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 the arrival of humans brought competition for food, and also hunters Myanmar tiger photographed by a remote “camera trap”

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Conservation efforts –Are providing protection for tigers so their populations can increase The efforts to save tigers –Reflect a worldwide struggle to preserve biodiversity, the diversity of living things Hukawng Valley, Myanmar

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings We are now presiding over a biodiversity crisis –A rapid decrease in Earth’s great variety of organisms Conservation biology –Is a goal-driven 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 Biodiversity includes –Genetic diversity, within and between populations –Species diversity –Ecosystem diversity Figure 38.1B

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Human activities –Threaten diversity at all levels Figure 38.1A

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings 38.2 Biodiversity is vital to human welfare Biodiversity, while valuable for its own sake –Also provides food, fiber, medicines, and ecosystem services Figure 38.2

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings 38.3 Habitat destruction, introduced species, and overexploitation are the major threats to biodiversity Introduced species –Can disrupt communities by competing with or preying on native species Figure 38.3A

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Overexploitation of wildlife by harvesting –Has threatened various animal and plant species Figure 38.3B

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings CONNECTION 38.4 Pollution of the environment compounds our impact on other species Effects of pollution include –Acid rain, ozone depletion, eutrophication, and dead zones

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Chemical pesticides –May be concentrated by biological magnification Herring gull eggs 124 ppm Lake trout 4.83 ppm Smelt 1.04 ppm Zooplankton ppm Phytoplankton ppm Concentration of PCBs Figure 38.4

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 CO 2 concentration (ppm) Temperature variation ( ° C) – 0.15 – 0.45 – 0.30 Temperature CO 2 Year Figure 38.5A

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings The increase of these gases in the atmosphere –May lead to global warming Global warming: CO 2 lets sunlight through but retains the heat radiated from Earth. CO 2 in the atmosphere Human activities and natural processes add CO 2 to the atmosphere, increasing the effect. Photosynthesis removes CO 2 from the atmosphere, decreasing the effect. CO 2 Figure 38.5B

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Global warming may –Change climate patterns, melt polar ice caps, flood coastal regions –Increase the rate of species loss Figure 38.5C

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 Habitat degradation –Often fragments populations, causing their numbers to decline Figure 38.6A, B

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings The small-population approach –Identifies the minimum viable population size and focuses on preserving genetic variation The declining-population approach –Diagnoses and treats the causes of a population’s decline

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 Figure 38.7A–C

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Conflicts may arise –Between habitat preservation and resource use by humans

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings MANAGING AND RESTORING ECOSYSTEMS 38.8 Sustaining ecosystems and landscapes is a conservation priority Conservation efforts –Are increasingly aimed at sustaining ecosystems and landscapes

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Edges between ecosystems –Have distinct sets of features and species Figure 38.8A, B

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings The increased frequency and abruptness of edges caused by human activities –Can increase species loss

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Movement corridors connecting isolated habitats –May be helpful to fragmented populations Figure 38.8C

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings 38.9 Protected areas are established to slow the loss of biodiversity Biodiversity hot spots –Have large concentrations of endemic species –Provide an opportunity to protect many species in very limited areas Equator Figure 38.9A

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Migratory species, both terrestrial and aquatic –May require international protection Figure 38.9B

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings CONNECTION The Yellowstone to Yukon Conversation Initiative seeks to preserve biodiversity by connecting protected areas

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings The Yellowstone to Yukon Conversation Initiative –Is an international research and conservation effort that seeks to connect reserves and protect species and ecosystems Yellowstone to Yukon Ecoregion ALBERTA NORTHWEST TERRITORIES YUKON TERRITORY BRITISH COLUMBIA WASHINGTON OREGON IDAHO WYOMING MONTANA YELLOWSTONE TO YUKON CONSERVATION INITIATIVE LEGEND Major Highways Protected areas Y2Y Ecoregion km Figure 38.10A

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Grizzly bears and gray wolves –Are two species that may benefit from this initiative Figure 38.10B, C

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings The study of how to restore degraded habitats is a developing science Restoration ecology includes –Study of bioremediation to detoxify polluted areas Figure 38.11A

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings –Biological augmentation to restore nutrients Figure 38.11B

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings CONNECTION The Kissimmee River project is a case study in restoration ecology Large-scale restoration projects –Attempt to restore damaged landscapes

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings The Kissimmee River Restoration Project –Is restoring river flow and wetlands, and improving water quality and wildlife habitat Former canal Figure 38.12A, B

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Zoned reserves are an attempt to reverse ecosystem disruption Zoned reserves –Are undisturbed wildlands surrounded by buffer zones of compatible economic development

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Costa Rica –Has established many zoned reserves Caribbean Sea Nicaragua Costa Rica National parkland Buffer zone Pacific Ocean Panama Figure 38.13A, B

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. Publishing as Benjamin Cummings Sustainable development is an ultimate goal Sustainable development –Seeks to improve the human condition while conserving biodiversity –Depends on increasing and applying ecological knowledge as well as valuing our linkages to the biosphere Figure 38.14