilson “The natural world in 2001 is everywhere disappearing before our eyes – cut into pieces, mowed down, plowed under, gobbled up, replaced by human artifacts.”

Goals for reducing loss of biodiversity: To prevent premature extinction of species To preserve and restore ecosystems and aquatic systems that provide habitats and resources for species.

TYPES OF EXTINCTION LOCAL - NOT FOUND IN AN AREA IT ONCE INHABITED BUT STILL FOUND IN THE WORLD. ECOLOGICAL - SO FEW LEFT THAT IS CAN NO LONGER PLAY ITS ECOLOGICAL ROLE BIOLOGICAL - GONE FROM THE EARTH

Endangered Has so few individual survivors that the species could become extinct over all or most of its natural range.

THREATENED OR VULNERABLE STILL ABUNDANT IN ITS NATURAL RANGE BUT IS DECLINING IN NUMBERS AND IS LIKELY TO BECOME ENDANGERED

RARE NATURALLY SMALL NUMBERS WITH LIMITED GEOGRAPHIC RANGE OR LOW POPULATION DENSITIES HAVE BEEN LOCALLY DEPLETED

HOW DO BIOLOGISTS EXTIMATE EXTINCTION RATES?

Evolutionary biologists estimate that 99 Evolutionary biologists estimate that 99.9% of all species that have ever existed are now extinct due to: Mass extinctions Background extinctions These take place over thousands to several million years Extinction spasms – large numbers of species are lost over a period of a few centuries of at most 1000 years.

SPECIES -AREA RELATIONSHIP Scientists observe: # SPECIES INCREASES WITH AREA - ASSUME THAT AN AVERAGE OF 90% LOSS OF HABITAT CAUSES THE EXTINCTION OF ABOUT 50% OF THE SPECIES LIVING IN THAT HABITAT BUT DESTRUCTION OF 10% OF THE HABITAT CAN WIPE OUT ALL OF THE REMAINING SPECIES IF THEY CANNOT MOVE!

Do a RISK ASSESSMENT Use mathematic and statistical methods to predict the probability that a population will persist for a certain number of generation Look at: current and projected habitat conditions and resources Genetic viability Interactions with other species

SCIENTISTS ALSO USE MODELS TO STUDY TRENDS TO DETERMINE HABITAT AVAILABILITY TO ANALYZE CHANGES IN GENETIC VARIABILITY THEORY OFISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY

MINIMUM DYNAMIC AREA HOW MUCH HABITAT IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN MVP STUDY: HOME RANGE SIZE COLONIES OF ENDANGERED SPECIES AVAILABILITY OF NEARBY INDIVIDUALS FOR REBUILDING DEPLETED POPULATIONS 39 - 390 SQUARE MILES NEEDED TO MAINTAIN POPULATIONS

CHARACTERISTICS OF SPECIES THAT ARE PRONE TO EXTINCTION:

WHY DO BIOLOGISTS BELIEVE THERE IS A CRISIS? EXTINCTIONS ARE TAKING PLACE OVER A FEW DECADES NOT THOUSANDS OR MILLIONS OR YEARS MAN IS ELIMINATING BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTS

WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT LOSING BIODIVERSITY?

INSTRUMENTAL VALUE UTILITARIAN OR USEFULNESS TO US: ECONOMIC - FOOD, FUEL, FIBER, LUMBER, PAPER, MEDICINE, ETC. FOOD CROPS COME FROM WILD SPECIES MEDICINES

ECOLOGICAL SERVICES PHOTOSYNTHESIS POLLINATION OF CROPS & PLANTS NUTRIENT RECYCLING PEST CONTROL SOIL MAINTENANCE MODERATION OF WEATHER FLOOD CONTROL WATER PURICFICATION, ETC

INFORMATION GENETIC INFORMATION FOR ADAPTATION, GENETIC ENGINEERING, ETC.

RECREATION BIRDWATCHING, NATURE WALKS ECOTOURISM SHOULD NOT CAUSE ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE SHOULD PROVIDE LOCAL INCOMES SHOULD PROVIDE FUNDS FOR PRESERVES

NONUTILITARIAN ( NONUSE) VALUES EXISTENCE - JUST KNOWING THEY ARE THERE (REDWOODS) AESTHETIC - BEAUTY BEQUEST - WILLINGNESS TO PAY TO PROTECT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO DESTROY LIFE

CAUSES OF DEPLETION AND EXTINCTIONS POPULATION GROWTH ECONOMIC SYSTEMS FAIL TO VALUE ENVIRONMENT GREATER PER CAPITA RESOURSE USE AS AFFLUENCE INCREASES MORE USE OF EARTH’S NET PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY POVERTY

GREATEST THREAT TO WILD SPECIES: HABITAT LOSS, DEGREDATION, AND FRAGMENTATION ENDEMIC SPECIES - FOUND NOWHERE ELSE ON EARTH HABITAT FRAGMENTATION HABITAT ISLANDS

OTHER THREATS: NONNATIVE SPECIES - COME IN ON AIRCRAFTS Brown tree snake BILGE WATER IN TANKERS Zebra messels HITCHHIKERS ON IMPORTED PRODUCTS Asianlong horned beetles SEE P. 576 IN TEXT

What can be done? Identify characteristics of successful invaders Do better inspections Identify invader species and pass laws Require ships to discharge ballast waters in the ocean not in port

Commercial Hunting and Poaching ILLEGAL TRADE - gorillas, chimpanzees, macaws, rhinoceros horn BUSH MEAT - protein As scarcity increases, demand increases

Predator and pest control ELIMINATE THOSE WE FEAR OR THAT ANNOY US WOLVES, ELEPHANTS, COYOTES

EXOTIC PETS & DECORATIVE PLANTS ILLEGAL TRADE IN WILD SPECIES FOR PETS - BIRDS, TROPICAL FISH, PLANTS - ORCHIDS, CACTI

CLIMATE CHANGE LONG TERM GIVES TIME TO ADAPT RAPID CHANGE - DO NOT HAVE TIME TO ADAPT OR MIGRAGE

ROLE OF LOSS OF GENETIC DIVERSITY LIMITS ABILITY TO SURVIVE HOW LOST: FOUNDER EFFECT - SUCH A SMALL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THEY CANNOT SUSTAIN THE POPULATION INBREEDING DEMOGRAPHIC BOTTLENECK - TOO FEW INDIVIDUALS TO PERPETUATE POPULATION GENETIC DRIFT - UNEQUAL REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS -SOME INDIVIDUALS BREED AND DOMINATE THE GENE POOL

PROTECTING WILD SPECIES BIOINFORMATICS - BUILD DATA BASES AND COMMUNICATE INFORMATION

INTERNATIONAL TREATIES CITES - CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES - 1975 152 COUNTRIES 800 SPECIES CANNOTE BE COMMERCIALLY TRADED LIVE OR AS PRODUCTS 29,000 SPECIES MONITORED AND REGULATED BECAUSE THEY ARE THREATENED LIMITED ENFORCMENT SMALL FINES MUCH GOES ON IN COUNTRIES WHO DID NOT SIGN

CONVENTION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (CBD) 172 COUNTRIES - NOT U.S HELP PROTECT GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY VERY COMPREHENSIVE TREATY

NATIONAL LAWS LACEY ACT - 1900 - PROHIBITS TRANSPORTING LIVE OR DEAD WILDLIFE PRODUCTS ACROSS STATE BORDERS WITHOUT A FEDERAL PERMIT ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT (ESA) - CANNOT IMPORT OR TRADE IN ANY PRODUCT FROM ENDANGERED OR THREATENED SPECIES EXCEPT FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES MUST BE ON THE LIST MUST HAVE A PLAN FOR RECOVERY

BIODIVERSITY HOT SPOTS

WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE? WILDLIFE REFUGES - MOST ARE WETLANDS ENCOURAGE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS HABITAT CONSERVATION PLANS SAFE HARBOR AGREEMENTS - RESTORE HABITATS CANDIDATE CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS - WILDLIFE REFUGES - MOST ARE WETLANDS GENE BANKS, BOTANICAL GARDENS AND FARMS SEED BANKS KEW GARDENS

IMPORTANCE OF ZOOS USE TWO TECHNIQUES: EGG PULLING - COLLECT EGGS AND HATCH IN ZOOS CAPTIVE BREEDING - REINTRODUCE INTO THE WILD ARTIFICIAL INSIMINATION EMBRYO TRANSFER INCUBATORS CROSS FOSTERING WITH SIMILAR SPECIES USE DATABASES TO MATCH INDIVIDUALS FOR MATING

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT MANIPULATING WILDLIFE POPULATIONS ( ESPECIALLY GAME ANIMALS) AND THEIR HABITATS FOR THEIR WELFARE AND HUMAN BENEFITS HUNTING REGULATIONS HARVEST QUOTAS POPULATION MANAGEMENT PLANS IMPROVING HABITATS USING INTERNATIONAL TREATIES TO PROTECT MIGRATING GAME SPECIES