Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach

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Sustaining Biodiversity The Species Approach
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Case Study Passenger pigeon

• 1813- John James Audubon saw a flock that took 3
  days to pass.
• 1900- disappeared from natural habitat
• Uncontrolled hunting
• Habitat loss
• Eat, bones as fertilizer, pillows
• Stool pigeon sew eyes shut

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3 types of Extinctions

• Local Extinction no longer in one area but is
  found in other areas
• Ecological Extinction so few left, can no longer
  fulfill its niche.
• Biological Extinction No longer found on earth

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Heading to Biological Extinction

• Endangered Species so few s that it could
  soon be biologically extinct.
• Threatened (vulnerable) Species abundant, yet
  declining s will soon make it endangered.

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Premature Extinction due to human influence

• Behavioral characteristics Ex - Key Deer and
  cigarette butts.

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Cataloging Extinction Rates (Problems)

• Typically takes a long time, difficult to observe
• Only identified 1.4 million of the 4-100 million
  species on earth.
• Know little about most species identified.

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Extinction Rate EstimatesMethods

• Compare historical records since human arrival
  with fossil records
• World Conservation Union compiles Red List of
  threatened species
• 1600 species in 2005
• 1 of every 4 mammal species
• 1 of every 7 plant species
• 1 of ever 8 bird species
• www.iucnredlist.org

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Island Biogeography

• Specie-area relationship- of species present
  increases with the size of the area.
• 90 habitat loss will result in 50 species loss.
  
• Theory of Island Biogeography- Smaller habitats
  creates less biodiversity.
• Islands of habitat are shrinking due to
  development, etc.
• Estimated 794 species are under eminent
  extinction protect 595 sites could improve s

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Human Activity Extinction Rates

• In due time, all species become extinct.
• Natural extinction rate 1 species per million
  annually. (0.0001 annually)
• Increased extinction rates by 100-10,000 times
  (0.01 1 annually)
• At 0.1 annually 5,000 per year if 5 million
  species.
• Premature loss of 1 million species in 100-200
  years than we are in a mass depletion of mass
  extinction.
• At 0.1 extinction rate 1/5 gone by 2030.
• At 0.1 extinction rate HALF gone by 2100.

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These estimates are conservative

• Loss is expected to increase in the next 50-100
  years due to increased human pop., etc
• Hot spots have much higher average
• Eliminating, degrading and simplifying diverse
  environments (coral, rain forest, etc.)-potential
  colonization sites.
• Speciation Crisis- ?extinction rate, limiting
  long-term recovery, and ?speciation.

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Fragmentation Disturbance

• Rapid reproducing opportunist (weeds)
• Long-term erosion of variety of species
• Loss of genetic variation
• Reduce ability to adapt to changing environment

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Why Should We Care?

• It will take 5 million years to rebuild
  biodiversity through natural speciation from
  damage done in the next 50-100 years.

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Why Should We Care?

• Instrumental Value Use of humans by economic
  and ecological purposes food, fuel,
  medications, genetic adaptations, ecotourism,
  etc.

• Intrinsic Value value based on its right to
  exist as a species and for its ecological role
  not as a tool for humans.

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Causes Remember HIPPO

• Habitat destruction, fraction, degradation
• Invasive Species
• Population Growth
• Pollution
• Over-harvesting

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Habitat Loss

• Greatest cause of extinction
• Habitat Islands habitat surrounded by a
  different one
• Habitat Fragmentation large continuous habitats
  are divided into islands (roads, ag, urban areas,
  etc)

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Case study Birds

• 70 of the worlds known 9,775 bird species are
  declining.
• 1 in every 8 bird species is threatened.
• ¾ of threatened birds live in forests.
• 40 of Borneo Sumatras rainforests cleared
• Results 3 of every 4 bird species is threatened
• 93 of Brazils coastal rainforests lost
• 115 birds threatened
• 30 of N. America are declining
• 70 of grassland species are disappearing.

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Top reasons for Declining bird numbers

• Habitat loss
• Loss of wetlands (Effects 40 of waterfowl)
• Invasive Species
• Cats, mongooses, rats, and snakes (Effects 28)
• Capture for pet trade
• Caught on long-line fishing hooks (seabirds)
• Migration paths (power lines, windows, towers..)
• 1 billion/year
• Hunting (U.S. 121 million annually)
• Pollution (oil spills, pesticides, herbicides,
  lead)
• Climate change

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Environmental Indicators Birds

• Live in every climate/biome
• Respond quickly to environmental change
• Relatively easy to track count
• Provide ecological services
• pest control
• Pollination
• seed dispersal (think of loss in tropical areas)
• scavengers)

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Invasive Species Pros

• Food
• Corn, wheat, rice
• Cattle, poultry
• Shelter
• medicine

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Invasive Species Cons

• Wipeout local fauna/flora
• Disrupt ecosystems
• No natural predators, parasites, competitors, or
  pathogens.
• 50,000 nonnative specie in U.S.
• 1 in 7 is invasive
• Biotic pollution
• Cost 137 billion annually (16 million/hour)

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Case Study Kudsu Vine

• From Japan
• Japanese use it in foods and medicines
• Every part is edible
• Source of tree-free paper
• Reduce alcoholism/binge drinking, ingesting small
  amounts reduces ones desire for alcohol.
• Planted in SE US for soil erosion control.
• Prolific and engulfs anything in its path.
• the vine that ate the south.
• Spreading, north to Great Lakes by 2040

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Deliberately Introduced Species

• European wild (feral) boars (1 million in
  Florida)
• Feral cats
• Outdoor pet cats (kill 568 million birds/year)
• Cane toads

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Globalization of Nature

• Stowaways
• Ballast waters
• Hitchhikers on imported products

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Reducing Threats of Invasive species

• Prevention and education
• Fund research into how and why they are so
  successful
• Increase ground surveys and satellite tracking
• Step up inspection of imported goods
• Identify harmful invaders and ban their transfer.
• Sterilize the ballast water
• Increase funding for natural predators,
  parasites, disease-causing bacteria and viruses
  to control populations.

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Promotion of the premature extinction rates

• Population Growth- over population of humans
• Affluenza- waste of natural resources
• Pollution- DDT (biomagnification)
• Climate change- naturally takes a long time
• Increased due to green house gas emissions
• 10 of 17 penguins threatened and polar bears due
  to loss of ice.

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Overexploitation

• 2/3 of all smuggled animals die in transit
• Worth 10 million/ year
• Poachers 6-10 million/ year
• 150,000 mountain gorilla
• 100,000 giant panda pelt
• 50,000 chimpanzee
• 50,000 Imperial Amazon Macaw
• 30,000 Komodo dragon reptile
• 28,600/kg rhinoceros horn (13,000/lb)

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Case study tiger

• 1950s 100,000 population
• Today 5,000-7,000
• In India 1800s 40,000 down to 3,700
• Tiger Pelt Coat-100,000
• Bengal tiger rug- 10,000
• Body parts and bones-25,000

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Killing of pests.. the chain reaction

• Elephants-trample crops
• Coyotes
• Prairie dogs- 99 poisoned
• holes that cattle and horses break legs
• Black footed ferret now endangered 600 left
• Wolves
• bobcats

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Collecting ExoticsBirds, tropical fish,
orchids, cacti

• 25 million US households have exotic birds
• 85 are imported
• gt 60 bird species (mostly parrots)
• 1992 study noted that keeping a bird indoors for
  gt10 years doubles the persons chance of lung
  cancer. (inhaling bird dander)
• Rare orchid 5,000
• Crested saguaro cactus- 15,000

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Case study bushmeat

• Sustained Indigenous people
• Supply restaurants with exotic meats
• Increased due to
• logging roads allow access
• Increase in population
• Decline in fish populations

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Figure 12-14Page 242
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4
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Top Six Hot Spots
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1 Hawaii 2 San Francisco Bay area 3 Southern
Appalachians 4 Death Valley 5 Southern
California 6 Florida Panhandle
Concentration of rare species
1
Low
Moderate
High
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Protecting Wild SpeciesInternational Treaties

• Convention on International Trade in Endangered
  Species (CITES) 1975
• Lists 900 species that cannot be comm. traded
  internationally as live specimens
• Restricts trade of 9000 animals and 28,000 plants
  
• Protects Elephants, Cheetahs, chimps
• Limited due to enforcement and opt-out option

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Protecting Wild SpeciesInternational Treaties

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• 188 Countries
• Legally commits participating countries
• Control ecologically harmful species
• Focus on ecosystems rather than species
• Property right and indigenous knowledge
• Slow ratification not signed by US

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The US Endangered Species Act(ESA)

• ID protect endangered species in US abroad
• Most far-reaching, controversial
• National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) US
  Fish Wildlife Service (USFWS) IDs
  endangered/threatened species
• Pure Biological Reasons for Placement
• Economic solutions can occur

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ESA

• Forbids federal agencies to destroy or hinder e.
  species or critical habitats
• Fines 100,000 / 1 year in prison
• Must develop plans of how to recover only 1/3
  have a plan due to political opposition
• Shipments must be inspected through 9 ports only
  1.4 is inspected due to lack of personnel and few
  are prosecuted

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ESA Amendments

• Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP)
• Compromise with private land owners
• Can destroy some habitats if protect some and/or
  pay for movement to other habitats
• Safe Harbor Act
• Voluntary Candidate Conservation agreement

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ESA in the Future

• Many legislation tries to weaken it for personal
  gain
• Must increase funding, development plans, protect
  habitat

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Best approach?

• Protect Ecosystems.
• Wildlife refuges more and improve.
• Gene Banks
• Botanical gardens
• Raise comm. Valuable species on farms
• Zoos Aquariums egg pulling, captive breeding,
  artif. insemination

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Reconciliation Ecology

• Share the world with other species
• Set aside habitats for not just one species, but
  many.
• Proactive dont wait until endangered and then
  try to fix
• Create habitat where we live, birds, bees, bats,
  diverse lawns
• Rooftops, parks, defense property, colleges..