Welcome to Conservation Biology (Con Bio) 2005 website webpage1 webpage2.

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Welcome to Conservation Biology (Con Bio) 2005

website

webpage1

webpage2

What is Conservation Biology?An overview

“Crisis Discipline”Response to:

• Biodiversity loss

Declining Biodiversity Examples• Steller’s Sea Cow• Lived in Bering Strait

(Alaska)• Grew to 35 feet long,

3.5 tons• Slow-moving, docile• Hunted to extinction by

1768, less than 30 years after it was discovered.

Declining Biodiversity Examples• Bachman’s Warbler

• Neotropical migrant

• Bred in southeastern US

• Wintered in Cuban tropical forests

• Deforestation in Cuba for cane fields caused major decline in numbers

• Last seen 1989.

Print by Audubon

Declining Biodiversity Examples• Franklin tree• Altamaha River, Georgia• Last seen in wild: 1803• Maintained in

gardens/arboreta.

Print by Audubon

Declining Biodiversity Examples• Only parrot native to

Eastern US• Lived in large flocks in the

SE US• Foraged on grains/fruits• Declared a pest: killed in the

thousands by hunters and farmers

• Affected by deforestation as well

• Extinct by 1920.

Carolina Parakeet

Declining Biodiversity Examples• Abundant bird in eastern

US (Canada to Gulf)• Flocks of billions of birds

described (darkened sky)• Hunted heavily in 1800s• Forests destroyed• Extinct by 1914.

Passenger Pigeon

Declining Biodiversity Examples

• Xerces Blue Butterfly

• Inhabited sand dunes near San Francisco, CA• First North American butterfly to become extinct due to

human disturbance• Habitat destruction as city developed was main probable

cause.

• Disruption of ecosystem functions

Ecosystem Disruption: The Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone”

• Runoff from agricultural fields fertilizers (and other sources) in Mississippi drainage contains nutrients

• Excessive nutrients delivered by Mississippi River to Gulf cause algal bloom

• Dead algae die, sink, decompose.

The Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone”

• Oxygen levels drop (hypoxia: low oxygen)

• Aerobic sea life (fish, shrimp, crabs, etc.) dies

• Bottom area affected is size of New Jersey (7,700 sq miles).

• Climate change

Example: Bobolink• Breeds in

summer in Northern US and Canada

• Migrates to Argentina in winter.

Climate Change and Species Distributions

ClimateEnvelope: Areaof suitable climaticconditions for a species

Will shift as global climate changes.

Special Risk: “Island” species

• Ex, Alpine “Islands”

Lower climate limit

Orange is range ofhigh-elevation species

Special Risk: “Island” species

• Ex, Alpine “Islands”

Lower climate limit

New lower limit afterclimate changeExtinct population

• Climate change

• Invasive species

Example: Brown Tree Snake• Accidentally introduced to

Guam (between 1945 and 1952)

Example: Brown Tree Snake• Accidentally introduced to

Guam (between 1945 and 1952)

• Snake population exploded• Extirpated by predation most

native forest vertebrates• Shorted power grids• Human hazard of snake bite

(mildly venomous: danger to small children).

Example: Purple LoosestrifeWetland species

Introduced from Eurasia in early 1800s to northern US

Since 1930s, has aggressively expanded range westward and crowded out other wetland species.

Example: Purple Loosestrife

• Change from 1968 to 1978. Loosestrife crowds out other wetland plants (central NY).

• Climate change

• Overharvest of commercial species

Overharvest of Atlantic Cod• Grand Banks Fishery off

Newfoundland in North Atlantic

• Overfishing and environmental fluctuation caused major population crash

• Harvest declined from 800,000 tons in 1968 to 140,000 tons in 1978

• Area closed to fishing in 1992

• May never re-open.

• Climate change

• Pollution impacts on species/ecosystems

Pollution• May not be visible

• Biomagnification may occur: concentration of pollutant increases up food chain

• Ex, DDT.

Pollution• Ex, DDT

biomagnification

• Caused eggshells to break, nest success dropped

• Exs, bald eagle, peregrine falcon.

Peregrine falcon

Bald Eagle

• Bald eagle became federally threatened, peregrine falcon endangered

• DDT use banned in U.S.

• Recovery efforts have resulted in de-listing of peregrine falcon, proposed de-listing of eagle.

Pollution• Lesson, don’t trust advertising…. (Time Magazine,

1947).

• Climate change

• Pollution impacts on species/ecosystems

• And, #1………..Human population growth!

Human Population Growth

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3 Goals of Conservation Biology

• Document biological diversity on Earth

• Investigate human impacts on species, communities, and ecosystems

• Develop ways to prevent extinction, maintain genetic diversity, and protect or restore communities and ecosystems.

The New Field of Conservation Biology

• Resource Mgt.

• Agriculture• Fisheries• Forestry • Wildlife Mgt.• Park mgt.

• Conservation Biol.

• Ecology• Genetics• Evolutionary

biology• Taxonomy• Environmental

Studies• Anthropology

Field Experience

New Ideas &Approaches

ConBio’s 5 Ethical Principles

• Preserve diversity of species/communities

• Prevent extinction of populations/species

• Maintain ecological complexity

• Allow evolution to continue

• Recognize the intrinsic value of biological diversity.

ConBio’s 5 Ethical Principles• Recognize the intrinsic value

of biological diversity…... Biophilia (E.O. Wilson): genetic predisposition of humans to prefer and promote biological diversity.

Some ConBio History• European view was anthropocentric

• Nature created by God for humans to use

• Resulted in massive exploitation for immediate profit/use

Some ConBio History• European view was anthropocentric

• Nature created by God for humans to use

• Resulted in massive exploitation for immediate profit/use

• However, there were some surprisingly early conservation efforts!.

Some ConBio History• Poland 1564 • Reserve established to

protect the last population of the aurochs

• Ancestor of domestic cattle.

Some ConBio History• Poland 1564 • Went extinct anyway!• Breed re-created by

German scientist from European domestic cattle.

Some ConBio History

• Poland 1564 • But reserve did save

wisent (European bison) from extinction!.

American ConBio History• John Muir • Founder of Sierra Club• (US conservation

organization)• Preservationist ethic: set

aside areas from human impact and development

• Emphasized value of wilderness for spiritual and artistic uses.

American ConBio History• Gifford Pinchot • First head of US Forest Service

in early 1900s• Resource conservation ethic: use

resources wisely for all society.

American ConBio History• Gifford Pinchot • First head of US Forest Service

in early 1900s• Resource conservation ethic: use

resources wisely for all society• Quote: “greatest good of the

greatest number in the long run”• Legacy is “multiple use”

philosophy for government lands.

American ConBio History• Aldo Leopold • Evolutionary-ecological land

ethic: • Management should maintain

ecological processes and ecosystem health

• Humans part of ecosystems rather than apart from them

• Proper management can enhance diversity even beyond that of natural communities.

American ConBio History• Aldo Leopold • Evolutionary-ecological land

ethic: • Recent “spin” on this is

“reconciliation ecology” (Rosenzweig 2001)

• Seeks how to modify human-dominated habitats to allow humans to share our range with other species.

ConBio Today• Well-established in science and government

ConBio Today• Well-established in science and government• Needs more attention by public

• 2001-2002 was International Biodiversity Observation Year

ConBio Today• Well-established in science and government• Needs more attention by public

• 2001-2002 was International Biodiversity Observation Year

• Needs more young and enthusiastic minds…yours??

Welcome to Conservation Biology (Con Bio) 2005 website webpage1 webpage2.

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