1. Aim: How have humans impacted the environment and how are they trying to repair it?

2. Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology
Chapter 56 (old Chapter 55)
Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology

3. Overview: Striking Gold (not on notes)
1.8 million species have been named and described
Biologists estimate 10–200 million species exist on Earth

4. Two discipline that seek to preserve life
Conservation biology integrates Ecology, Physiology, Molecular biology, Genetics, and Evolutionary biology to conserve biological diversity at all levels
Restoration ecology applies ecological principles to return degraded ecosystems to conditions as similar as possible to their natural state

5. Human Activities are Threatening Earth’s Biodiversity
Human population growth is the root of many environmental problems

6. Human Activities are Threatening Earth’s Biodiversity
Humans are rapidly pushing many species toward extinction
The high rate of species extinction is largely a result of ecosystem degradation by humans
Tropical forests contain some of the greatest concentrations of species and are being destroyed at an alarming rate

7. Extinction

8. Three Levels of Biodiversity
Biodiversity has three main components:
Genetic diversity: comprises genetic variation within a population and between populations
Species diversity: the variety of species in an ecosystem or throughout the biosphere
An endangered species is “in danger of becoming extinct throughout all or a significant portion of its range”
A threatened species is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future
Ecosystem diversity: the variety of ecosystems in the biosphere
Human activity is reducing ecosystem diversity

9. Effect on Species Diversity
(a) Philippine eagle
(b)
Yangtze River
dolphin
Globally, 12% of birds, 20% of mammals, and 32% of amphibians are threatened with extinction
Figure 56.4 A hundred heartbeats from extinction
(c)
Javan
rhinoceros

10. Benefits of Species, Genetic, and Ecosystem Diversity
In the United States, 25% of prescriptions contain substances originally derived from plants
The loss of species also means loss of genes and genetic diversity
The enormous genetic diversity of organisms has potential for great human benefit
Ecosystem services: natural ecosystems and their species help sustain human life (Ex. Purification of air and water, Detoxification and decomposition of wastes, Cycling of nutrients, Moderation of weather extremes)

11. the rosy periwinkle contains alkaloids that inhibit cancer growth
Figure 56.6 The rosy periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), a plant that saves lives
the rosy periwinkle contains alkaloids that inhibit cancer growth

12. Three Threats to Biodiversity
Most species loss can be traced to three major threats:
Habitat destruction
Introduced species
Overexploitation

13. Habitat Destruction (Habitat Loss)
Human alteration of habitat is the greatest threat to biodiversity throughout the biosphere

14. 93% of the worlds coral reefs have been damaged by human activities
Figure 56.7 Habitat fragmentation in the foothills of Los Angeles

15. Introduced Species
Introduced species are those that humans move from native locations to new geographic regions
(a) Brown tree snake
(b) Kudzu
Sometimes humans introduce species by accident (brown tree snake in Guam), but sometimes its intentional (kudzu to the southern states)

16. Introduced Species Nile perch (Lake Victoria) Brown tree snake (Guam)
Argentine ants Caulerpa (seaweed)

17. In the Northeast, purple loosestrife and gypsy moths

18. Zebra Mussles in the Great Lakes

19. Overexploitation
Overexploitation is human harvesting of wild plants or animals at rates exceeding the ability of populations of those species to rebound

20. Figure 56.9 Overexploitation
Overexploitation by the fishing industry has greatly reduced populations of some game fish, such as bluefin tuna

21. Population conservation focuses on population size, genetic diversity, and critical habitat
Conservation at the population and species levels follow two main approaches:
The small-population approach
The declining-population approach

22. Small-Population Approach
Small-population approach: studies processes that can make small populations become extinct
Extinction vortex - a small population is prone to positive-feedback until it becomes smaller and smaller until no individuals exist.
Extinction vortex is caused by low genetic variation
Minimum viable population (MVP) is the minimum population size at which a species can survive

23. Figure 56.10 Processes culminating in an extinction vortex

24. Fig
RESULTS
200
150
Number of male birds
100
Translocation 50
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
Year
(a) Population dynamics
100
Figure What caused the drastic decline of the Illinois greater prairie chicken population? 90 80 70
Eggs hatched (%) 60 50 40 30
1970–’74
’75–’79
’80–’84
’85–’89
’90
’93–’97
Years
(b) Hatching rate

25. Declining-Population Approach
Declining-population approach: focuses on threatened and endangered populations that show a downward trend, regardless of population size
It Emphasizes the environmental factors that caused a population to decline

26. Red-cockaded
woodpecker
(a) Forests with low undergrowth
(b) Forests with high, dense undergrowth
Figure Habitat requirements of the red-cockaded woodpecker
Red-cockaded woodpeckers require living trees in mature pine forests. This species had been forced into decline by habitat destruction

27. Landscape and regional conservation aim to sustain entire biotas
Conservation biology has attempted to sustain the biodiversity of entire communities, ecosystems, and landscapes

28. Fragmentation and Edges
Landscapes dominated by fragmented habitats support fewer species due to a loss of species adapted to habitat interiors
(a) Natural edges
(b) Edges created by human activity

29. Corridors That Connect Habitat Fragments
A movement corridor is a narrow strip of quality habitat connecting otherwise isolated patches

30. Establishing Protected Areas
Conservation biologists apply understanding of ecological dynamics in establishing protected areas to slow the loss of biodiversity
Focus has been on Biodiversity Hot Spots (area with a great concentration of threatened and endangered endemic species)

31. Terrestrial biodiversity hot spots Marine biodiversity hot spots
Fig
Terrestrial biodiversity
hot spots
Marine biodiversity
hot spots
Equator
Figure Earth’s terrestrial and marine biodiversity hot spots

32. Nature Reserves 50
100
Kilometers
Nature reserves are biodiversity islands in a sea of habitat degraded by human activity
Yellowstone R.
MONTANA
WYOMING
Yellowstone
National
Park
Shoshone R.
MONTANA
IDAHO
Grand Teton
National Park
Snake R.
Biotic boundary for
short-term survival;
MVP is 50 individuals.
IDAHO
WYOMING
Biotic boundary for
long-term survival;
MVP is 500 individuals.

33. Zoned Reserves
Nicaragua
CARIBBEAN SEA
Costa
Rica
The zoned reserve model recognizes that conservation often involves working in landscapes that are largely human dominated
National park land
Buffer zone
Panama
PACIFIC OCEAN
(a) Zoned reserves in Costa Rica

34. Costa Rica has become a world leader in establishing zoned reserves
Nicaragua
CARIBBEAN SEA
Costa
Rica
Costa Rica has become a world leader in establishing zoned reserves
National park land
Buffer zone
Panama
PACIFIC OCEAN
(a) Zoned reserves in Costa Rica
Figure Zoned reserves in Costa Rica
For the Discovery Video Rain Forests, go to Animation and Video Files.
(b) Schoolchildren in one of Costa Rica’s reserves

35. GULF OF MEXICO FLORIDA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary 50 km
Fig
GULF OF MEXICO
FLORIDA
Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary
50 km
Figure A diver measuring coral in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

36. Restoration ecology attempts to restore degraded ecosystems to a more natural state
Given enough time, biological communities can recover from many types of disturbances
Restoration ecology seeks to initiate or speed up the recovery of degraded ecosystems
(a) In 1991, before restoration
(b) In 2000, near the completion of restoration

37. Bioremediation and Biological Augmentation
Bioremediation is the use of living organisms to detoxify ecosystems
The organisms most often used are prokaryotes, fungi, or plants that can absorb or decompose toxic substances.
Biological augmentation uses organisms to add essential materials to a degraded ecosystem 6 5 4
soluble uranium (µM)
Concentration of 3 2 1 50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Days after adding ethanol
(a) Unlined pits filled with wastes containing uranium
(b) Uranium in groundwater

38. Sustainable development seeks to improve the human condition while conserving biodiversity
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of people today without limiting the ability of future generations to meet their needs

39. Case Study: Sustainable Development in Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s conservation of tropical biodiversity involves partnerships between the government, other organizations, and private citizens
Human living conditions (infant mortality, life expectancy, literacy rate) in Costa Rica have improved along with ecological conservation

40. Life expectancy (years) Infant mortality (per 1,000 live births)
Fig
200 80
Life expectancy
Infant mortality 70
150 60
Life expectancy (years)
Infant mortality (per 1,000 live births)
100 50 50
Figure Infant mortality and life expectancy at birth in Costa Rica 40 30
1900
1950
2000
Year

41. The Future of the Biosphere
Our lives differ greatly from early humans who hunted and gathered and painted on cave walls
Our behavior reflects remnants of our ancestral attachment to nature and the diversity of life—the concept of biophilia
Our sense of connection to nature may motivate realignment of our environmental priorities

42. Fig
(a)
Detail of animals in a 36,000-year-old cave painting,
Lascaux, France
Figure Biophilia, past and present
(b)
A 30,000-year-old ivory
carving of a water bird,
found in Germany
(c)
Biologist Carlos Rivera
Gonzales examining a tiny
tree frog in Peru

43. The End