Transcript Document

Chapter 9
Sustaining Biodiversity:
The Species Approach
What Role Do Humans Play in the
Premature Extinction of Species?
 We are degrading and destroying
biodiversity in many parts of the world, and
these threats are increasing.
 Species are becoming extinct 100 to 1,000
times faster than they were before modern
humans arrived on the earth (the background
rate), and by the end of this century, the
extinction rate is expected to be 10,000 times
the background rate.
Human Activities Are Destroying and
Degrading Biodiversity
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HIPPCO?
H = Habitat Destruction, Degradation, fragmentation
I = Invasive Species
P = Population Growth
P = Pollution
C = Climate Change
O = Overexploitation
Poll time..
 What causes loss of biodiversity??
3 Types of Species Extinction
• Local extinction = no longer found in a given
area once inhabited (found in other parts of the
world)
• Ecological extinction = so few species it can no
longer play its ecological role
• Biological extinction = no longer found on earth
= FOREVER
Endangered and Threatened Species Are
Ecological Smoke Alarms
 Endangered species = so few individual
survivors that the species could soon become
extinct
 Threatened species = vulnerable species
• Characteristics of such species
Grizzly
bear
Kirkland’s
warbler
Knowlton
cactus
Florida
manatee
African
elephant
Utah prairie Swallowtail Humpback Golden lion Siberian
tiger
dog
tamarin
chub
butterfly
Giant
panda
Mountain
gorilla
Black-footed Whooping Northern Blue whale
crane spotted owl
ferret
Florida
panther
California Hawksbill
Black
condor
sea turtle rhinoceros
Fig. 9-4, p. 187
Characteristics of Species That Are Prone
to Ecological and Biological Extinction
Why Should We Care about Preventing
Premature Species Extinction?
 We should prevent the premature extinction of
wild species because of the economic and
ecological services they provide and because
they have a right to exist regardless of their
usefulness to us.
Species Are a Vital Part of the Earth’s
Natural Capital
 Instrumental value – usefulness to us
• Use value
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Ecological services
Recreation (ecotourism)
Information
Goods
• Nonuse value
• Existence value
• Aesthetic value
• Bequest value
Natural Capital: Nature’s Pharmacy
Loss of Habitat Is the Single Greatest
Threat to Species: Remember HIPPCO
 Habitat destruction, degradation, and
fragmentation
 Invasive (nonnative) species
 Population and resource use growth
 Pollution
 Climate change
 Overexploitation
Natural Capital Degradation: Reduction
in the Ranges of Four Wildlife Species
The Ten Most Threatened Song Birds
in the United States
Polar Bear with Seal Prey
White Rhinoceros Killed by a Poacher
Bush Meat: Lowland Gorilla
How Can We Protect Wild Species from
Premature Extinction?
 We can use existing environmental laws and
treaties and work to enact new laws designed to
prevent species extinction and protect overall
biodiversity.
 We can help to prevent species extinction by
creating and maintaining wildlife refuges, gene
banks, botanical gardens, zoos, and aquariums.
How Can We Protect Wild Species from
Premature Extinction?
 According to the precautionary principle, we
should take measures to prevent or reduce harm
to the environment and to human health, even if
some of the cause-and-effect relationships have
not been fully established, scientifically.
International Treaties Help to
Protect Species
 1975: Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) – restricts
international trade of live specimens/products
b/c they are at risk of becoming threatened
• Signed by 172 countries
National Laws
 Lacey Act of 1900 – prohibits transporting live
or dead animals across state borders (w/o a
federal permit)
 Endangered Species Act (ESA): 1973 and
later amended in 1982, 1983, and 1985
 Identify and protect endangered species in the
U.S. and abroad
Confiscated Products Made from
Endangered Species
Accomplishments
of the Endangered Species Act
 Species listed only when serious danger of
extinction
 Takes decades for most species to become
endangered or extinct
 More than half of the species listed are stable or
improving
 Budget has been small
Gene Banks, Botanical Gardens, and
Wildlife Farms Can Help Protect Species
 Gene or seed banks
• Preserve genetic material of endangered plants
 Botanical gardens and arboreta
• Living plants
 Farms to raise organisms for commercial sale
Zoos and Aquariums Can Protect
Some Species
 Techniques for preserving endangered
terrestrial species
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Egg pulling
Captive breeding
Artificial insemination
Embryo transfer
Use of incubators
Cross-fostering
Zoos and Aquariums Can Protect
Some Species
 Limited space and funds
 Critics say these facilities are prisons for the
organisms
What Can You Do? Protecting Species