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Welcome to Conservation Biology (Con Bio) 2010

Welcome to Conservation Biology (Con Bio) 2010. Society for Conservation Biology. >10,000 members (=Ecological Society of America) New in 2007: Auburn University Chapter! President: Andrew Hopkins ( awh0001@tigermail.auburn.edu ) Next meeting Aug. 31, 6-7 pm!. Webpage link to AU SCB.

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Welcome to Conservation Biology (Con Bio) 2010

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  1. Welcome to Conservation Biology (Con Bio) 2010

  2. Society for Conservation Biology • >10,000 members (=Ecological Society of America) • New in 2007: Auburn University Chapter! • President: Andrew Hopkins (awh0001@tigermail.auburn.edu) • Next meeting Aug. 31, 6-7 pm! Webpage link to AU SCB

  3. What is Conservation Biology? Ch. 1: An overview

  4. “Crisis Discipline”Response to: • Biodiversity loss

  5. Declining Biodiversity Examples • Steller’s Sea Cow • Bering Strait (Alaska) • 35 feet long, 3.5 tons • Hunted extinct by 1768

  6. Declining Biodiversity Examples • Bachman’s Warbler • Neotropical migrant • Bred SE US, wintered Cuba • Last seen 1989. Print by Audubon

  7. Declining Biodiversity Examples • Franklin tree • Altamaha River, Georgia • Last seen in wild: 1803 • Maintained in gardens/arboreta. Print by Audubon

  8. Declining Biodiversity Examples • Carolina Parakeet: Only parrot native Eastern US • Declared pest, affected by deforestation • Extinct 1920.

  9. Declining Biodiversity Examples • Passenger Pigeon • Maybe most abundant bird on planet?? • One flock estimated 2 billion birds Passenger Pigeon

  10. Declining Biodiversity Examples • Hunted heavily • Forests destroyed • Extinct by 1914. Stuffed specimens: one sold on eBay for $6500 (2006)

  11. Declining Biodiversity Examples • Xerces Blue Butterfly • Sand dunes near San Francisco, CA • First N. American butterfly extinct (1941) by humans • Habitat destruction

  12. Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation • International group based in Oregon

  13. “Crisis Discipline”Response to: • Biodiversity loss • Disruption of ecosystem functions

  14. Ecosystem Disruption: Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone” Note ORANGE Terms! • Nutrient inputs: algal blooms • Dead algae sink, decompose • Oxygen levels drop (hypoxia: low oxygen)

  15. “Dead Zones” • Aerobic sea life (fish, shrimp, crabs, etc.) dies • Worldwide count: 405 (Aug. 2008)

  16. “Crisis Discipline”Response to: • Biodiversity loss • Disruption of ecosystem functions • Climate change

  17. Example: Bobolink • Breeds summer N. US & Canada • Migrates Argentina in winter.

  18. Climate Change and Species Distributions Climate Envelope: Area of suitable climate for a species Will shift as global climate changes.

  19. Special Risk: “Island” species • Ex, Alpine “Islands” Orange is range of high-elevation species Lower climate limit

  20. Special Risk: “Island” species • Ex, Alpine “Islands” New lower limit after climate change Extinct population Lower climate limit

  21. “Crisis Discipline”Response to: • Biodiversity loss • Disruption of ecosystem functions • Climate change • Invasive species

  22. Example: Who am I?

  23. Example: Brown Tree Snake • Introduced Guam (between 1945 and 1952) • Extirpated native forest vertebrates (9 of 11 native birds extinct)

  24. Example: Brown Tree Snake • Shorted power grids (1 outage every 4 days!) • Bite mildly venomous: danger to small children Snake that “closed the circuit”!

  25. “Crisis Discipline”Response to: • Biodiversity loss • Disruption of ecosystem functions • Climate change • Invasive species • Overharvest commercial species

  26. Overharvest of Atlantic Cod • Grand Banks Fishery off Newfoundland in North Atlantic

  27. Overharvest of Atlantic Cod • Overfishing caused crash • Area closed 1992 • May never re-open.

  28. “Crisis Discipline”Response to: • Biodiversity loss • Disruption of ecosystem functions • Climate change • Invasive species • Overharvest commercial species • Pollution impacts on species/ecosystems

  29. Pollution • May not be visible • Biomagnification may occur: concentration of pollutant increases up food chain • Ex, DDT.

  30. Pollution • Ex, DDT biomagnification

  31. Pollution • Ex, DDT • Caused eggshells to break, nest success dropped • Exs: bald eagle, peregrine falcon. Bald Eagle Peregrine falcon

  32. Pollution • Ex, DDT • Bald eagle federally threatened, peregrine falcon endangered • DDT use banned in U.S. • Recovery efforts: de-listing of peregrine falcon (1999), de-listing of bald eagle (2007).

  33. Pollution • Lesson, don’t trust advertising…. (Time Magazine, 1947). • World Health Organization estimates DDT saved 25 million lives for its antimalarial uses.

  34. “Crisis Discipline”Response to: • Biodiversity loss • Disruption of ecosystem functions • Climate change • Invasive species • Overharvest commercial species • Pollution impacts on species/ecosystems • And, #1………..Human population growth!

  35. Human Population Growth

  36. The New Field of Conservation Biology

  37. ConBio’s 5 Ethical Principles • 1. Preserve diversity • 2. Prevent extinction • 3. Maintain ecological complexity • 4. Allow evolution to continue • 5. Recognize intrinsic value (value because they exist) of biological diversity

  38. ConBio’s 5 Ethical Principles • 5. Recognize intrinsic value of biological diversity…... Biophilia (E.O. Wilson): genetic predisposition of humans to value biological diversity.

  39. Some ConBio History • European view anthropocentric (human-centered) • Nature created by God for humans • Result: exploitation for immediate profit/use

  40. Some ConBio History • Early conservation! • Poland 1564: reserve to protect last aurochs (ancestor domestic cattle). Aurochs as cave art in Europe

  41. Some ConBio History • Went extinct anyway! (1627) • Breed re-created by German scientist from European domestic cattle Who am I?

  42. Some ConBio History • Reserve did save wisent (European bison)! A “vee-zunt”…..

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