BIODIVERSITY

“The value of biodiversity is more than the sum of its parts.”

Byran G. Norton

WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?

biodiversity: the number and variety of species in a given area

• ~1.7 million species are known to exist– Only estimates because there is no real way to find every living

organism in the world.– Approx estimate is 10 MILLION!

• There are more species of

insects than any other species

in the world

3 types of biodiversity

1. Species biodiversity– differences between populations of a given species and of

different species

2. Ecosystem diversity– variety of habitat, community and biological processes within

and between ecosystems.

3. Genetic diversity– Different genes within a population

Benefits of biodiversity• Ecosystem Connections

– Keystone species: a species that has a major impact and role within an ecosystem. Without them the ecosystem will fall apart.

• Sea Otters

• Population and evolution– Bottleneck effect– Variation allows species to evolve and adapt

• Medication, Industrial, Agricultural• Ethics, Aesthetics, Recreation

– ecotourism

Ecotourism

• Tourism created to support conservation and sustainability, sustainable development of ecologically diverse, unique areas.– Rainforests– Coral reefs– Tundra

10-2 Biodiversity at risk

• Endangered species– Species likely to

become extinct if protective measures are not taken.

– http://www.iucnredlist.org/

• Threatened species– Species not yet

endangered, but have a declining population and if not protected probably will become endangered.

Current extinctions of the world

• Believed that we are in another mass extinction period– Estimated that in the period between 1800 -2100 that

~25% of species will be lost. – Humans are believed to be the main cause

• Habitat destruction• Introduction of non-native species• Hunting and poaching and over harvesting• Pollution

• The greater the number of individuals within a species the higher chance of that species survival.

• Species that are migratory and require a larger area of land have a greater probability of becoming extinct.

Habitat Destruction

• Why do we need more land?– Homes -- harvesting resources

• 75% of all extinction is due to habitat loss– Florida panther

• Broken habitat due to roads and construction

– Gorilla• Loss of habitat due to agriculture

– Panda• Loss of habitat due to farming development and clear cutting.

Invasive-Exotic species

• Exotic species = any non-native species of a given region.

• Mussels • earthworms

– Have ability to threaten native species because they have no natural predators.

– Native species lack defense mechanism.– Over $100 million spent a year by the U.S to fight

against invasive plant species.

Harvesting, hunting, poaching

• Excessive of any of the above may lead to extinction.

• Poaching- illegal hunting, harvesting– Elephants poached for their tusks.

Pollution

• Leads to climate change and alteration of habitat• Pesticides, drugs, cleaning agents, fertilizers all

enter water supply or food chain.– DDT was used as a pesticide - led to the decrease in

the number of bald eagles.• Even though the effects are known the US still produces

DDT and sells it in other countries.

Areas of critical Biodiversity

• Endemic species:– Species that are native to a particular area– Only a small population exists– Cannot survive anywhere else

Tropical rainforests

• Cover less than 7% of the world.

• Major location of biodiversity– More than 50% of the world’s species are

believed to exist here

Coral reefs, islands, and coasts

• Reefs– Provide food– ~60% of the world’s reefs are threatened.

• Overfishing, boats, pollution.

• Islands– Have a very select population of species.– Limited number of distinct species

Biodiversity hotspots

• Locations that are threatened but have a high species diversity– Created in the 1980s– Majority are tropical rainforest, coastal areas

and islands– 25 areas exist

Biodiversity in the US

• Florida Everglades, the California coastal region, Hawaii, the Midwestern prairies, and the forests of the Pacific Northwest.

• Species: Freshwater fishes, mussels, snails, and crayfish.

• Threats– use of land for

agriculture and housing– dam construction– overuse of water– destructive recreation – mining

10-3 Saving Species One at a time

• Captive breeding programs– Breeding of species within captivity in hopes

of releasing back into the wild• California Condor• 9 in 1989 but in 2002 58 in wild

– Unknown if these species will reproduce in the wild after reintroduction

Preserving Genetic Material

• Germ Plasm banks:– Germ plasm: any form

of genetic material from plants or animals

• Eggs, germ cells, blood samples.

– Used and stored for research and to aide in conservation efforts.

Zoos, Aquariums, Parks, Gardens

• Initially created to display wide array of species

• “Living museum of biodiversity”

• Not an ideal solution– Many animals won’t mate

in zoos– Rapid spread of disease

Preserving Habitat and Ecosystems“Most effective way to save species is to

preserve their habitat”

• Must have a large enough habitat to protect so species will be able to survive any major disaster.

Conservation Strategies

• By protecting an entire ecosystem you are able to protect most of the species within that area.

• Focus is on protecting the biological hotspots.

• Push for use of products that have been harvested using sustainable practices.

Legal Protection• Ideal type of protection would be

international agreements so organisms will remain throughout the world and not just in one given location

Endangered Species Act

• 1973- designed plan to protect plant and animals which are in danger of becoming extinct.

– 4 provisions1. US fish and wildlife service (USFWS) compile list of all

endangered and threatened species2. May not catch or kill endangered and threatened species.3. Fed. Govt. may not engage in projects that jeopardize

these species.4. USFWS must prepare species recovery plans

Recovery and Habitat Conservation Plan

• Leads to controversy when land use is limited or prohibited– Developers, recreation use, profit decrease

• Habitat Conservation Plan– Plan to protect one or more species across

large areas of land via trade-offs and cooperative agreements.

International Conservation

• International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)– 200 government agencies– 700 private organizations– Advise governments on resource

management– Create the “Red List” of endangered species

every year. – Sponsor conservation projects

International Trade and Poaching• Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species (CITES)

– International agreement between governments that tries to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

– 1st effective effort in stopping the poaching of African elephants

Biodiversity Treaty

• United Nations Conference on Environment + Development or “Earth Summit”– 1992 conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil– 100 world leaders and 30,000 individuals– Led to the Biodiversity Treaty-

• Preserve wildlife• Ensure sustainable and fair use of genetic

resources

Private Conservation Efforts

• World Wildlife Foundation- (WWF)- wildlife protection and sustainable use of resources.

• Nature Conservancy- habitat preservation• Conservation International- identify hotspots and

develop conservation projects• Greenpeace- Organizes direct actions against

environmental threats• Audubon Society- Conservation and protection

of native species.