1. Chapter 17 Biological Resources

2. Biological Diversity Biological Diversity
Number, variety and variability of Earth’s organisms
3 Kinds of Biological Diversity:
Genetic diversity
Species richness
Ecosystem diversity

3. Why We Need Organisms Example contributions to human life:
Food
Clothing
Shelter
Pollination of crops
Antibiotics and medicines
Biological processes (nitrogen fixation)
Ethical/aesthetic
Biological Diversity represents an untapped resource for future uses

4. Examples of Contributions:
Cinchona Tree
Treatment for malaria from
1600’s until 1940’s
Also for arthritis, lupus,
and other diseases

5. Examples of Contributions
Aspirin
Coca leaves

6. Ecosystem Services and Species Richness
All organisms are interrelated
Ecosystem services
Removal of a species from a community can __________ ecosystem services

7. Scientific Importance of Genetic Diversity
Genetic Engineering
Provided:
New vaccines
More productive farm animals
Agricultural plants with desirable characteristics
Depends on genetic diversity (cannot create genes)
Important to protect this diversity

8. Medical Importance of Organisms
Genetic Resources are important to pharmaceutical industry
Rosy Periwinkle – Cancer drug
Aquatic sponge – AIDS drug

9. 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

10. Extinction
5 great mass extinctions mark boundaries of geologic time periods
NOW- 6th great mass extinction
Background extinction

11. Main Causes of Species Decline
E. O. Wilson uses the acronym HIPPO to list them:
Consider the words of Nobel Peace Prize laureate (2004), Ms. Wangari Maathai of Kenya: “Protecting the global environment is directly related to securing peace”
Habitat destruction
Introduced and invasive species
Pollution
Over-Population
overharvesting

12. Major drivers of endangerment
From Wilcove 1996

13. 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

14. Endangered & Extinct Species

15. Endangered & Extinct Species

16. Current Threats to Species
Species with highly specific resource requirements are particularly vulnerable to habitat alterations
Endemic species
A species confined to the limited area in which it evolved, often by resource requirements

17. Labrador duck - from North Atlantic coast;
disappeared between 1850 and 1870; disappeared
as a result of changes to coastal habitat
Heath hen - an eastern prairie grouse; lived in
woodland clearings from New England to the
Carolinas; killed for high market value; most gone
by 1915 and last sighted on Martha’s Vineyard (an
island off the Mass. coast) in 1932
Great Auk - big penguin-like bird of islands and
coast of North Atlantic; killed for meat then as
prized rare specimens; last pair killed in 1844
Carolina parakeet - only member of parrot family in U.S.; in rivers and swamps of SE U.S.; killed and
trapped because of destruction to orchards; last
died in Cincinnati Zoo in 1914 (same as pigeon)

18. Passenger Pigeon-extinct
MARTHA
Last of her species, died at 1 p.m., 1 September 1914, age 29, in the Cincinnati Zoological Garden. EXTINCT

19. American Bison-

20. 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

21. California Condor Scavenger bird Requires large, undisturbed territory
birds
1987– no longer found in nature
reintroduced to nature from zoos
Currently condors in nature

22. 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

23. Earth’s Biodiversity Hotspots

24. Causes of Declining Biodiversity

25. Human Cause - Land Use Change
Is there anything strange about our state flag??
Destruction, fragmentation or degradation of habitats
Little habitat
remains for
many
endangered
species
Last one shot in CA 1922

26. Human Cause - Invasive Species

27. Introduced Snake on Guam
9 of the 11 species of native forest-dwelling birds have been extirpated from Guam.  Five of these were endemic at the species

28. Human Cause- Overexploitation
Left: Illegal Trade in Products Made From Endangered Species
Right: Illegal Animal Trade - Green Parrots from the Amazon Rainforest

29. Human Cause - Pollution
Examples: Acid rain, ozone depletion, climate warming, excessive fertilizer, industrial wastes

30. 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
Deformities have also been identified (right)

31. 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

32. Challenges in Conservation Management

33. Fragmented Habitats
Habitat separated by roads or other human development
Habitat corridors - allow animals to move from one fragment to another safely

34. 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

35. Restoring Damaged Habitats
Left: (1935) Early stages of prairie restoration
Right: (current day) restored prairie

36. Zoos, Aquaria and Botanical Garden
Save organisms from extinction
Artificial insemination
Embryo transfer
Surrogate mothers (right)
Goal is to reintroduce organisms back to their natural habitat

37. Seed Banks
Stored seeds are safe from habitat destruction, climate warming, etc.
reintroduce extinct plant species
Some seeds cannot be stored

38. Conservation Policies and Laws
Endangered Species Act (ESA) 1973
Authorized protection of endangered and threatened species
Currently 1300 species are listed in US
Left: Endangered Species, the Florida Panther

39. Conservation Policies and Laws
Endangered Species Act (continued)
Species are designated as endangered or threatened based on biological grounds
Controversial Legislation
No compensation for private property owners who suffer financial loss
Was not reauthorized in 1992 as scheduled
Private property rights vs. conservation

40. 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)

41. 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

42. Wildlife Management Migratory Animals
Ex: Artic Snow Geese - increase in population has damaged much of Arctic fragile coastal ecosystem (below)

43. Wildlife Management Aquatic Organisms Freshwater fishes Ocean fishes
Must be managed to ensure they are not overexploited
Freshwater fishes
Laws regulate time of year, size of fish and maximum allowable catch
Ocean fishes
Ocean fisheries often viewed as common property