Transcript Conserving Biodiversity and Wild Lands

Conserving Biodiversity and
Wild Lands
• Threaten species
– Chinese River Dolphin
– Philippine Eagle
– Less than 100 individuals remain
Threats to
species
• Loss of habitat
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–
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–
Development of cities, suburbs
Agriculture, deforestation
local, feeding nesting etc. sites
tropical (distant) areas involved
with migratory species –
Monarchs in Mexico
• Introduced species- competition
–
–
–
–
domestic dogs and cats, goats, cattle, foxes
Water hyacinth, Kudzo, Zebra Mussel
Brown Tree snakes in Guam
Caulerpa, Argentine ants, Africanized bees
• Loss of forest in
Wisconsin
• Fragmentation of
remaining areas
• Act like islands of forest
Fragmentation OR forests
Nile Perch- Africa
Argentine Ants- California
Brown Tree Snake- Guam
Caulerpa - California
• Zebra Mussel
Threats to Species
• Over-harvesting of food species, or
hunting species itself
– Most species are rare.
– Many larger plants & animals are fewer in
number and reproduce slowly (low inherent
growth rate) and can not recover quickly.
• Pollution - Pesticides and insects,
amphibians
• Currently in a mass extinction
Caucasus
Mediterranean
basin
California
Floristic
Province
Mountains of south
central China
IndoBurma
Mesoamerican
forests
Philippines
Caribbean
Choco/Darien/
western Ecuador
Brazillian
Cerrado
Tropical
Andes
Polynesia and
Micronesia
island
complex
Polynesia
and
Micronesia
island
complex
Central
Chile
Brazil's
Atlantic
forests
Eastern Arc Mountains
and coastal forests
of Kenya and Tanzania
Guinean
forests of
West
Succulent
Africa
Karoo
Cape Floristic
region of
South Africa
Western
Ghats and
Sri Lanka
Wallacea
Sundaland
New
Caledonia
Madagascar/
Indian Ocean
islands
Southwest
Australia
New Zealand
Fig. 23.25, p. 617
What to save?
• We can’t save them all. Not enough $$ or
land to save everything
– Interests change with political climate
– Population growth demands on local areas
– More demand for exports in developing
countries – raw materials, energy
• What species to save? Choosing the
fights to preserve an area.
– Unique species - no closely related species
(not just another beetle)
– Charismatic species - Giant Panda, Florida
Panther, Bald Eagle
– Unique ecosystems
Park / Reserve Design
• Best: Large, close- by reserves.
– Large round parks reduce edge effects
– Increase immigration, population
migration (gene flow)
• Less desirable: many, small isolated
preserves.
Park / Reserve Design
• Bigger is better
– Many national parks have lost species
since their creation, even as the park
area has expanded.
– The outside private lands have
developed, thus reducing the the over
all area.
– Mt. Rainier in 1920 = 73% of mammals
remained by 1976 only 55% of original
mammal species. Even though it has
same area as original park.
Island Biogeography Ideas:
• Size of island influences survival rate
– Larger islands sustain more species
• Nearness to other island influences
immigration rate
– Near islands have more species than
distant islands
• Island are any isolated habitat
– Most parks are functionally islands.
Island Biogeography
• Larger islands
sustain more
species
Bio Reserve Model
• Core - strict preserve, research.
– No human disturbances are allowed.
– Very few such areas in US System – most
similar are our Wilderness Areas
– Rounded to reduced edge effects.
• Inner Buffer - hiking, Some
commercialization.
– Ecotourism
– Similar to most of our National parks today
• Outer buffer - (may not even be part of
park) camping, concessions, grazing
timber, agriculture.
– Allows for nature outside park
Core
• Round parks
have less edge
effect
Core
– Higher per cent
of park is in core
area
Fig. 23.26, p. 618
Edge effect
• Natural vs. Artificial edges
Biosphere Reserve
Core area
Inner Buffer
Outer Buffer
Fig. 23.27, p. 620
Hilo
Kona
Naalehu
One Species
Two Species Overlap
Three Species Overlap
Existing Nature Reserves
Fig. 23.28, p. 621
Bio Reserve Model
• Corridors connect core areas from
park to park forming land bridges
• May be like outer buffer with
agriculture, forestry.
• Our national Forests serve this role
in many areas of the west.
• Except for areas designated as
wilderness (need permits to access
them) U.S. system is one of multiple
use (inner buffer) at every level.
Endangered and Threatened Species
• Endangered species
• Threatened (vulnerable) species
• Rare species
Florida
manatee
Northern spotted Gray wolf
owl (threatened)
Florida panther Bannerman's
turaco (Africa)
Fig. 22.7a, p. 556
Land Use
• About 40% of our land is in public trust.
– Distribution is unequal!
– Western States have many more acres in
parklands, forest than East Coast.
• Very little is actually protected
– 15% as wilderness.
• Species conservation has to fight with timber, hunting, farming, grazing, oil
exploration, etc..
Urban 2%
Cropland 11%
Tundra and
wetlands 9%
Desert 20%
Rangeland
and pasture
26%
Forest
32%
Fig. 23.2, p. 586
Cropland 17%
Urban 2%
Desert, tundra,
wetlands 13%
Parks,
wildlife refuge,
wilderness 9%
Rangeland
and pasture
29%
Forest
30%
U.S. Land Use
Fig. 23.3a, p. 586
Federal
35%
State and local 7%
Native American 3%
Private
55%
U.S. Land Ownership
Fig. 23.3b, p. 586
National parks and preserves
National forests
National wildlife refuges
Fig. 23.4a, p. 587
National parks and preserves
National forests
National wildlife refuges
Fig. 23.4b, p. 587
Mineral / Energy Resources
• Many of the federally protected lands
many rich supplies of minerals
• Extraction of these resources would add
further stresses on ecosystems
• Artic Refuge the current target
– want to open up protected areas for oil
exploration
• California off-shore oil-beds also threaten
with development
• Needs of the populations vs. preservation
Moderate mineral deposits
Rich mineral deposits
Federal land
Fig. 23.5a, p. 588
Moderate mineral deposits
Rich mineral deposits
Federal land
Fig. 23.5b, p. 588
National Parks and Monuments
• Started in US - 1864 - Yosemite
– protected by Abraham Lincoln during Civil War.
– Turned over to State of California to administrate.
• 1872 Yellowstone First National Park –
– United States Federally administrated park
• Yosemite and Sequoia Kings canyon in 1890.
– Each was founded independently by an act of congress.
• 1906 Congress gave President authority to set
aside areas of scientific, historic or cultural value
as national Monuments.
– Teddy Roosevelt used this to establish many reserves
Early National Park System
• Loosely managed by US Army to protect lands
form hunters, loggers etc.
– Yosemite was patrolled by cavalry at first.
• Until 1916 when National Park Service was
established to better protect parks,
– in part as a response to Hetch Hetchy dam in Yosemite.
• National Park concept has spread around the
world, some say it America’s best invention.
• Originally just natural areas
• Now have expanded to include many more
historical (battlefields) and cultural sites (Pueblo).
National Parks
• After cars made visiting easier, NPS stressed the
visitors pleasures more than natural environment.
– Camp Curry in Yosemite shows would draw over 2,000
nightly.
– Had fire falls, bear feedings, Jazz bands, toboggan runs
etc.
• California has the most National parks with 23.
• Many states have none, causing a political
problem.
• New Ideals stress Rangers as nature interpreters,
and preservation as top priorities
• Unfortunately many Rangers have become more
like police in some areas.
National Parks
• Seem large (miles across) but are often too small
for the larger animals to maintain a viable number
of individuals.
• Yosemite has limited access (closed when full).
– Most visitors don’t stray far into the wild.
– 95% of visitors don’t venture past Yosemite Valley floor
which is less than 1% of the park’s area.
– Park becomes crowded, dusty, smoky etc.
• Yosemite Valley Plan
• Yellowstone only has 100 grizzle bears.
• Most Parks are generally over-crowded and under
funded
National Parks
• Restoration – allowing forested areas return to old growth
without logging.
• Reintroduction of native species –
– wolves in Yellowstone, Great Smokey
Mountains, Arizona
– Restoration projects in meadows, marshes
http://mvz.berkeley.edu/Grinnell/20
04_Report/index.html
• Uses field report data from between
1914 and 1920
• Compare to now to see effects of
development, climate change on
Yosemite National Park.
National Wildlife Refuge System
• 1964 Wilderness Act- areas of federal
land that are to be managed to retain
its:
– primeval character with no commercial
enterprise, no permanent road, and no
motorized vehicles
• Many are set up to protect migratory
bird areas.
Other Parks
• State Parks, Beaches
– Mt Diablo- Mitchell Canyon
– Bodega Shoreline – Sonoma County State
Beaches
• East Bay Regional Parks (EBRPD)
– Founded in 1934.
– Includes: Briones, Redwood
– 50 parks, shorelines and lakes; 20 trails.
Totaling more than 75,000 acres.
– Alameda and Contra Costa Counties (once one
county-parks remained joined)
• City Parks- mostly for recreation not
nature reserves
Private Reserves- Nature Conservancy
• Highest level of protection is private ownership.
– founded by Ecological Society of America, college
professors.
– Largest private land owner in US. In 1999 had 7 million
acres. 78% on Biologically significant sites.
– Other land donated may be sold / exchanged for more
biologically significant sites later.
– Able to purchase high price lands.
– 286 square miles of unbroken forest in Maine for $35
million
• 14,000 acres of CO wetlands for $4.5 million.
• Easements - sold to owner.
– Doesn’t change ownership of land, but restricts future
development.
Private Reserves
• Started by Ducks Unlimited
• Other hunting groups
• Local interest groups
– Friends of Mt. Diablo
– Save the Redwoods
– Many Others
Zoos
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Originally just for our pleasure
Now for many a last resort Animals are Safe, but in artificial habitat
Is it ethical ?
– free roaming animals, trapped in small
enclosures, tanks.
– Captive vs. Extinction?
• Animal’ s visitors pay most of the bills.
• Animals bred in captivity without (or
reduced) natural rearing.
Zoos
• Different for different animals,
– some don’t live long in captivity.
– Most live longer, but quality of life?
• Sincerely trying to mimic wild conditions– not fed everyday.
– larger multi-species enclosures
– play, hunting activities.
– changes in habitat design,
– rotating into different areas.
• For many no longer a choice, a necessity as
home ranges disappear.
• Genetic resource for breeding in captivity
Zoos
• Potentially can reintroduce in new or restored
areas. Success stories:
– Whooping Crane.
– California Condor
– Peregrine Falcon
• Cryogenic storage of sperm.
– ova to increase genetic diversity in future pops.
– Used for endangered populations, with high resource
availability,
– allow for artificial insemination between zoos without
moving animals. Less risk of harm, disease
• Cloning – first was a banteng in April 2003
– Used cells preserved in deep freeze from an animal that
died years earlier
Botanical Gardens
• No ethical problems, costly to maintain.
– Not as lucrative as zoos
– Some are being combined with zoos.
• National Seed Storage Laboratory in Fort
Collins CO.
– Mostly for commercial lines.
– Loss of local, heritage vegetable crops.
• Many of the potatoes and tomatoes in UC
Davis storage are now extinct in the wild.
• Millennium Seed Bank Project- United
Kingdom has a group to preserve seeds /
spores from all of its native plants