Sustaining Biodiversity 2012

Priorities for Protecting Biodiversity Map terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity Immediately preserve biodiversity hotspots Keep old-growth forests intact Protect and restore lakes and rivers Initiate ecological restoration Make conservation profitable

34 Global Hotspots

Biodiversity Hotspots in the U.S.

North American Gray Wolf Reduced to a few hundred Keystone species Restoration proposal angered ranchers, hunters, loggers 1995, reintroduced in Yellowstone, 136 by 2007 Positive ripple effect after reintroduction

How Should We Manage and Sustain Forests? We can sustain forests by – recognizing the economic value of their ecological services – protecting old-growth forests – harvesting trees no faster than they are replenished – making most paper from fast-growing plants and agricultural residues instead of trees.

Old-growth Forest

Short Rotation Cycle Forestry

Loss of Original Forests 46% in 8,000 years, most since 1950 Most in tropical areas, developing countries Estimated loss of 40% intact forests within next 20 years

Return of Forests in the United States Second- and third-growth forests fairly diverse More wood grown than cut 40% of forests in National Forest System Forests transformed into tree plantations

Forest Harvesting Methods

Clear-cut Logging

Management of Forest Fires Fire suppression in all types of forests Some forests naturally fire adapted – NJ Pine Barrens need fire to open cones Restoration of fire’s natural role – NJ Great Swamp needs fire to maintain habitat for migratory birds

Trees and Paper Many trees are cut for paper production Alternatives – Pulp from rice straw and agricultural residues (China) – Kenaf (U.S.)

Solutions: Kenaf In California, Texas and Louisiana, 3,200 acres of kenaf were grown in 1992, most of which was used for animal bedding and feed Kenaf grows quickly, rising to heights of feet in as little as 4 to 5 months. U.S. Department of Agriculture studies show that kenaf yields of 6 to 10 tons of dry fiber per acre per year are generally 3 to 5 times greater than the yield for Southern pine trees, which can take from 7 to 40 years to reach harvestable size.

How Serious Is Tropical Deforestation and How Can It Be Reduced? We can reduce tropical deforestation by protecting large forest areas teaching settlers about sustainable agriculture and forestry using government subsidies that encourage sustainable forest use reducing poverty slowing population growth

Tropical Forests Cover 6% of earth’s land area Habitat for 50% of terrestrial plants and animals Vulnerable to extinction – specialized niches Rapid loss of 50,000–170,000 km 2 per year

How to Protect Tropical Forests Teach settlers to practice small-scale sustainable agriculture Harvest renewable resources from the forests Debt-for-nature swaps Conservation concessions Better logging methods

Miners rely heavily on hydraulic mining techniques, blasting away at river banks with high-powered water cannons and clearing forests to expose potential gold- yielding gravel deposits. Gold is usually extracted from this gravel using a sluice box to separate heavier sediment and mercury used to amalgamate the precious metal. “Mercury sales are poorly regulated and its use is widespread…bioaccumulation of mercury in fish poses health threats to people living downstream. Fish account for the major share of protein in the diet of local residents, …Venezuela's Minister of Environment, said that it will take 300 years to re-plant destroyed forest in the area and 70 years to decontaminate areas polluted by the miners.” GOLD MINING & consequences

Reducing Native Biodiversity by Species Introductions Most beneficial – food crops, livestock, pest control 500,000 alien invader species globally 50,000 nonnative species in the U.S. The economic toll from damage by invasive species—and the costs of trying to control them—is enormous: U.S. $137 billion a year, according to a 1999 Cornell University study.

Deliberately Introduced Species

Accidentally Introduced Species

Case Study: The Kudzu Vine Kudzu introduced to control erosion Prolific growth Uses – Asians use powdered starch in beverages – Source of tree-free paper – Japanese kudzu farm in Alabama

Invasive Kudzu Vine

Disruptions from Accidentally Introduced Species Downside of global trade Argentina fire ant Burmese python 13-foot (4-meter) Burmese python in Florida's Everglades National Park, the headless python was found in October 2005 after it apparently tried to digest a 6-foot-long (2-meter- long) American alligator

Human Impacts on Aquatic Ecosystems Destroyed or degraded by human activities Ocean floor degradation 150 times larger than area clear-cut annually 75% of most valuable fish species overfished Likely extinction – 34% marine fish species – 71% freshwater species

Effects of Bottom Trawling Fig. 8-25, p. 172

Why Is Protection of Marine Biodiversity So Difficult? Human aquatic ecological footprint expanding Not visible to most people Viewed as an inexhaustible resource Most ocean areas outside jurisdiction of a country

What Should Be Our Priorities for Protecting Biodiversity? Sustaining the world’s biodiversity requires – mapping terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity – protecting terrestrial and aquatic hotspots and old-growth forests – initiating ecological restoration projects worldwide – making conservation profitable.