Bio Conservation Essay

8/18/2019 Bio Conservation Essay

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Conservation Essay

Biology 112

Alan Reid

University of the Fraser Valley

Matthew Strauss

April ! 2"1#


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$adies and %entle&en of the 'oard! we fa(e a (risis) *ithout going into detail why! only

+ of the designated 12 ani&als (an 'e saved) ,hey have 'een (hosen and the rational why

follows)

,he -uestion is not who to save 'ut who (an 'e lost) *ho! when re&oved fro& their

e(osyste&! will result in the least i&pa(t. ,hose who are /0eystone/ in their respe(tive

environ&ent &ust 'e saved) ,herefore! (ultural and so(ial status &ust 'e ignored) u&ans (an

adapt to su(h (hanges) n no parti(ular order! ea(h ani&al will 'e assessed and graded on a

point s(ale)

3oint Value Status

Criti(al to Multiple E(osyste&s

+ Criti(al to $o(al E(osyste&

2 4on5Criti(al to $o(al E(osyste&

1 solated in $o(al E(osyste&

A short e6planation of the grade will follow ea(h ani&als des(ription)

7oala 3has(olar(tos (inereus

a'itat Forested Australia

3rey Eu(alyptus

3redators 8ingo! large python! 'irds of prey on young

Status $east Con(ern

3oints 2

A 7oala/s i&pa(t on it/s lo(al e(osyste& appears &ini&al) Food for other (arnivores 'ut

neither wide spread enough or essential enough to (ause distin(t i&pa(t on the food (hain) As the


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7oala pri&arily ingests Eu(alyptus and is not ne(essary for Eu(alyptus (ontrol! the 7oala is

graded as 4on5Criti(al in it/s e(osyste&) f re&oved entirely! lo(al predator/s would find other

sour(es of food and the eu(alyptus would grow as 'efore)

Aye5Aye 8au'entonia &adagas(ariensis

a'itat East (oast Madagas(ar

3rey nse(ts! larvae! fruit

3redators u&an! fossa! 'irds of prey

Status Endangered

*orlds largest no(turnal pri&ate)

3oints 2

,he Aye5Aye provides a &a&&alian aspe(t in Madagas(ar/s uni-ue e(osyste&) ,his

endangered ani&al eats pri&arily inse(ts! larvae and fruit while 'eing prey to fossa! 'irds and

hu&ans 9Sterling! 1::+;) As the fossa (an also hunt le&urs! they Aye5Aye/s presen(e is valued

'ut not essential! garnering it a ran0 of 2)

Mole Rat etero(ephalus gla'er

a'itat East Afri(a 9Southern Ethiopia! 7enya!

So&alia;

3rey ,u'ers

3redators Sna0es

Status 4ot ,hreatened

Resistant to Can(er< $ongest $iving Rodent 9+1 years;

3oints 2

A'undant and radi(ivorous! the &ole rat/s food will (ontinue to persist in neither e6(ess

nor re(ess) ,he sna0es that prey on the &ole rat &ay feel the i&pa(t! 'ut it is 'elieved not overly


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so) Uni-ue to the Mole Rat is it/s longevity and parti(ular resistan(e to (an(er 9Buffenstein!

2""=;) For &edi(al reasons! &aintaining the &ole rat population for study would 'e preferred!

'ut not over the potential destru(tion of other e(osyste&s) A 2 is given with preferen(e over

other 2 rated ani&als)

3anda Ailuropoda &elanole(ua

a'itat Mountain ranges in (entral (hina

3rey Eu(alyptus

3redators Adult stage> none< (u's> ?a(0als! leopards! et()

Status Endangered

3anda waste (ontains &i(ro'es 'eing studied for potential 'iofuel< 2""" panda/s left)

3oints 2

,he %iant 3anda! li0e the 7oala! re(eives a 2 for 'eing neither essential for predators nor

ne(essary for 0eeping the Eu(alyptus in (he(0) 4ota'le is the s(ientifi( resear(h 'eing done in

panda waste! where &i(ro'es are 'eing studied for their potential 'iofuel 'enefits) ,his would

pla(e the 3anda a'ove other 2 rated ani&als 9e-ual with the Mole Rat;)

$a&ottes Round $eaf Bat ipposideros la&ottei

a'itat Mount 4i&'a< 'order of Cote d/voire! %uinea

3rey nse(ts

3redators u&ans 9food! deforestation! iron ore &ining;

Status Criti(ally Endangered

3oints 1

$a&ottes Round $eaf Bat! while not te(hni(ally isolated in it/s e(osyste&! has only #

0nown spe(ies in e6isten(e) ,he da&age hu&ans are doing to its ha'itat o's(ures the a(tual


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i&pa(t the Round $eaf Bat/s a'sen(e would have! 'ut it (an 'e e6trapolated fro& the la(0 of

(urrent serious detri&ental effe(ts that the Round $eaf Bat is not (riti(al to the e(osyste&)

arp Seal 3agophilus groenlandi(us

a'itat Eastern Canada! %reenland and *estern Russia

3rey Fish and Crusta(eans

3redators 3olar Bears! u&ans! Fo6es! *olves! @r(as

and Shar0s

Status ,hreatened

3oints +

*idely hunted 'y &a&&als a(ross large northern e6panses! the harp seal provides food

for &any (reatures) t/s de(lination would 'e felt throughout the northern spe(ies 'ut it is not

0nown how deeply) t garners a + due to their volu&e in northern environ&ents! where few

spe(ies &anage to survive) t/s i&portan(e is largely as food and thus would ran0 lower than

other + rated ani&als)

Alligator A&eri(an A) 9Alligator Mississippiensis;

Chinese A) 9Alligator Sinensis;

a'itat Southeast United States< angte River Valley

3rey Fish! inse(ts! (rusta(eans< turtles! 'irds!

reptiles< panthers and 'la(0 'ears

3redators oung to 'irds and ra(oons< 'o'(ats! otters!

sna0es and larger alligators

Status 4ot Endangered

7eep Coypu and Mus0rat population in (he(0

3oints +


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,he Alligator provides a (ontrol on lo(al ani&als)) ,he a'sen(e of Alligators (an 'e

assu&ed to da&age lo(al e(osyste&s fro& the spi0e in Coypu and Mus0rats ran0ing the

Alligator at +)

Daguar 3anthera on(a

a'itat Me6i(an and South A&eri(an rainforests)

3rey @'ligate Carnivor terrestrial verte'rates)

3redators u&ans

Status 4ear ,hreatened

7eystone predator in e(osyste&)

3oints +

7eystone predator status is (urrently de'ated 'ut tends to des(ri'e a (reature that

&aintains lo(al populations through hunting 9Steiner! 2""+;) $i0e the Alligator! the Daguar is

thought to 0eep other populations in (he(0) ts e(ologi(al i&pa(t is disproportionate to it/s

population 9Vander&eer! 1::;) For that reason! the Daguar re(eives a +)

Vulture 4ew *orld and @ld *orld Vultures

a'itat *ar& and te&perate A&eri(as< Afri(a! Asia!

Europe

3rey 8ead (ar(asses< dying ani&als

3redators %reat horned owls! read tailed haw0s! golden

eaglesStatus 3arti(ular old world vultures are 4ear

,hreatened

3oints 2


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*ide spread and only threatened in ndian e(osyste&s due to di(lofena( poisoning ! the

Vulture provides re(y(ling of dead ani&als 9%reen! 2"";) ,he Vulture only eats dead or dying

ani&als and as s&all ani&als (an provide the sa&e! the vulture is not essential to its e(osyste&

and is ran0ed 2)

Blue Sided ,ree Frog Agaly(hnis annae

a'itat ,ropi(al rainforests of Costa Ri(a and 3ana&a

3rey nse(ts

3redators iphophorus hellerii fish! (hytridio&y(osis!

hu&an pet trade

Status Endangered

3oints 2

7eeping no populations in (ontrol! providing no (urrent s(ientifi( 'enefit and food for

spe(ifi( fish that do not depend on it! the Blue ,ree frog is a low 2 due to it/s la(0 of proposed

i&pa(t were it a'sent fro& its e(osyste&)

Soft Shell ,urtle ,riony(hiae fa&ily 9soft shells;

a'itat $argely a-uati( Afri(a! Asia and 4orth

A&eri(a

3rey Fish! (rusta(eans! snails! a&phi'ians

3redators u&ans! large fish! ra(oons! long legged

herons)

Status Vulnera'le

3oints 2

Food for hu&ans and other ani&als! the Soft Shell ,urtle is not essential to any parti(ular


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e(osyste& and re(ieves a 2)

Clown Fish A&phiprioninae 9su'fa&ily;

a'itat *ar&er water of indian and pa(ifi( o(ean<

%reat Barrier Reef)

3rey Gooplan0ton! undigested host ane&one food)

3redators $arge fish! eel and shar0)

Status 4ot Endangered

3oints 2

,he Clown Fish provides a sy&'ioti( relationship to ane&one 98unn! 1:1;) As the

Clown Fish is not essential to parti(ular e(osyste&s and 0eeps no populations in (he(0 through

predation or 'eing preyed upon! it is rated at 2)

@f the ani&als evaluated! the following have 'een (hosen to save> Daguar! Alligator and

arp Seal) ,he s(ientifi( 'enefits of saving the %iant 3anda and Mole Rat are 'eing resear(hed

and (urrently un0nown) ,he Daguar and Alligator provide population (ontrol that! were they

a'sent! lo(al populations are assu&ed to in(rease and detri&entally influen(e the lo(al

e(osyste&) ,he arp Seal provides food for ani&als in northern e(osyste&s that! were they

a'sent! would have signifi(ant diffi(ulty in finding other food due to the desolate environ&ent

they inha'it) All other ani&als are a((epta'le losses in (o&parison to these three)


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Referen(es

Buffenstein! R) 92""=;) ,he 4a0ed Mole5Rat> A 4ew $ong5$iving Model for u&an

Aging Resear(h HA'stra(tI) The Journals of Gerontology, 60911;! a! 1+#:51+JJ) Retrieved April

+! 2"1#! fro& http>KK'io&edgerontology)o6ford?ournals)orgK(ontentK#"K11K1+#:)short

8unn! 8) F) 91:1;) ,he Clownfish Sea Ane&ones> Sti(hoda(tylidea 9Coelenterata>

A(tiniaria; and @ther Sea Ane&ones Sy&'ioti( with 3o&a(entrid Fishes) American

Philosophical Society, 7191;! +511=) Retrieved April +! 2"1#! fro&

http>KKwww)?stor)orgKsta'leK1""#+2.se-L1pageNs(anNta'N(ontents

%reen! R) E)! 4ewton! )! Cunningha&! A) A)! Shult! S)! %il'ert! M)! 3ain! 8) D)! O

3ra0ash! V) 92"";) 8i(lofena( poisoning as a (ause of vulture population de(lines a(ross the

ndian su'(ontinent HA'stra(tI) Dournal of Applied E(ology! 19=;! J:+5"") Retrieved April +!

2"1#! fro& http>KKonlineli'rary)wiley)(o&KdoiK1")1111K?)""215:"1)2"")"":=)6Kfull

Steiner! C) F) 92""+;) 7eystone predator effe(ts and graer (ontrol of plan0toni( pri&ary

produ(tion HA'stra(tI) @i0os! 1"19+;! =#:5=JJ) Retrieved April +! 2"1#! fro&

http>KKonlineli'rary)wiley)(o&KdoiK1")1"+K?)1#""5"J"#)2""+)12+":)6Ka'stra(t

Sterling! E) D) 91::+;) 3atterns of Range Use and So(ial @rganiation in Aye5Ayes

98au'entonia Madagas(ariensis; on 4osy Manga'e HA'stra(tI) $e&ur So(ial Syste&s and ,heir

E(ologi(al Basis! 151") Retrieved April +! 2"1#! fro&

http>KKlin0)springer)(o&K(hapterK1")1""JK:J515::52125N1

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0021-8901.2004.00954.x/fullhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.12309.x/abstracthttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0021-8901.2004.00954.x/fullhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.12309.x/abstract


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Vander&eer! D)! O Mar(h! S) 91::;) ndire(t Effe(ts with a 7eystone 3redator>

Coe6isten(e and Chaos HA'stra(tI) ,heoreti(al 3opulation Biology! =91;! +5+) Retrieved April

+! 2"1#! fro& http>KKwww)s(ien(edire(t)(o&Ks(ien(eKarti(leKpiiKS"""="::J:1+=J=
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040580997913575http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040580997913575

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Bio Conservation Essay