Welcome! Please read the board!

Monarchs!

Are these worth protecting?

Why should we protect biodiversity? (all the species on the planet)

5 Reasons to protect biodiversity 1. Medicinal 2. Commercial 3. Agricultural 4. Ecological 5. Ethical/Aesthetic

Reason #1:Medicinal Rosy Periwinkle: Hodgkin’s disease and lymphocytic leukemia If a species disappears, it could have been an important cure for a serious disease! 40% of modern medicines come from plants/animals/fungi 95% of known plant species have never been tested for medicinal value

Vampire Bat saliva Used to create an anticoagulant to prevent clotting during surgery

Pacific Yew – Taxol cancer medicine

Reason #2: Commercial – We should protect species because we can make money from them. Harvesting: Shrimp industry Harvesting: Recreational hunting

Commercial: Ecotourism – spending money to visit an ecosystem or a species Visiting Nature PreservesWhale Watching

Ecotourism Austin’s bat colony Snorkling

Ecotourism Mountain bikingWhitewater Rafting

Biomimicry - engineering designs based on natural systems

Biomimicry – engineering designs based on natural systems Whale fins – better wind turbines Underwater plants – floating energy harvesters

Reason #3: Agricultural – we should protect species because they could strengthen our crops Of 80,000 known edible plants on the planet, we depend on 20 species to provide 90% of global food supply. Corn, rice and wheat are 50% alone! So... What if a disease strikes one of these important crops?

Relying too heavily on one variety of a species can be risky ark/potato-variety

Maybe these could be new food sources Winged Bean of New GuineaKatemfe berry

Agricultural – We should protect species because they might be pollinating our food.pollinating

Reason #4: Ecological – We should protect species because they all play a role in their ecosystem. Food webs Symbiotic relationships Indicator species US Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that losing one plant can trigger the loss of 30 other species Simba says it’s all connected!

Ecological Ecosystem services! Air purification Water filtration Climate control (absorbing CO2) Gene bank Soil building

Reason #5: Aesthetics/Recreation/Spiritual/Moral – We should protect species because it’s the right thing to do and a diverse world is more interesting! We are ONE species 1.5 million KNOWN species More are discovered every year Biodiversity enriches our lives!

“Endangered means there’s still time!” Threatened Endangered Extinct

Which reasons apply to our friend the Monarch?