1. Protecting Endangered Species

2. Conservation Biology
Many of the problems that face our environment are the consequences of human enterprises
Interference by humans is the worlds largest threat to wild species
It is our scientific, political and moral obligation to help some of these species that we have harmed

3. Conservation Biology
Conservation biology is the goal driven branch of biology that centers around the changes happening to our planet from a biotic and an abiotic point of view
Many conservation ecologists focus on the conservation of wild species

4. Conservation Biology
Understanding how to conserve species can be a difficult endeavor
Identifying, understanding and acting on a species can be a laborious process
Unfortunately there are not as many people or funds trying to save the planet as there are trying to exploit it

5. Black Footed Ferret
There is an organism called the black footed ferret
This ferret was once seen throughout the plains through the US, Canada and Mexico
This organism was thought to have numbered in the millions

6. Black Footed Ferret The black footed ferret are skilled hunters
They make about 90% of its diet from prairie dogs
However in the mid 1900’s prairie dog numbers were drastically reduced through hunting, poisoning and habitat destruction

7. Black Footed Ferret
The final straw was when a disease came through the population and wiped out the remaining population
This caused the black footed ferret population to drop to 18 individuals

8. Black Footed Ferret
Biologists recognized the loss of this species and has been working to understand the biology of these organisms
Currently there are breeding programs and programs to prevent habitat loss

9. Black Footed Ferret
However the future for the black footed ferret is not safe
They have undergone a genetic bottleneck and have very low genetic variability
Breeding programs are trying to breed genetic variation back into the population, but it is a slow process

10. Video

11. Conservation vs Preservation
Conservation of natural biota and ecosystems aims to sustainably use the resources that are in an ecosystem
Preservation of natural biota and ecosystems aims to preserve the natural health of the ecosystem regardless of use

12. Conservation vs Preservation
The difference is that conservation will find a way to use a resource at a level that is good for long period of time
Preservation will find a way to make a resource last for a long period of time with or without use

13. Consumptive vs Productive Use
In Congo, many of the people get their protein intake from “bush meat”
This is wild game that is hunted from natural forests
It can provide as much as 75% of a person’s protein intake

14. Consumptive vs Productive Use
Many of the people in Congo need the meat in order to survive
Without it they would be limiting their protein intake
They are practicing consumptive use
Consumptive use is the practice of taking what is needed to live from an ecosystem

15. Consumptive vs Productive Use
However, there are many companies that are starting to realize the potential of the bush meat industry
They are hunting game in large numbers and shipping the meat to cities

16. Consumptive vs Productive Use
People in the city are eating the animals at an unsustainable level
The forests are being hunted at a rapid rate that is unsustainable by the ecosystem
This is an example of productive use
Productive use is when a resource is used for profit

17. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDMFuOGyLsw

18. Types of Issues
Understanding what areas to designate as a preserve or for conservation is not a strict scientific issue
The underlying causes for the reduction in biodiversity are social and economic issues

19. Types of Issues
To truly address the issue of the loss of biodiversity, we have to look at the social and economic issues
We have to come up with solutions that are also solutions for these underlying issues
Unless we address all facets of the problem, we will not truly solve it

20. Costa Rica Costa Rica is a hot spot for biodiversity
It is smaller than the size of New York State
However it is home to over 500,000 species
It has the most biodiversity per square mile of any area in the world

21. Video

22. Costa Rica
Since it is such a hot spot of biodiversity, there have been numerous programs to setup preserve areas
These zoned reserves are widespread areas of undisturbed forest that make up about 25% of Costa Rica’s land
It allows the forest to survive without any human interference

23. Costa Rica
The Costa Rican government has also put strict laws in the areas surrounding the forests
These areas are lightly populated and they act as a buffer zone between the preserve and the rest of the country

24. Costa Rica
These buffer zones allow the organisms to have access to other parts of the country
It also is a zone that humans can use for resources such as lumber, tourism and solar power
It is a way to get the best of both worlds

25. Landscape Ideas
Understanding the idea that biodiversity must be cultivated, not quartered off is an important idea
Remember a landscape is a group of interacting ecosystems
Having these landscapes interact is a huge part of making biodiversity

26. Landscape Ideas
When habitats are fragmented, biodiversity is lowered in all areas
Linking separate ecosystems can be an effective way to conserve biodiversity and increase interactions among ecosystems

27. Landscape Ideas
Movement corridors are areas where there are linkages between otherwise isolated ecosystems
These promote biodiversity by having organisms able to access the resources from multiple ecosystems

28. Sustainable Development
The idea that humans and the environment cannot exist together is a myth
Humans have to understand how to respect and develop a working relationship with the environment
This will lead to success for both parties

29. Sustainable Development
Understanding that the goal should not be to use all of the resources of the earth is the first step to living with the earth
Understanding how organisms interact with the world is the first step

30. Sustainable Development
The goal of our development should not be the easiest and fastest option
It should be a well thought through plan that take the environment, human health and the sustainability of the planet into account

31. Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is the idea that we build and develop while taking human need and environmental need into account
The goal of sustainable development should be to leave a total footprint that the planet can absorb