Presentation Transcript

1. 3/27 What group of organisms makes up the largest group on earth? Today: Start conservation biology / biodiversity

2. An AP Environmental Medley

3. CH 11 Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
4. Some groups contain more species than others Species are not evenly distributed among taxonomic groups Insects predominate over all other life-forms 40% of all insects are beetles God must have had “an inordinate fondness for beetles” Brit biologist JB Haldaine Groups accumulate species by: Adaptive radiation Allopatric speciation Low rates of extinction
5. Measuring biodiversity is not easy Out of the estimated 3 - 100 million species on Earth, only 1.7 - 2 million species have been successfully catalogued Very difficult to identify species Many remote spots on Earth remain unexplored Small organisms are easily overlooked Many species look identical until thoroughly examined Entomologist Terry Erwin found 163 beetle species specialized on one tree species
6. Insects outnumber all other species
7. Biodiversity is unevenly distributed Living things are distributed unevenly across Earth Latitudinal gradient = species richness increases towards the equator Canada has 30 - 100 species of breeding birds, while Costa Rica has more than 600 species
8. Latitudinal gradient has many causes Climate stability, high plant productivity, and no glaciation Tropical biomes support more species and show more species evenness Diverse habitats increase species diversity Human disturbance can increase habitat diversity But only at the local level
9. Latitudinal gradient has many causes
10. 3/28 aTB What is extirpation? Today: Continue with extinction Turn in your labs
11. Biodiversity losses and species extinction Extinction = occurs when the last member of a species dies and the species ceases to exist Extirpation= the disappearance of a particular population from a given area, but not the entire species globally Can lead to extinction
12. Extinction is a natural process What % of species all ever to live are extinct? Paleontologists estimate 99% Background rate of extinction = natural extinctions for a variety of reasons 1 extinction per 1 to 10 million species for mammals and marine species 1 species out of 1,000 mammal and marine species would go extinct every 1,000 to 10,000 years
13. Earth has experienced five mass extinctions In the past 440 million years, mass extinctions have eliminated at least 50% of all species After every mass extinction the biodiversity returned to or exceeded its original state Asteroid? End of dinosaurs
14. 3/29 ATB What is the background rate of extinction? Today: Discuss biodiversity loss Finish the mini-chapter Mini-chapter quiz -- Monday
15. Current extinction rates are higher than normal The Red List= an updated list of species facing high risks of extinctions 23% of mammal species 12% of bird species 31 - 86% of all other species http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Since 1970, 58 fish species, 9 bird species, and 1 mammal species has gone extinct In the U.S., in the last 500 years, 236 animal and 17 plant species are confirmed extinct Actual numbers are undoubtedly higher
16. Species Listings
17. Episode: Frogs: The Thin Green Line Nature It is the greatest mass extinction since the dinosaurs. Population by population, species by species, amphibians are vanishing off the face of the Earth. Scientists are taking desperate measures to try to save those frogs they can, even bathing frogs in Clorox solutions and keeping them in Tupperware boxes under carefully controlled conditions to prevent the spread of a deadly fungus. http://video.pbs.org/video/1117923308/
18. People have hunted species to extinction for millennia Extinctions followed human arrival on islands and continents
19. Biodiversity loss has many causes Reasons for biodiversity losses are multifaceted, complex, and hard to determine Factors may interact synergistically Synergy is two or more things functioning together to produce a result not independently obtainable. Four primary causes of population decline are (+ an extra one): Habitat alteration Farming, urbanization, dams Some species thrive – rats, pigeons others extirpated Invasive species Island species particularly vulnerable Pollution Air, water, land, etc (not as bad as habitat alt though) Overharvesting Especially affects K-selected species Global climate change now is the fifth cause
20. Biodiversity loss has a variety of causes
21. Biodiversity provides free ecosystem services What are some examples of ecosystem services? Provides food, shelter, fuel Purifies air and water, and detoxifies wastes Stabilizes climate, moderates floods, droughts, wind, temperature Generates and renews soil fertility and cycles nutrients Pollinates plants and controls pests and disease Maintains genetic resources Provides cultural and aesthetic benefits Medicines Allows us to adapt to change The annual value of just 17 ecosystem services = $16 - 54 trillion per year
22. 3/30 ATB What is NDD (nature deficit disorder). Have you ever felt affected by this? Should we develop medication for treatment??? Today: Discuss island biogeography Book assignment Monday – bring you book if needed Quest -- Tuesday
23. People value and seek out nature Biophilia = connections that humans subconsciously seek with life Our affinity for parks and wildlife Keeping of pets High value of real estate with views of natural lands Nature deficit disorder= alienation from the natural environment May be behind the emotional and physical problems of the young
24. Weighing the Issues – p314 Biophila and Nature-Deficit Disorder What do you think of the concepts of biophilia and “nature-deficit disorder”? Have you ever felt a connection to other living things that you couldn’t explain in scientific or economic terms? Do you think that an affinity for other living things makes is innately human? Pets? Camping? Laying on ground and looking up?
25. Do we have ethical obligations to other species? Humans are part of nature and need resources to survive But, we also have conscious reasoning ability and can control our actions Our ethics have developed from our intelligence and our ability to make choices Many people feel that other organisms have intrinsic value and an inherent right to exist
26. Conservation biology responds to biodiversity loss Conservation biology= devoted to understanding the factors that influence the loss, protection, and restoration of biodiversity Arose as scientists became alarmed at the degradation of natural systems An applied and goal-oriented science
27. 4/2 ATB What is the minimum viable population? Today: Finish the chapter Bring your book tomorrow (book assignment) 52 point quiz or test -- Wednesday
28. Conservation scientists work at multiple levels Conservation biologists integrate evolution and extinction with ecology and environmental systems Design, test, and implement ways to mitigate human impacts Conservation geneticists= study genetic attributes of organisms to infer the status of their population Minimum viable population= how small a population can become before it runs into problems Metapopulations = a network of subpopulations Small populations are most vulnerable to extinction and need special attention
29. Island biogeography Equilibrium theory of island biogeography= explains how species come to be distributed among oceanic islands Also applies to “habitat islands” – patches of one habitat type isolated within a “sea” of others Ex high elevations, habitat scatter around development Explains how the number of species on an island results from an equilibrium between immigration and extirpation Predicts an island’s species richness based on the island’s size and distance from the mainland
30. Island biogeography Affects Biodiversity -- distance from mainland if both islands are same size. Biodiversity -- Island size. Extirpation / Extinction rates – large vs. small?
31. Species richness results from island size and distance Fewer species colonize an island far from the mainland Large islands have higher immigration rates Large islands have lower extinction rates
32. The species-area curve Large islands contain more species than small islands They are easier to find and have lower extinction rates They possess more habitats
33. Should conservation focus on endangered species? Endangered Species Act (1973) (ESA) = forbids the government and private citizens from taking actions that destroy endangered species or their habitats To prevent extinction Stabilize declining populations Enable populations to recover As of 2007, the U.S. had 1,312 species listed as endangered or threatened
34. The ESA is controversial Many Americans support protection of endangered species Opponents feel that the ESA values endangered organisms more than the livelihood of people Private land use will be restricted if an endangered species is present “Shoot, shovel, and shut up” = landowners conceal the presence of endangered species on their land But, the ESA has stopped few development projects Habitat conservation plans and safe harbor agreements = landowners can harm species if they improve habitat for the species in other places
35. Biodiversity hotspots Golden Lion Tamarin One of the world’s most endangered primates (Brazil) Biodiversity hotspots– prioritizes regions most important globally for biodiversity Support a great number of endemic species =species found nowhere else in the world The area must have at least 1,500 endemic plant species (0.5% of the world total) It must have lost 70% of its habitat due to human impact http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqUdcW_uNMo
36. There are 34 global biodiversity hotspots 2.3% of the planet’s land surface contains 50% of the world’s plant species and 42% of all terrestrial vertebrate species
37. 4/3 ATB What are biodiversity hotspots? Today: Book assignment End of Chapter Book Questions: Pg324 #1,2,4,5,7,10 Tomorrow: Quiz
38. The End
39. 4/4 Quiz Turn in your assignment Yesterday: Me to Sodl: So I want to take the canoe trip. Sodl: No. Me: Let me explain. Sodl: Ok. Me: Explain explain explain Sodl: You can go as long as they have not reached their limit of educational trips. Me: Ok, sweet.
40. Skipping CH 12 Resource Management, Forestry, Land Use and Protected Areas
41. CH 13 Urbanization and Creating Livable Cities Urban sprawl
42. CH 14 Environmental Health and Toxicology
43. Ch 15 Freshwater Resources P 411
44. Treating wastewater Wastewater = water that has been used by people in some way Sewage, showers, sinks, manufacturing, storm water runoff Septic systems= the most popular method of wastewater disposal in rural areas Underground septic tanks separate solids and oils from wastewater The water drains into a drain field, where microbes decompose the water Solid waste needs to be periodically pumped and landfilled
45. Municipal sewer systems In populated areas, sewer systems carry wastewater Physical, chemical, and biological water treatment Primary treatment= the physical removal of contaminants in settling tanks (clarifiers) Secondary treatment= water is stirred and aerated so aerobic bacteria degrade organic pollutants Water treated with chlorine is piped into rivers or the ocean Some reclaimed water is used for irrigation, lawns, or industry
46. A typical wastewater treatment facility
47. Artificial wetlands Natural and artificial wetlands can cleanse wastewater After primary treatment at a conventional facility, water is pumped into the wetland Microbes decompose the remaining pollutants Cleansed water is released into waterways or percolated underground Constructed wetlands serve as havens for wildlife and areas for human recreation More than 500 artificially constructed or restored wetlands exist in the U.S.
48. Next Chapter…? Ch 16 - Marine and Coastal Systems: Resources, Impacts and Conservation (p442) Ch 17 – Atmospheric Science and Air Pollution (p472)
49. Ch 13 Urbanization and Creating Livable Cities p357