G.4 Conservation of Biodiversity

1. G.4 Conservation of Biodiversity

2. Extinction • Has always been part of evolution!!! • Those species that are best adapted to their environment survive to reproduce • Those which are not, die • Impacts of humans have greatly accelerated the rate of species extinction in the world!

3. Reasons for Extinction • Overexploitation • Habitat Loss • Introduced species • Pollution • Loss of genetic variation • Catastrophic Disturbances

4. Passenger Pigeon • Found in North America • In 1800’s the population was in the billions • Last survivor died in captivity in 1944 in the Cincinatti Zoo Causes: • Produce only 1 egg/year • Habitat loss due to farming • Fed on chestnuts, acorns, and beech nuts • Used for shooting practice • Hunted for feathers (for hats) and meat

5. Carolina Parakeet • Found in Northern US and Southern Canada from the east coast to the midwest • Nest in hollow trees • Extinct in the wild since 1900 Causes: • Nesting trees cleared for farming and fuel in the mid 1800’s • Introduction of honey bee from Europe lead to competition = demise of the parakeet • Feathers used in hats • Parakeets kept as pets

6. Great Auk • A flightless bird found in North America, Europe, and the north Atlantic • The last mating pair died in 1844 Causes: • Only have 1 egg/year • Slaughtered for food and bait by fisherman • Killed for the feather industry (down for bedding)

7. Should Panda’s be left to go extinct? • British scientists Packham and Wright think it is at least something that should be considered http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4nFwAvZ0OI

8. Conservation Nature Reserves • Areas of aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems that have been protected in order to conserve biodiversity or unique species. • Conservation can be attempted by setting aside land for restricted access and controlled use. • These include small nature reserves and larger parks (ie – Algonquin Provincial Park)

9. Features that promote conservation of biodiversity 1) Edge Effects • The ecology at the edge of an ecosystem is different than at the centre • When habitat’s are fragmented the relative proportion that occurs at a boundary increases • There could be a change in microclimate that can reduce appropriate habitats • Can open up species for greater predation

11. Features that promote conservation of biodiversity 2) Size • Single large sites are preferred over several small sites • Large sites can support larger populations, have more niches and more resources • Smaller habitats have more edge area putting more organisms at greater risk

12. Features that promote conservation of biodiversity 3) Habitat Corridors • Habitats can be fragmented by developed land (farming, housing, etc…) or roads • Corridors connect otherwise isolated habitats • Wildlife can travel between the habitats in corridors • Can include greenbelts or tunnels under roads

13. Active Management Techniques Effective management is the key to keeping the diversity of a nature reserve. This is accomplished by: • Restoration of the land to its natural state • Recovery of threatened species by restoring their habitat • Re-introductions of native species • Removal of invasive species • Protection against development and pollution • Funding and increasing public awareness

14. In Situ Conservation • Within the original habitat • Habitat preservation - Nature reserves help endangered species by maintaining their habitat and preventing competition from invasive species. • Long term management strategy

15. Ex Situ Conservation • Often used as a last resort if a species cannot be kept in its natural habitat safely or the population if incredibly small Captive breeding • Zoo’s and wildlife refuges • Techniques include: • artificial insemination • embryo transfer to a surrogate • cryogenics

16. Peregrine Falcon • Reason for decline: DDT and related pesticides • By the time DDT was banned in 1972 the population in Eastern North America was gone • Populations from other parts of the country were used to establish captive breeding an re-introduce the population

17. Gray Wolf • Yellowstone National Park • Two packs from Canada were reintroduced in 1995 and 1996 • By 2002, 16 packs and more than 200 wolves were in the park

18. Botanical Gardens – cultivation, breeding, and research • Seed Banks– Seeds are kept in cold, dark conditions that prevent the seeds from germinating. Seeds from plants from all over the world are stored in seed banks.