Conserving Earth's biodiversity

Conserving Earth's biodiversity

1. Conservation Biology

   •    Scientific discipline devoted to understanding and preserving Earth’s biodiversity.   
   • Ecosystem Diversity
     •    dif. Communities, dif. types of ecosystems.   
   • Species Diversity
     • dif. Species to make up a functioning community. To buffer them against disturbances (climate change, etc.)
   • Genetic Diversity
     • long-term survival depends of dif. Alleles in gene pool. For adapt to changing environment.

2. Importance of Biodiversity

   •    Ecosystems & biodiversity sustain human well-being.   
   • Ecosystem Services
     • benefits for people from ecosystems. 
     • Provisioning Services
       • Products directly obtained from ecosystems.
       • Food
         •    farms (agricultural ecosystems) or wild-grown food.   
       • Raw Material
         • Wood (construction, furniture, paper), Fresh water (agriculture, drinking, industry).
       • Energy
         • Hydroelectric power, wood for heating, etc.
     • Regulating Services
       • Control ecosystem processes.
       • Water Purification
         •    Forests, grasslands, etc. remove sediments and pollutants.   
       • Pollination
         • Insects pollinate plants such as coffee, cocoa, etc. 
       • Pest Control
         • Bats, frogs, birds feed on insects that are agricultural pests or carry diseases.
       • Erosion & Flood Control
         • Vegetation roots holds soil & roots hold water. 
       • Climate Regulation
         • Shade reduces temp, trees as windbreakers, water cycle.   
       • Carbon Storage
         • Photosynthesis stores CO2 in plants. If burned, CO2 is released.
     • Cultural Services
       • Nonmaterial Benefits desired by people.
       • Recreation
         • “Returning to nature”. Parks & refuges.
       • Mental & Physical Health
         • Reduce stress, improves mental focus, etc.
       • Tourism
         • Ecotourism: travel to observe biological communities.
     • Supporting Services
       • Provide other ecosystem services.
       • Habitat
         • for organisms that supply services.
       • Photosynthesis
         • oxygen needed for life. 1st step food.
       • Genetic Resources
         • Genes variety protects food supply.
       • Soil Formation
         •  1 inch of Soil may take up to 100 years to form.   
       • Nutrient Cycling
         • move from reservoirs to chemical forms that organisms can use.
   • Ecological Economics
     • determines monetary value of economic services and to assess trade-offs since they aren’t free and unlimited.
     • Monetary Value
       • of ecosystem services is worth $125-145 trillion per year; yet biosphere isn’t treated well.
   • Ecosystem Function
     • Highest biodiversity = highest services. More diverse communities = higher productivity & better to withstand disturbances. 
     • Redundancy Hypothesis
       • Species in community have functionally equivalent roles
     • Rivet Hypothesis
       • the loss of species may not be catastrophic, but the loss of keystone species will. 
       • Keystone Species
         • are crucially important to ecosystem function according to size of population or position in food web.

3. Is Biodiversity Diminishing?

   •   While extinction is normal, the rate of modern extinctions is extraordinarily high.   
   • 5 Mass Extinctions
     • 5 caused by changes in environment.
     • 6th?
       • Specialists think we are living the 6th mass extinction caused by humans.
   • Extinction
     • According to fossil record, extinctions occur at a low rate. 
   • IUCN Red List
     • It contains 22,176 threatened species.

4. Threats to Biodiversity

   • Footprint Exceeds Resources
     • In 2010, we exceeded biocapacity by 50%. 
     • Ecological Footprint
       • estimate or area required to produce resources and absorb wastes.
     • Biocapacity
       • estimate of sustainable resources and waste-absorbing capacity is available. 
   • Huma Activities
     • Habitat destruction
       • It imperils + than 85% of endangered species. 
       • Habitat Fragmentation
         • when ecosystems are divided by roads, houses, farms.
       • Minumum Viable Population
         • (MVP) is needed for an ecosystem to be functional and persist disasters. It depends on fertility, life span, quality of ecosystem, # of young to reach maturity. 
       • Tropical Rain Forest
         • Home of half of Earth’s species, is turning into farms, ranches, plantations. 
     • Overexploitation
       • Hunting or harvesting at a rate that exceeds ability to replenish #. 
       • Demand
         • Overexploitation increases as demand does. 
         • The Poor
           • Hunger and poverty increase demand for harvest animal products.
         • The Rich
           • consumers pay for illegal products. 
     • Invasive Species
       • Humans transport species which may increase # at expense of native species competing for food, habitat or preying them. 
       • Islands
         • Especially Island ecosystems are vulnerable since population is low and species are endemic
     • Pollution
       • Is a multifaceted threat.
       • Fertilizers
         • may cause algal blooms.
       • Nutrients
         • Nutrients in excessive amounts become pollutants since they disrupt natural cycles and cause acid precipitation. 
       • Chemicals
         • Synthetic chemicals, etc. form sewage of agricultural runoff. Chemicals may be lipid soluble and accumulate in the fatty tissue of animals. 
       • Heavy Metals
         • Mining, industrial process and burning fossil fuels release heavy metals which are toxic. 
     • Climate Change
       • Rapid climate change challenges species’ abilities to adapt. 
       • Impacts
         • Deserts
           • hotter/ dries deserts
         • Migration
           • heat will force species to migrate to the poles or mountains
         • Habitats
           • cool habitats will disappear from mountaintops
         • Pests
           • insect pests prev. killed by frost may spread and thrive
         • Diseases
           • parasites and insect-borne diseases will spread to the poles
         • Coral reefs
           • will bleach and die.

5. Habitat protection

   • Core Reserves
     • are natural areas protected from humans. MVP is needed to estimate the area required.  
   • Wildlife Corridors
     • strips of protected land linking core reserves to allow animals to move freely and safely between cores. They increase the size of small reserves.

6. Sustainability for the Future

   • Sustainable Development
     • meets the needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs by improving quality of life whilesupporting ecosystems. 
     • Relies on Renewable Resources
       • Minerals
         • Minerals can be recycled just as nutrients. Minerals like copper are used in large quantities, rare minerals (for cellphones) are in short supply, and others are toxic when dumped into environment. 
       • Fossil Fuel
         • Fossil fuel cannot be recycled & release CO2 which causes climate change, hence the importance of using renewable energy sources.
     • Sustainable Agriculture
       • Goal
         • Goal of sustainable agriculture is to produce sufficient food for humankind, economic benefit for farmers and to maintain ecosystem services. 
       • Sustainable vs Traditional
         • differ in: how fields are prepared for planting and whether synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are used.
       • Tillage
         • Conventional
           • residues of last year’s crop are removed and fields are plowed.
         • Conservation
           • 30% of previous crop’s residue remains
         • No-till
           •    leaves all residue, it reduces soil erosion from wind and rain & reduces fertilizer runoff, improves soil structure & increases organic matter which keeps soil cooler & moist during summer. No-till uses herbicides to kill the cover crop though.   
       • Organic Farming
         • don’t use synthetic herbicides, fertilizers and insecticides bur rely on predators and soil microorganisms to degrade waste. Rotating assortment of dif. crops reduces pests and diseases. Organic food is sold at higher price so farmers have higher income though their yields are lower.   
     • Balances Ecosystems and Human needs
       •    Farms provide more wildlife habitat than cities, conservation easements are used to preserve natural habitats at low cost. Suburbs provide gardens, balconies and parks as habitat.   
       • Monarchs
         •    Monarch butterflies migrate south each fall to spend winter in forest groves which are owned by local Mexicans whom are poor farmers. The groves slow down the monarchs’ metabolism so they don’t starve. The groves also provide firewood and lumber. Conifers mature fast and are replanted for Christmas trees. Monarchs attract tourists.   
   • How to Achieve it?
     • Change Lifestyle
       • Technologies
         • Choose which technologies are sustainable and how to transition.   
       • Conserve Energy
         • Heating & Cooling
           • Consider energy-efficient features (insulator, solar heating, etc.) Plant trees for shade, limit temp. on air conditioner.   
         • Use LED
         • Appliances
           • Look for energy-efficient models.
         • Transport
         • Hot water
           • Short showers, etc.
       • Conserve Materials
         • Recycling
         • Reuse
         • Conserve water
           • plant drought-resistant vegetation.
       • Magnify Efforts
         • Volunteer
         • Vote
         • Educate
     • Control Human Population
       • Too many people use too many resources and generate too much waste. +80 million people per year. Consider when planning a family.   

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