1. Texas Natural Regions

2. Extinction Rates  Background (natural) rate of extinction  Mass extinction  Adaptive radiations Number of families of marine animals Geological Periods Millions of years ago Mass extinctions 800 600 400 200 0 570505438360286208144650 Cambrian Ordovician Silurian Devonian Carboniferous Permian Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous Tertiary Quaternary ? 4082452

4. Sustaining Wild Species Brian Kaestner and Dr. Richard Clements Saint Mary’s Hall and Chattanooga State Technical Community College Brian Kaestner and Dr. Richard Clements Saint Mary’s Hall and Chattanooga State Technical Community College

5. Why Should We Care About Biodiversity?  Instrumental value  Intrinsic value Value of Nature InstrumentalIntrinsic Utilitarian Nonutilitarian (human centered)(species or ecosystem centered) Goods Ecological services Information Option Recreation Existence Aesthetic Bequest

6. Projected Status of Biodiversity 1998–2018 Critical and endangeredThreatenedStable or intact ANTARCTICA NORTH AMERICA EUROPE AFRICA ASIA SOUTH AMERICA AUSTRALIA Pacific Ocean Antarctic Circle Pacific Ocean Tropic Of Cancer Tropic Of Capricorn Indian Ocean Atlantic Ocean 150°90°60°E0°30°W90°120°150°0° 60° 30°N 30°S 60° Arctic Circle

7. Human Impacts on Biodiversity Food supply and demand Freshwater supply and demand Forest product supply and demand Climate change Biodiversity loss Habitat change Changes in transpiration and albedo Loss of crop genetic diversity Reduced resistance to change Loss and fragmentation of habitat CO 2 emission Habitat change and fragmentation of habitat Changes in precipitation and temperature Water availability Water use and pollution and soil nutrient loss CO 2, CH 4, N 2 O emissions Erosion, pollution, and changes in water flow Loss and fragmentation of habitat Loss and fragmentation of habitat Deforestation Changes in water supply and temperature Changes in water supply and temperature

8. Decreasing Biodiversity  Large environmental disturbance  Introduction of alien species  Geographic isolation

9. Biome% of Area Disturbed Temperate broadleaf forests Temperate evergreen forests Temperate grasslands Mixed mountain systems Tropical dry forests Subtropical and temperate rain forests Cold deserts and semidesert Mixed island systems Warm deserts and semideserts Tropical humid forests Tropical grasslands Temperate Boreal forests Tundra 94% 72% 71% 70% 67% 55% 53% 44% 37% 26% 18% 0.7%

10. Increasing Biodiversity  Physically diverse habitat  Moderate environmental disturbance

11. US Diversity 67% Secure or apparently secure 1% Other 16%Vulnerable 8%Imperiled 7%Criticallyimperiled 1% Probably extinct

12. U.S. Endangered Species #s

13. Texas Blind Salamander

14. Species Extinction  Local extinction  Ecological extinction  Biological extinction

15. Endangered and Threatened Species  Endangered species  Threatened (vulnerable) species  Rare species Florida manatee Northern spotted owl (threatened) Gray wolfFlorida panther Bannerman's turaco (Africa)

16. Badger Anemone

17. Karner Blue Hawaian Sea Turtle

18. Ceratozamia Whooping Crane

19. Whooping Crane Flyway

20. Pitcher Plant

21. U.S. Endangered Species

22. CharacteristicExamples Low reproductive rate (K-strategist) Specialized niche Narrow distribution Feeds at high trophic level Fixed migratory patterns Rare Commercially valuable Large territories Blue whale, giant panda, rhinoceros Blue whale, giant panda, Everglades kite Many island species, elephant seal, desert pupfish Bengal tiger, bald eagle, grizzly bear Blue whale, whooping crane, sea turtles Many island species, African violet, some orchids Snow leopard, tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, rare plants and birds California condor, grizzly bear, Florida panther

23. Indian Tiger Range 100 years ago Range today (about 2,300 left)

24. Black Rhino Range in 1700 Range today (about 2,400 left)

25. Causes of Premature Extinction of Wild Species  Habitat degradation  Introduction of non-native species Overfishing Habitatloss Habitat degradation Introducingnonnativespecies Commercial hunting and poaching Sale of exotic pets and decorative plants Predator and pest control Pollution Climate change Basic Causes Population growthPopulation growth Rising resource useRising resource use No environmental accountingNo environmental accounting PovertyPoverty

26. Type of Nonnative OrganismAnnual Losses and damages Crop disease Crop weeds Rats Feral cats and outdoor pet cats Crop insects Livestock diseases Forest insects and diseases Zebra mussels Common pigeon Formosan termite Fishes Asian clam Feral pigs Starlings Fire ant $23.5 billion $19 billion $17 billion $14 billion $9 billion $4.8 billion $3 billion $1.1 billion $0.8 billion $0.6 billion

27. Kudzu Use

28. Chestnut Blight Fungi

29. Zebra Mussle

30. Zebra Mussle map

31. 1918 2000 Expansion of the fire ant in southern states.

32. 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 Similar climate to habitat of invader Absence of predators on invading species Early successional species Low diversity of native species Absence of fire Disturbed by human activities

33. Concentration of rare species LowModerateHigh Top Six Hot Spots 1 Hawaii 2 San Francisco Bay area 3 Southern Appalachians 4 Death Valley 5 Southern California 6 Florida Panhandle 4 5 2 6 3 1

34. Wildlife Management  Laws regulating hunting and fishing  Harvest quotas  Population management plants  Improving habitat  Treaties and laws for migrating species

35. Solutions: Protecting Wild Species from Depletion and Extinction  Bioinformatics  International Treaties: CITES  National Laws:Lacey Act Endangered Species Act  Habitat conservation plans  Wildlife refuges and protected areas  Zoos, botanical gardens, and gene banks

36. Strategies for Protecting Biodiversity  Species approach  Ecosystem approach The Species Approach The Ecosystem Approach Goal Protect species from premature extinction Strategies Identify endangered species Protect their critical habitats Tactics Legally protect endangered species Manage habitat Propagate endangered species in captivity Reintroduce species into suitable habitats Goal Protect populations of species in their natural habitats Strategy Preserve sufficient areas of habitats in different biomes and aquatic systems Tactics Protect habitat areas through private purchase or government action Eliminate or reduce populations of alien species from protected areas Manage protected areas to sustain native species Restore degraded ecosystems