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Chapter 17 Preserving Earth’s Biological Diversity

Chapter 17 Preserving Earth’s Biological Diversity. Overview of Chapter 17. Biological Diversity Why we need organisms Endangered and Extinct Species Where is Declining Diversity the Greatest Problem Human Causes of Species Endangerment Conservation Biology

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Chapter 17 Preserving Earth’s Biological Diversity

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  1. Chapter 17Preserving Earth’s Biological Diversity

  2. Overview of Chapter 17 • Biological Diversity • Why we need organisms • Endangered and Extinct Species • Where is Declining Diversity the Greatest Problem • Human Causes of Species Endangerment • Conservation Biology • Protecting and Restoring Habitats • Conservation Policies and Laws • Wildlife Management

  3. Biological Diversity • Biological Diversity • Number, variety and variability of Earth’s organisms • Consists of three components: • Genetic diversity (right) • Species richness • Ecosystem diversity

  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

  5. Ecosystem Services and Species Richness • All organisms are interrelated • Linked to each other and the physical environment • Ecosystem services • Important environmental benefits that ecosystems provide to people • Clean air • Clean water • Fertile soil • Removal of a species from a community can decrease ecosystem services

  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 from which it obtains genes (cannot create genes) • Important to protect this diversity

  7. Medical Importance of Organisms • Genetic Resources are important to pharmaceutical industry • Ex: Rosy Periwinkle (right) • Produces chemicals effective against certain types of cancer • Ex: aquatic sponge • Produces derivative for the drug AZT used to treat AIDS

  8. Agricultural and Industrial Importance of Organisms • Agricultural Importance • Numerous species that are nutritionally superior to the food we eat • Industrial Importance • Depends on products from organisms • Oils and lubricants • Perfumes and fragrances • Dyes • Paper and lumber • poisons

  9. Extinct Species • Extinction • Elimination of a species from Earth

  10. Extinct Species

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. California Condor • Scavenger bird • Requires large, undisturbed territory • 1983- only 22 birds • 1987-1992- no longer found in nature • 1992- reintroduced to nature from zoos • Currently- 200 condors in nature

  14. 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

  15. Earth’s Biodiversity Hotspots

  16. Human Causes of Species Endangerment

  17. Human Cause- Land Use Change • Destruction, fragmentation or degradation of habitats • Little habitat remains for many endangered species

  18. Human Cause- Invasive Species

  19. Human Cause- Overexploitation

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

  21. Case-In-Point Disappearing Frogs • Amphibians are indicator species • In US 38% of amphibian species are declining • No single cause has been identified • Deformities have also been identified (right)

  22. 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

  23. Protecting Habitats

  24. 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

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

  26. 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

  27. 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

  28. Conservation Policies and Laws • Endangered Species Act (ESA) • 1973 • Authorized protection of endangered and threatened species

  29. Conservation Policies and Laws • Endangered Species Act • Species are designated as endangered or threatened based on biological grounds • Controversial Legislation • Does not provide compensation for private property owners who suffer financial loss • Was not reauthorized in 1992 as scheduled • Private property rights vs. conservation • Financial cost of law

  30. Conservation Policies and Laws • Habitat Conservation Plans • 1982 Amendment to ESA • Way to resolve conflicts between development interests and protection of endangered species • Landowner may take a rare species • IF taking does not threatened the survival of recovery of the species on that property • Landowner must set aside land for species

  31. Conservation Policies and Laws • International Conservation: • World Conservation Strategy (1980) • Convention on Biological Diversity • Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) (1975)

  32. 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

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

  34. Wildlife Management • Aquatic Organisms • Must be managed to ensure they are not overexploited to the point of extinction • Freshwater fishes • Laws regulate time of year, size of fish and maximum allowable catch • Ocean fishes • Ocean fisheries often viewed as common property • Many whale species have been harvested to point of commercial extinction

  35. You Can Make A Difference • Increase public awareness of the importance of biological diversity • Join and actively support conservation organization • Inform state and national politicians of desire to have conservation research funded with tax dollars • Establish parks by writing to national lawmakers • Control pollution

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