Extinct Species Activities

1. Extinct Species Activities 1. Research an Extinct Species and make an info card for our class timeline that includes the species name, date the species is believed to have gone extinct, and the reasoning scientists believe the species went extinct. No two students may do the same species, so once you have selected your species, put its name on the board so other students can see your selection. Once finished, put your species info card on the class timeline. 2. Write a Eulogy about your species. The eulogy should include the positive characteristics of the species and why it will be missed…get creative with your work and feel free to add appropriate humor!

2. Chapter 10 Biodiversity

3. Chapter 10, Section 1 Biodiversity at Risk

4. Mass Extinction The extinction of many species in a relatively short period of time. Probably caused by a global change in climate. It takes millions of years for biodiversity to rebound after a mass extinction. Example: Dinosaurs

5. Are we currently in a mass extinction? • Many scientists believe we are living during another mass extinction • They fear by the year 2100, 25% or more of all species of plants and animals that were on Earth in 1900 will be extinct • If a mass extinction is underway….it isn’t being caused by a natural change, but by human actions!

6. What is Biodiversity?

7. Biodiversity(biological diversity) The number and variety of species in a given area.

8. Unknown Diversity • The actual number of species on Earth is unknown. • The number of species known to science is about 1.6 million (most of which are insects). • Scientists believe there are at least 13 million different species. • New species are considered “known” when they are collected and described scientifically. • Unknown species exist in remote wilderness, deep in the oceans, and even in cities.

9. Species prone to Extinction: • Species with small populations in limited areas can easily become extinct. • Species that are especially at risk of extinction include those that • Migrate • Need large or special habitats • Are exploited by humans

10. Humans causing extinction… • Human population is increasing at a rate of about 220,000 people each DAY! • Because the population is growing so rapidly and changing the environment so dramatically, we are causing other species to become extinct at an accelerated rate. • Scientists estimate that species are disappearing at least 1,00 0 times faster than at any other time in the last 65 million years. • So, why is the increase in the human population so devastating to other species?

11. So, why is the increase in the human population so devastating to other species? • Habitat Destruction • Unregulated hunting • Introduction of nonnative species

12. Habitat Destruction • As human populations grow, we use more land to build homes and harvest resources and in turn destroy the habitats of other species. • It is estimated that habitat loss causes almost 75% of the extinctions now occurring. • Most extinctions are occurring in tropical rain forests when the land is cleared for farming or cattle grazing. • Biologists estimate that at least 50% of the world’s species live in tropical rain forests, even though these forest cover only 7% of the Earth’s land surface! • Rain forests contain MILLIONSof species that have never been described, many of which may become extinct before we know much about them.

13. Hunting • Unregulated hunting can also lead to species extinction. • In the early 1900s for example, 2 billion American passenger pigeons were legally hunted to extinction in the US. • In the 1800s, the American buffalo (AKA bison) was nearly hunted to extinction, but thanks to today’s laws that protect the buffalo, their population is more than 200,000. • Legal hunting is no longer a major cause of extinction in developed countries with wildlife laws. In the US, hunting organizations and government agencies work together to ensure that only a certain number of game animals are killed each year. • However, in developing countries, where animal meat or cash for game can mean the difference between starvation and survival, hunting still threatens many species. In those countries, poaching (illegal hunting) can threaten animals with extinction.

14. Exotic Species • Exotic species: a species that is not native to a particular region. • Exotic species can threaten native species, which have not natural defenses against them….think about the Burmese Pythons in the Florida Everglades….

15. Benefits of Biodiversity • Extinction is a natural process…throughout the history of life on Earth, species have appeared, flourished for a time, and then become extinct. Probably 99% of all the species that have ever lived are now extinct. • Protecting species on the verge of extinction is difficult and expensive….why should we work so hard to slow the rate of extinction? • Because…..

16. Benefits of Biodiversity • Species are Connected to Ecosystems • Practical Uses of Species • Ethical and Aesthetic Reasons

17. 1. Species are connected to ecosystems • Humans depend on healthy ecosystems to ensure a healthy biosphere that has balanced cycles of energy and nutrients. • Species are part of these cycles because species have roles in their environment. Every species is dependent on or depended upon by at least one other species. • Species that are clearly critical to the functioning of an ecosystem that they are called keystone species.

18. 2. Practical Uses of Species • People throughout history have used the variety of organisms on Earth for food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. • About 40%of the drugs prescribed in the United States are derived from living things. Almost all antibiotics are derived from chemicals found in fungi! • The scientific community continues to find new uses for biological material and genetic diversity, from combating diseases to understanding the origins of life. • Page 259, Figure 10-7: Pick 3 to include in your notes!

19. 3. Ethical & Aesthetic Reasons • Some people believe that we should preserve biodiversity for ethical reasons. They believe that species and ecosystems have a right to exist whether or not they have any other value. • People also value biodiversity for aesthetic or personal enjoyment-keeping pets, camping, picking flowers, or watching wildlife. • Some regions earn the majority of their income from ecotourism • Ecotourism: a form of tourism that supports the conservation and sustainable development of ecologically unique areas.

20. Biodiversity in the United States • The US includes a wide variety of unique ecosystems, including the Florida Everglades, the California coastal region, Hawaii, the Midwestern prairies, and the forests of the Pacific Northwest. • The US holds unusually high numbers of species of freshwater fishes, mussels, snails, and crayfish. • Species diversity in the US is also high among groups of land plants such as pine trees and sunflowers.

21. Public Policy Chapter10, Section 2

22. Endangered Species Act • Passed in 1973 by US Congress • Designed to protect plant and animal species in danger of extinction. • The four main provisions are found on page 261, Figure 10-10 • Add these to your notes….

23. Which is Which? Endangered Threatened Species that has a declining population and that is likely to become endangered if not protected. • Species that is likely to become extinct if protective measures are not taken immediately. Extinct: Gone forever!

24. Worldwide Efforts to Prevent Extinctions • World Wildlife Fund • Works to protect biodiversity, especially in tropical forests, by encouraging the sustainable use of resources • Nature Conservancy • Manages over 1,500 sanctuaries in the US and other countries • Friends of the Earth • Group that lobbies governments and disseminates information to the public • Greenpeace International • Stages dramatic protests to help stop the destruction of rain forests and the killing of endangered animals

25. Worldwide Efforts to Prevent Extinctions • International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) • In the forefront of efforts to protect species and habitats • This organization is a collaboration of almost 200 governments and government agencies and over 700 private conservation groups!! • Publishes data books that list species in danger of extinction around the world • One offshoot of IUCN is and international treaty, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) • Biodiversity Treaty • One of the most ambitious efforts to tackle environmental issues was the Earth Summit where more than 100 world leaders and 30,000 other participants met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992 • One of the agreements that came out of the Earth Summit was the Biodiversity Treaty, which encourages wealthier countries to give money to poorer countries for the protection of potentially valuable species.

26. Areas of Critical BiodiversityCertain areas of the world contain a greater diversity of species than other areas do. • An important feature of such areas is that they have a large portion of endemic species. • Endemic species: species that are native to and found only within a limited area. • Ecologists often use the # of endemic species of plants as an indicator of overall biodiversity, because plants form the basis of ecosystems on land. • These areas include: • Tropical Rain Forests • Coral Reefs & Coastal Ecosystems • Islands

27. Chapter 10, Section 3 The Future of Biodiversity

28. Saving Species One at a Time • When a species is clearly on the verge of extinction, concerned people sometimes make extraordinary efforts to save the last few individuals such as: • Captive-breeding programs • Germ-Plasm Banks • The Ecosystem Approach

29. Captive Breeding Programs • Zoos and wild-animal parks can increase the population of an endangered or threatened species through these programs • This involves breeding animals under careful managed circumstances. • Botanical gardens is another form of this • Are storehouses of genetic diversity • Worldwide, they house 90,000 species of plants….even so, the gardens don’t have the space or funds to preserve most of the world’s rare and threatened plants

30. Germ-Plasm Banks • Store germ plasm for future use in case species become critically endangered. • Germ plasm is the genetic material contained within the reproductive (germ) cells of organisms. • Plants may be stored as seeds and animals may be stored as frozen sperm and eggs • The germ plasm is stored in refrigerated and humidity-controlled environments that allow the genetic material to survive for many years.

31. The most effective way to save species is to protect their habitats.Also, scientists have found it better to protect an entire ecosystem rather than just focusing on the single species in danger. The Ecosystem Approach

32. 2 main reasons for focusing on entire ecosystems: • Many more species are in danger of extinction than can possibly be placed on official lists. By concentrating on entire ecosystems, we may be able to save most of the species in an ecosystem rather than just ones that are on an endangered species list • The health of the entire biosphere depends on the preservation of individual ecosystems

33. Conservationists suggest that at least 10% of the Earth’s land be set aside to protected preserves, especially “hot spots” • “Hot Spots” • Regions that contain unusually large numbers of species. 18 of these are listed on page 269…pick 5 to add to your notes!

34. Human Needs • Sometimes the desire to protect biological resources can come into conflict with people’s jobs or in the poorer nations can even become a life and death matter….it is difficult to blame a parent who shoots an endangered animal so that their child won’t starve. • We must find ways to meet human needs and manage living resources at the same time. • Preserving these resources will perhaps be the greatest challenge of the 21st century!