1. Ecological Literacy and Biodiversity Healy Hamilton California Academy of Sciences Worldviews Network Institute – Wednesday March 16, 2011

8. Medicinesourcetreats Quininetropical forest Cinchona treemalaria Vincristine/childhood vinblastineMadagascar rosy periwinklelymphoma AspirinSalix spp. (Willow trees) pains, fever TaxolPacific Yew treebreast and ovarian cancer

10. BIODIVERSITY as models for medical research for medical research How do hibernating bears avoid renal failure?

11. BIODIVERSITY provides MATERIALS  Timber  Construction  Fuelwood  Fibers,Textiles  Rubber  Paper

12. BIOFUELS Ethanol: fermenting any biomass high in carbohydrates Biodiesel: combining alcohol with vegetable oil, animal fat, or recycled cooking grease

13. BIOMIMICRY: Energy Efficiency - Learning from nature how to create flow without friction

14. BIOMIMICRY: Industrial Design - Learning from trees and bones how to optimize strength and materials

15. Ecosystem Services (U.S. estimates) Pollination: more than 30% of our food crops. $3 billion/annually Bees, birds, bats, moths, small mammals = free pollination services

16. Storm Surge Protection by mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands: $23 billion annually

17. Drinking water flowing from U.S. National Forests: >$4 billion annually

18. U.S. Coral reefs: $30 billion annually: tourism, fish breeding habitat, shoreline protection

19. Isabella Kirkland, “Taxa” Tiffany Bozic, “The Lek”

21. CULTURAL DIVERSITY is biodiversity ALL FOOD = biodiversity MEDICINES come from biodiversity CLOTHING comes from biodiversity CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS come from biodiversity SPIRITUALITY & RELIGION are inspired by biodiversity WATER & AIR are purified by biodiversity GAS & OIL come from past biodiversity BIODIVERSITY is what makes Earth habitable, resilient, beautiful, and enjoyable

22. – Alfred Russel Wallace (1863) urged responsibility for stewardship that came with knowledge of life’s diversity: “If this is not done, future ages will certainly look back upon us as a people so immersed in the pursuit of wealth as to be blind to higher considerations. They will charge us with having culpably allowed the destruction of some of those records of Creation which we had it in our power to preserve; and, while professing to regard every living thing as the direct handiwork and best evidence of a Creator, yet, with a strange inconsistency, seeing many of them perish irrecoverably from the face of the earth, uncared for and unknown.”

23. Threats to the diversity of life have not been greater for 65MY Technological change has accelerated humanity’s capacity to reshape the world to meet human needs – Habitat destruction, degradation  fragmentation – Direct overexploitation – Invasive species – Climate Change

24. ~391

25. 550

26. 950

27.  Species-based focus: CA condor  Ecosystem or process based focus: managing fire regimes in grasslands  Ex situ conservation: zoos, aquaria, botanical gardens  Legislative approaches: endangered species act, CITES  Protected area designation: wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, conservation easements.  Major role of NGOs

28. 1. Locations that have low human impacts should remain suitable for many species, even if the identities of those species change. Principles of conservation in a rapidly changing world

29. 2. Areas of high environmental heterogeneity provide greater buffering of climate change impacts

30. Principles of conservation in a rapidly changing world 3. Concentrate new conservation efforts on areas of high species diversity, endemism, and/or genetic diversity California mammal endemism Davis et al 2008

31. 4. Reduce existing stressors Principles of conservation in a rapidly changing world

32. 5. Place an honest value on the goods and services that flow from biodiversity and ecosystems - eliminate perverse subsidies

33. 6. Improve landscape connectivity to support species to track shifting climates – the NUMBER ONE recommendation for climate change adaptation Heller and Zavaleta 2009 Principles of conservation in a rapidly changing world

36. Biological management of carbon is a triple win:  reducing emissions by conserving intact systems  increase carbon sequestration capacity on degraded lands  Improve habitat for biodiversity