Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings PowerPoint Lectures for Biology: Concepts and Connections, Fifth Edition – Campbell, Reece, Taylor, and Simon Lectures by Chris Romero Chapter 38 Conservation Biology

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Saving the Tiger Tigers once roamed across Asia, but hunting has drastically reduced their populations Intense conservation efforts by the Myanmar government have begun to save the tigers The story of the tiger illustrates the biodiversity crisis, a rapid decrease in Earth's plant and animal diversity Conservation biology is a goal-oriented science that seeks to counter the biodiversity crisis

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings THE BIODIVERSITY CRISIS: AN OVERVIEW 38.1 Human activities threaten Earth's biodiversity Scientists have described about 1.8 million species Global extinction rates may be 1,000 times higher than any time in the past 100,000 years Biodiversity has three levels – Genetic diversity – Species diversity – Ecosystem diversity

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Human activities threaten diversity at all levels – Alter trophic structure, energy flow, chemical recycling, and natural disturbances – Many species are endangered or threatened Video: Coral Reef Video: Coral Reef

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 38.2 Biodiversity is vital to human welfare There are practical as well as ethical and aesthetic reasons for preserving biodiversity – Provides food, fiber, medicines, etc. Loss of genetic diversity means loss of opportunities for future benefits Large-scale alterations in the biosphere threaten the human population – Ecosystem services have been valued at $33 trillion annually

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 38.3 Habitat destruction, introduced species, and overexploitation are the major threats to biodiversity Human alteration of habitat is the greatest single threat to biodiversity Introduced species can disrupt communities by competing with or preying on native species Overexploitation of wildlife by harvesting has threatened various animal and plant species

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CONNECTION 38.4 Pollution of the environment compounds our impact on other species Human release of pollutants can have local, regional, and global effects – CFCs leading to depletion of the ozone layer – Eutrophication of lakes and streams – Biological magnification of chemicals – Synthetic chemicals that cannot be biodegraded

LE 38-4 Herring gull eggs 124 ppm Smelt 1.04 ppm Lake trout 4.83 ppm Zooplankton ppm Phytoplankton ppm Concentration of PCBs

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CONNECTION 38.5 Rapid global warming could alter the entire biosphere Burning of fossil fuels is increasing the amount of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases in the air – Correlation with increased global temperature The greenhouse effect – Natural phenomenon is essential for life on Earth – Rapidly increasing CO 2 is making global warming a danger

LE 38-5a Year CO 2 0 –0.15 –0.30 –0.45 Temperature Temperature variation (°C) CO 2 concentration (ppm) 320

LE 38-5b Global warming: CO 2 lets sunlight through but retains the heat radiated from Earth. CO 2 in the atmosphere CO 2 Human activities and natural processes add CO 2 to the atmosphere, increasing the effect. Photosynthesis removes CO 2 from the atmosphere, decreasing the effect.

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Possible consequences of increased global warming – Melting of polar ice and rising sea levels – Changing climate patterns – Habitat alteration and consequent loss of species – Effects on human health Most scientists and world leaders believe global warming must be combated immediately – Lifestyle changes necessary

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CONSERVATION OF POPULATIONS AND SPECIES 38.6 Two ways to study endangered populations are the small-population approach and the declining-population approach Population fragmentation is one of the most harmful effects of habitat loss Small-population approach – Attempts to prevent extinction vortex – Identifies minimum viable population size – Focuses on preserving genetic variation

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Declining-population approach – Follows logical series of steps to halt population declines Confirm that species is in decline Determine species' environmental requirements Develop hypotheses for causes of decline Test most likely hypotheses first Apply results of diagnosis to management of threatened species

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 38.7 Identifying critical habitat factors can guide conservation efforts Preserving critical habitat may help endangered species recover – Example: red-cockaded woodpecker Management for one species can affect other species negatively or positively Human demands conflicting with habitat preservation must be considered

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings MANAGING AND RESTORING ECOSYSTEMS 38.8 Sustaining ecosystems and landscapes is a conservation priority Landscape ecology – Application of ecological principles to the study of a collection of ecosystems – Goal to study human land-use patterns to make biodiversity conservation a priority

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Edges between ecosystems are prominent features of landscapes – Have distinct features and species – Human-caused edge communities may be dominated by few edge-adapted species Movement corridors can connect fragmented habitats – May be important in preserving biodiversity – Can promote dispersal and prevent inbreeding – Can sometimes be harmful

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings 38.9 Protected areas are established to slow the loss of biodiversity Biodiversity hot spots – Small areas with many endangered or threatened species – Have large concentrations of endemic species Highly sensitive to habitat degradation – Provide an opportunity to protect many species in very limited areas

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Migratory species may require international protection National parks and reserves are generally too small to achieve minimal viable population size

LE 38-9a Equator

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CONNECTION The Yellowstone to Yukon Conversation Initiative seeks to preserve biodiversity by connecting protected areas The Y2Y Initiative is creating ways to give creatures more room – Aims to preserve web of life that has defined the Rocky Mountains of the United States and Canada – Seeks to connect parks with protected wildlife corridors – Return of gray wolves is a program success

LE 38-10a Yellowstone to Yukon Ecoregion YUKON TERRITORY NORTHWEST TERRITORIES ALBERTA BRITISH COLUMBIA MONTANA WASHINGTON LEGEND YELLOWSTONE TO YUKON CONSERVATION INITIATIVE Major Highways Protected areas Y2Y Ecoregion Km OREGON IDAHO WYOMING

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings The study of how to restore degraded habitats is a developing science Restoration ecology uses ecological principles to return degraded ecosystems to conditions similar to their natural state Bioremediation uses living organisms to detoxify polluted ecosystems – Removes harmful substances Bioaugmentation uses organisms to add essential materials to degraded ecosystems

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings CONNECTION The Kissimmee River project is a case study in restoration ecology Population growth and development put ecological pressures on the Kissimmee River The Kissimmee River Restoration Project is one of the world's largest restoration projects – Restoring natural river flow – Reclaiming wetlands – Improving water quality and wildlife habitat

LE 38-12a Former canal

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Zoned reserves are an attempt to reverse ecosystem disruption A zoned reserve is an extensive region of land that includes – One or more areas undisturbed by humans – Surrounding buffer zones of compatible economic development Shield against further development

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Zoned reserves contribute to sustainable development – Long-term prosperity of human societies and the ecosystems that support them – Costa Rica an example of success Commitment to conservation is challenged by growing population

LE 38-13a Nicaragua Costa Rica Caribbean Sea National parkland Buffer zone Pacific Ocean Pa na ma

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings Sustainable development is an ultimate goal Sustainable Biosphere Initiative – Aims to acquire the information necessary to develop, manage, and conserve the Earth's resources in a responsible manner Sustainable development also requires education and political commitment Humans must seek ways to be more accommodating with other species and with the biosphere