Development of Conservation Ethics in the U.S.

John Muir The Romantic-Transcendental Preservation Ethic

George Perkins Marsh

Gifford Pinchot The Resource Conservation Ethic

Possible Values of Nature Instrumental value – a thing is valuable because it is useful to humans Intrinsic value – a thing is valuable in and of itself – valuable because it exists

Aldo Leopold the Evolutionary- Ecological Land Ethic

Aldo Leopold on horseback in Arizona – rider on left

Aldo And Dog At the Shack

The First Oakies at the Shack

Biodiversity Biodiversity – the diversity of life in all its forms and at all levels of organization. Word first used in print by E.O. Wilson 1986

Biodiversity At all levels of organization – usually three: Species Diversity Genetic Diversity Ecosystem Diversity

Northern Elephant Seal

Southern Elephant Seal - Antarctica

Corn and southern leaf blight

Traditional Peruvian potato varieties

Terrestrial World Biomes

Measuring Biodiversity When discussing biodiversity, most people talk about species diversity which has two components: Species richness - # of species Species evenness (heterogeneity) – proportion of individuals in each species

A comparison of species diversity in two communities Community 1 A: 25%B: 25%C: 25%D: 25% Community 2 A: 80%B: 5%C: 5%D: 10% D C B A

Global Plant Biodiversity a. Plant species per Ecoregion b. Areas of highest diversity per region c. Quality of data

With Biodiversity We Must Consider: Risk of extinction of species Endemism – endemic species are found in a particular geographic area

Endemism – Gray Wolf vs. Coyote

Local Endemic - Morro Bay Kangaroo Rat

Home of Morro Bay Kangaroo Rat

Kirtland’s warbler

Red-winged blackbird

Whittaker’s Diversity alpha diversity is diversity within a habitat - such as a jack-pine forest beta diversity is diversity among habitats, usually measured as change from one habitat to another - such as a jack-pine forest and nearby marsh gamma diversity is diversity at a large geographic scale - perhaps all of Michigan or North America

Species Diversity

What is a Species? Atelopus frog discovered in Suriname, June 2007

The Biological Species Concept Species are groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations, which are reproductively isolated from other such groups. - Ernst Mayr Mayr on right – in New Guinea 1928

Brown or Grizzly Bear – Ursus arctos

Black Bear – Ursus americanus

Gray wolf – Canis lupus

Coyote – Canis latrans

Red wolf – Canis rufus

Helianthus - sunflowers

Oak Leaves

Leaves of Oak Hybrid

Hawthorns - Crataegus

Hawthorns