1. Conservation: Protecting Biodiversity

2. Biodiversity Hotspots 1. To qualify as a hotspot, a region must meet two criteria  must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics  must have lost at least 70 percent of its original habitat 2. 34 biodiversity hotspots have been identified  Collectively, these areas contain 44% of world’s know plant & 35% of world’s terrestrial vertebrate species  Collectively, they once covered 15.7% of the Earth's land surface  Collectively, represents 86% of habitat loss 3. Hotspots can change over time  Threats and their impacts change  Some areas may become more threatened  Some areas may be recovering

3. Hotspots to Know: 1. Madagascar: 50 types of LEMURS 2. Succulent Karoo of South Africa  richest succulent flora on earth  one of only two entirely arid ecosystems to earn hotspot status 3. Western Ghats and Sri Lanka  Hot Spot’s biodiversity is due to seasonal monsoons and high mountain regions 4. Wallacea  2 nd number of endemic bird species (1 st is Tropical Andes)  Home to the largest lizard – Komodo dragon 5. Mesoamerica  Flora & fauna of two biogeographic regions – Neoarctic of North America & Neotropical of Central & South America

4. Vulnerable for Extinction 1.Characteristics:  Big & slow  Valuable parts (tusk, hide, horns) 2.Behaviors:  Nesting in large flocks – easy to kill passenger pigeon  Travel in huge herds (easy to kill buffalo)

5. Habitat Loss 1. Habitat destruction: directly destroying habitat, include filling in wetlands, dredging rivers, mowing fields, & cutting down trees (including deforestation) 2. Habitat fragmentation: cutting up a habitat by building roads & development.  Aquatic species’ this includes building dams and water diversion projects 3. Habitat degradation: pollution, invasive species, and disruption of ecosystem processes such as fire suppression Generic word that is used rather loosely on FRQ’s….make sure if you use it, you back it up with one of the 3 below and then give relevant examples *** Greatest threat to species***

6. Pollution Each year pesticides: –Kill about 1/5 th of the U.S. honeybee colonies. –67 million birds. –6 -14 million fish. –Threaten 1/5 th of the U.S.’s endangered and threatened species. Example of biomagnification of DDT in an aquatic food chain. Figure 11-15

7. HIPPCO 1. HIPPCO: acronym that holds the main factors that have a negative impact on biodiversity  H = Habitat destruction  I = Invasive species  P = Pollution  P = Population control  C = Climate change  O = Overharvesting

8. Conservation Biology 1. Multidisciplinary science that has developed to address the loss of biological diversity. 2. Two central goals:  evaluate human impacts on biological diversity  to develop practical approaches to prevent the extinction of species 3.Integrate conservation policy with theories from the fields of ecology, demography, taxonomy, and genetics 4. Principles underlying each of these disciplines have direct implications for the management of species and ecosystems, captive breeding and reintroduction, genetic analyses, and habitat restoration.

9. Ex-situ Conservation 1. Focus on species conservation in botanic gardens, zoos, gene banks, and captive breeding programs  Far less effective than in-situ  Extremely costly; have to develop & maintain an artificial habitat  Research suggests the loss of evolutionary fitness in captivity can be rapid  Zoo animals, like modern humans, can live into old age, and they, too, face the physical decline and illness of old age. Zoos must treat geriatric animals and, sometimes, make difficult decisions.

10. In-situ Conservation 1. Nature reserves & national parks  Focus is on conservation in natural habitat; preserve the entire ecosystem  Use conservation areas as "warehouses" of biological information.  Generally recognized as being more secure and financially efficient  Challenge is to expand our vision of protected areas to include multiple use Vernon Crookes nature reserve in South Africa

11. CITES 1.CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) 2.An international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.  Annually, international wildlife trade is estimated to be worth billions of dollars and to include hundreds of millions of plant and animal specimens

12. A Status You Don’t Want 1. Endangered Species - species that are likely to become extinct throughout all or a large portion of their range. 2. Threatened Species - species that are likely to become endangered in the near future 3. Critical habitat - vital to the survival of endangered or threatened species. Endangered: Chinook salmon Threatened: Stellar Sea Lion

13. Endangered Species Act Summary:  Provides a program for the conservation of threatened & endangered plants & animals and the habitats in which they are found  Federal agencies for responsible implementing ESA  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – land and freshwater species  National Marine Fisheries Service – oceanic species  Forbids federal agencies (except Defense Dept) to carry out, fund, or authorize projects that would jeopardize threatened or endangered species or the habitat they live in  Prohibits any action that causes a "taking" of any listed species of endangered fish or wildlife. Likewise, import, export, interstate, and foreign commerce of listed species are all generally prohibited

14. ESA Success Stories Late 1960's,: 400 breeding pairs Delisted: 2007 Present: 7,000 breeding pairs Bald EagleGray Wolf Mid 20 th century: a few hundred in the wild Today: 2500 in MN; 500 in WI & MI; & 500 in Western States Peregrine Flacon 1970: 10-20% of population remained Delisted in 1999 Today: more than 1,400 breeding pairs

15. Delisting an Organism 1. Upon delisting, FWS continues to work with State wildlife agencies to monitor eagles for at least 5 years to ensure success 2. If at any time it appears that the delisted species again needs the Act’s protection, the Service can propose to relist the species.

16. Important Conservationists 1. John Muir: one of the earliest advocates of the national park idea  On a camping trip in 1903 with TR, he was able to persuade Roosevelt to return Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove to federal protection as part of Yosemite National Park. 2. Theodore Roosevelt: Conservation president 3. Rachel Carson: alerted the public of diminishing bird populations linked to the use of DDT; Silent Spring

17. Whooping Crane 1.1941: population declined to less than 15 individuals 2.Reasons for decline include: –destruction of habitat  habitat consists mainly of wetlands and prairies  Wetlands were drained & prairies were converted into farms for hay and grain production –human disturbance –pesticide use  caused eggs to become brittle –illegal shooting (for meat & sport) –Natural causes  Avian tuberculosis & avian cholera  These become more of a problem when population is so low that it is hard for population to bounce back

18. California Condor 1.In 1987, the last 22 condors remaining in the wild were captured for a captive breeding program 2.Reasons for endangerment  Human related causes  lead poisoning (from consuming animals contaminated with lead shot  Poisoning from DDT  Poaching  Destruction of natural habitat  Behavioral causes:  Mate for life  Produce few eggs at a time (but give parental care)  Do not mate until advanced age