1. 16
Biological Resources

2. Overview of Chapter 16 Biological Diversity
Extinction and Species Endangerment
Endangered and Threatened Species
What causes species endangerment
Conservation Biology
Conservation Policies and Laws
Wildlife Management
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

3. Biological Diversity Biological Diversity
Number, variety and variability of Earth’s organisms
Consists of three components:
Genetic diversity (below)
Species richness
Ecosystem diversity
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

4. Why We Need Organisms Example contributions to human life:
Food
Clothing
Shelter
Pollination of crops
Antibiotics and medicines
Biological processes (nitrogen fixation)
Biological Diversity represents an untapped resource for future uses
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

5. Ecosystem Services and Species Richness
All organisms are interrelated
Ecosystem services
Important environmental benefits that ecosystems provide to people
Removal of a species from a community can decrease ecosystem services
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

6. Scientific Importance of Genetic Diversity
Genetic Engineering
Incorporation of genes from one organism into a different species
Provided:
New vaccines
More productive farm animals
Agricultural plants with desirable characteristics
Depends on genetic diversity (cannot create genes)
Important to protect this diversity
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

7. Medical Importance of Organisms
Genetic Resources are important to pharmaceutical industry
Examples
Rosy Periwinkle – Cancer drug (right)
Aquatic sponge – AIDS drug
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

8. Importance of Organisms
Agricultural Importance
Numerous species that are nutritionally superior to the food we eat
Industrial Importance
Industry depends on products from organisms
Oils and lubricants
Paper and lumber
Ethical and Aesthetic Importance
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

9. Extinction Elimination of species from earth
Irreversible
Eventual fate of all species
Extinction rate: expressed as a percentage or number of species that will go extinct within a certain time period.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

10. Extinction Background extinction Mass extinction
Continuous, low level extinction of species as a natural process of biological change.
Mass extinction
Numerous species disappear in a relatively short period of geologic history
5 in Earth’s history
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

11. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

12. Endangered & Extinct Species
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

13. Endangered & Extinct Species
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

14. The scientific consensus is that human activities are decreasing the earth’s biodiversity.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

15. Species Extinction
Local extinction—a species is no longer found in an area that it once inhabited but is still found elsewhere in the world.
Ecological extinction—there are so few members of a species, that they no longer play an ecological role.
Global extinction—gone, gone, GONE.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

16. Are we on the verge of a SIXTH extinction?
Although a natural, biological process, humans are accelerating it at an unprecedented rate.
Estimation that rate is 100 to 1000 times the natural rate of background extinctions.
What can YOU do???
Make informed voting decisions
Support conservation organizations
Write to politicians about funding conservation and setting aside wildlands
Reduce your ecological footprint
Promote ecotourism.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

17. Various species threatened with premature extinction due to human activities.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

18. Endangered and Threatened Species
Earth’s biological diversity is disappearing at an unprecedented rate
Endangered Species
Species that faces threats that may cause it to become extinct within a short period
Threatened Species
Species whose population has declined to the point that it may be at risk of extinction
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

19. Characteristic of Endangered Species
Extremely small (localized) range
Requiring a large territory
Living on an island
Having a low reproductive success
Small population size
Low reproductive rates
Requiring specialized breeding areas
Having specialized feeding habitats
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

20. California Condor Scavenger bird Requires large, undisturbed territory
only 22 birds
1987– no longer found in nature
reintroduced to nature from zoos
Currently condors in nature; 193 in captivity.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

21. Where is Declining Biological Diversity the Greatest Problem?
Concern throughout the US
US - Most serious in:
Hawaii (63% of species at risk)
California (29% of species at risk)
Globally- Most serious in tropical rain forests
South and Central America
Central Africa
SE Asia
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

22. Earth’s Biodiversity Hotspots
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

23. Biodiversity Hot Spots
As many as 44% of all species of vascular plants
29% of bird species
27% endemic mammal species
38% endemic reptile species
53% amphibian species
Live in biodiversity hot spots
There are 25 biological hotspots around the world.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

24. Causes of Declining Biodiversity
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

25. HIPPCO H-Habitat Destruction I-Invasive Species
P-Population Dynamics and Resources
P-Pollution/Pesticides
C-Climate Change
O-Overexploitation (Poaching)
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

26. Land Use Change=Habitats Altered
Destruction
Fragmentation
Degradation
Little habitat remains in an its original form for endangered species (right)
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

27. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

28. Indirect Effects Climate Change Loss of Biodiversity
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

29. Invasive species
An invasive species is a foreign species whose introduction causes economic or environmental harm.
Biotic pollution upsets balance among organisms by interfering with normal function of ecosystem.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

30. Characteristics of Successful Invader Species
High reproductive rate, short generation time (r-selected species)
Pioneer species
Long-lived
High-dispersal rate
Release growth-inhibiting chemicals into soil
Generalists
High genetic variability
Characteristics of Ecosystems vulnerable to Invader Species
Climate similar to habitat of invader
Absence of predators
Early successional systems
Low diversity of native species
Absence of fire
Disturbed by human activities.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

31. Human Cause - Invasive Species
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

32. Human Cause - Pollution
Examples: Acid rain, ozone depletion, climate warming, excessive fertilizer, industrial wastes
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

33. Pollution Each year pesticides kill:
about 1/5th of the U.S. honeybee colonies
67 million birds
6-14 million fish
Threaten 1/5th of the U.S. endangered and threatened species.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

34. Case-In-Point Disappearing Frogs
Amphibians are indicator species
168 Amphibian species have gone extinct in last 2 decades
No single cause has been identified
Scientific evidence points to pollutants, infectious diseases, climate change.
Deformities from pesticide exposure, parasites, and multiple environmental stressors.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

35. Human Cause - Overexploitation
Left: Illegal Trade in Products Made From Endangered Species
Right: Illegal Animal Trade- Green Parrots from the Amazon Rainforest
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

36. Overexploitation
Some protected species are killed for their valuable parts or are sold to live collectors.
Killing predators and “pests” that bother us or cause economic losses.
Legal and illegal trade in wildlife.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

37. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

38. Conservation Biology
Scientific study of how humans impact organisms and the development of ways to protect biodiversity
Involves:
Protecting habitats
Restoring damaged or destroyed habitats
Zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens
Seed banks
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

39. Challenges in Conservation Management
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

40. Fragmented Habitats
Habitat separated by roads or other human development
Habitat corridors- allow animals to move from one fragment to another safely
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

41. Restoring Damaged Habitats
Restoration ecology- study of the historical condition of a human-damaged ecosystem
Goal is to return it to its former state
Benefits
Creates biological habitats
Regeneration of soil damaged by agriculture or mining
Disadvantages
Expensive
Take a long time to restore an area
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

42. Restoring Damaged Habitats
Left: (1935) Early stages of prairie restoration
Right: (current day) restored prairie
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

43. Zoos, Aquaria and Botanical Garden
Save organisms from extinction by increasing the number of offspring.
Artificial insemination
Embryo transfer
Surrogate mothers
Goal is to reintroduce organisms back to their natural habitat
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

44. Seed Banks
Stored seeds are safe from habitat destruction, climate warming, etc.
Can use seed banks to reintroduce extinct plant species
Some seeds cannot be stored
Svalbard Global Seed Vault (right)
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

45. Conservation Policies and Laws- ESA
Endangered Species Act (ESA) 1973
Authorized protection of endangered and threatened species
Makes it illegal to sell or buy any product made from an endangered species
Currently 1300 species are listed in US
Species are designated as endangered or threatened based on biological grounds
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

46. Conservation Policies and Laws- ESA
Endangered Species Act (continued)
Controversial Legislation
Was not reauthorized in as scheduled
Private property rights vs. conservation
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

47. Why controversial?
Forbids federal agencies (besides defense department) to carry out/fund projects that would jeopardize an endangered species.
Makes it illegal for Americans to engage in commerce associated with or hunt/kill/collect endangered or threated species.
No compensation for private property owners who suffer financial loss (wolves), but has been modified to help landowners protect species on their land.
Some believe it should be weakened or repealed.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

48. Because of scarcity of inspectors, probably no more than 1/10th of the illegal wildlife trade in the U.S. is discovered.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

49. Conservation Policies and Laws
Habitat Conservation Plans
1982 Amendment to ESA
Resolved conflicts between development interests and species protection
International Conservation:
World Conservation Strategy (1980)
Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) (1975)
Signed by 169 countries
Lists 900 species that cannot be commercially traded.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

50. CITES Treaty
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Banned all international trade in elephant products to protect elephant populations that were being decimated by poachers.
29,000 other species whose international trade is monitored because they are at risk of becoming threatened.
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

51. Wildlife Management
Application of conservation principles to manage wild species and their habitats for human benefit or for the welfare of other species
Different priorities than conservation biology
Wildlife managers concerned with common species
Conservation biologist concerned with threatened or endangered species
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

52. Wildlife Management Migratory Animals
Ex: Arctic Snow Geese - increase in population has damaged much of Arctic fragile coastal ecosystem (below)
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

53. Wildlife Management Aquatic Organisms Freshwater fishes Ocean fishes
Must be managed to ensure they are not overexploited
Freshwater fishes
Ocean fisheries often viewed as common property
Laws regulate time of year, size of fish and maximum allowable catch
Ocean fishes
Ocean fisheries often viewed as common property
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.