Transcript Wild Species: Biodiversity - Department of Environmental Sciences

Environmental Sciences:
Towards a Sustainable Future
Chapter 11
Wild Species: Biodiversity and
Protection
Google search: Biodiversity
Results 1 - 10 of about 3,330,000 for
biodiversity
bi·o·di·ver·si·ty n.
1.The number and variety of organisms found within a
specified geographic region.
2.The variability among living organisms on the earth,
including the variability within and between species
and within and between ecosystems.
The Value of Wild Species
• Instrumental
– Sources for agriculture, forestry,
aquaculture and animal husbandry
– Recreational, aesthetic and scientific value
– Sources of medicine
• Intrinsic
Ecosystem Goods, Services, and
Functions = $33 Trillion/year
• Gas, climate, and
water regulation
• Water supply
• Erosion control
• Soil formation
• Pollination
•Biological control
•Food production
•Recreation
•Raw materials
•Nutrient cycling
•Waste treatment
Wild species
Agricultural crops
Example: Corn
Originated in prehistoric times in Mexico
No longer occurs wild, but related spp. found in mountains of
Mexico and Guatemala
Early small-grained forms were probably eaten as popcorn
Small primitive cobs have been found in caves dating to
around 3500 BC
Not a stable crop in North America until after 500 AD
Sweet corn first used as sugar source for beer
http://courses.nres.uiuc.edu/nres105/sweetcorn.htm
Wild
Cultivated
• Usually high
degree of
genetic diversityadaptable
Selected for growth
under specific
conditions
• Represents the
genetic bank
 Need highly controlled
environmental conditions
Botany of Desire
Michael Pollan
Apples
Tulips
Potatoes
Marijuana
http://www.ultimatedisney.com/melodytime.html
~Chart Of Heirloom Apples Suitable For The Southern Great Lakes Region~
Name, Origin & Date
Description
Uses
'Cox's Orange Pippin', England, 1830
Yellow and Red, streaked with
red.Does well in our area, England's
premier dessert apple
Superb for eating, also good for
cooking, sauces, and cider.
'Baldwin', Massachusetts, 1740
Blush red on green, streaked red
'Grime's Golden', West Virginia, 1832
One of the parents of 'Golden
Delicious'
'Northern Spy', New York, 1800
Red and Yellow
Good All-purpose, fine for eating outof-hand as well as other apple uses.
'Blue Permain', New England, 1833
Deep red to red purple with dots and a
bluish bloom
Good for baking
'Fameuse' (Snow), Quebec, 1600's
Red over white with pink tones
Cooking, juice, cider, and fresh eating
'Rhode Island Greening', Rhode Island,
1650's
Green, large fruits
Very tart, good in pies, ciders, and
sauces
'Newtown Pippin', New York, 1700
Yellowish-green with white spots and
often russeted
good all-purpose apple
'Wolf River', Wisconsin, 1860's
Dark Red over yellow, huge fruits
Famous as the, "One apple will make a
whole pie" apple. Use for sauce, pies,
and cooking
'Chenango Strawberry', New York, 1850
Light greenish-yellow striped with
bright red
Good all-purpose apple
'Calville Blanc D'Hiver', France, late
1590's
Yellow with red blush
French specialty apple, gourmet
quality, good for all-purposes
'Duchess of Oldenburg', Russia, 1832
Yellow with red stripes and spots
Cooking, sauces, and pies
'Spitzenberg', New York, 1790
Yellow with red, faint spots and streaks
Fresh use, eating out of hand
'Summer Rambo', France, 1530's
Red, striped
Sauce, pies, and cooking, good for
eating when very ripe
Good all-purpose, wonderful for apple
pie
Baking, particularly pies, applesauce,
and cider
Red junglefowl: S.E. Asian ancestor of
the chicken
Domestication = ~8000 yr ago
Sources of Medicine: Table 11-1
• Vincristine from rosey periwinkle cures
leukemia.
• Capoten from the venom of the Brazilian
viper controls high blood pressure.
• Taxol from the bark of the pacific yew used
to treat ovarian, breast and small-cell
cancers.
Recreational, Aesthetic, and
Scientific Value
• Ecotourism: largest foreign exchangegenerating enterprise in many developing
countries
• $104 billion spent on wildlife-related
recreation
• $31 billion spent to observe, feed, or
photograph wildlife
Mountain gorillas: Uganda & Rwanda
Intrinsic Value?
Do species have an intrinsic value?
Why: religion?
Is it ever OK to purposefully extinct a
species?
~ 1/3rd N.A. species gone or threatened
http://www.fws.gov
Causes of Animal Extinctions
Endangered Species Act
• 1973, reauthorized 1988
• Protects endangered (imminent danger)
and threatened (in jeopardy) spp
• Imposes substantial fines
• Pgs 271-275
Reasons for Biodiversity
Decline
• Habitat alterations
– Conversions
– Fragmentation
– Simplification
N.A. fish very diverse, negatively affected by dams
# fresh water fish spp.
North America
700
Europe
250
W/ in North America
Canada & Alaska
Tennessee & Cumberland rivers
180
250
-
# fish species
due to Pleistocene extinction rates
+
site of
famous
snail
darter
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/2000/biodiversity/index.cfm
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/2000/biodiversity/index.cfm
snail darter
Darters
 related to walleye & perch
 small ( most < 100mm)
 highly specious
orangethroat darter
log perch
banded darter
crystal darter
http://www.state.ia.us/government/dnr/organiza/fwb/fish/iafish/perch/card/otd-card.htm
Snail Darter E.S.A. Exemption Case
Mid-1970s, water impoundments on the Little Tennessee River behind the
nearly completed Tellico dam threatened to eradicate the only known
population of the snail darter (listed under ESA).
1976, the case of Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill was filed in an effort to
protect the fish.
1978, Supreme Court found that ESA contained an absolute prohibition
against activities detrimental to listed species. Mandated that the gates
of the dam not be closed.
1 month after Supreme Court decision, the ESA was amended by Congress to
include a process by which economic impacts could be reviewed and
projects exempted from the restrictions.
1978, an exemption was sought using the new amendment.
1979 the ES Committee denied an exemption in the snail darter case; the
dam project remained on hold because of the fish.
1979, Tennesse Sen. Howard Baker and Rep. John Duncan Sr., tacked an
amendment to the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act,
which exempted Tellico from the ESA and other laws.
Workers at Tellico closed the gates of the dam, allowing the reservoir to fill.
1984 the Fish and Wildlife Service rescinded the designation of the Tellico
dam area as critical habitat for the snail darter, because the species no
longer existed in that area.
The snail darter classification under the ESA later changed from
endangered to threatened, because other small populations were found
elsewhere in the Tennessee River Watershed
Human Population Growth
Pollution: Exxon Valdez Oil
Spill
• March 24, 1989
• 11 million gallons of
crude oil spilled into
Prince William Sound
Oil slick
Exotic Species
Zebra
mussels
encrusting a
native clam
species identification can be difficult
Winged mapleleaf
Quadrula fragosa
federally endangered
Mapleleaf
Quadrula quadrula
wide spread, common
Purple wartyback
Cyclonaias tuberculata
endangered in WI,
threatened in IA
Slippershell mussel
Alansmidonta viridis
endangered in IL & WI,
threatened in IA
Mucket
Actinonaias ligamentina
widespread, locally
abundant, extirpated in
OH
Fawnsfoot
Tuncilla donaciformis
widespread common
through most of range,
threatened in OH
Biology of Unionid mussels
Host serves as a transportation vector for the mussels
external
fertilization
parasitic
glochida
attach to fish
host
male &
female
adults live in
sediment
Some unionids attract host fish by waving a ‘lure’.
Glochidia enclosed in package that looks like a fish
disguised glochidia
mucus tether
clam
http://courses.smsu.edu/mcb095f/gallery/L_reeveiana/Reeviana.htm
some unionids mimic a crayfish to attract fish host
Elongate papillae on the mantle margin
resemble antennae and legs. The mantle
margins are folded to one side to present a
lateral view, and the mussel usually
positions the lure with papillae toward the
substrate (putting its "feet" on the
ground).
http://courses.smsu.edu/mcb095f/gallery
There are ~ 300 species of Unionids in North America
diversity highest in south east
 most species found in streams, some in lakes
At least 70 species listed as threatened or endangered
dispersal restricted by dams (stop host fish)
many species intolerant of poor water quality and
sedimentation
 zebra mussels
Overuse
• Harvest of wild birds for food and feathers
– Extinction of passenger pigeon pg 265
• Trafficking in wildlife and products derived
from wild species - $10 billion/year
– 90% decline in rhinos
– 1.6 tons of tiger bones = 340 tigers
– Parrot smuggling: 40 of 330 species face
extinction
International Steps to Protect
Biodiversity (282-283)
• Convention on trade in endangered species
(CITES)
– Focuses on trade in wildlife and wildlife parts eg.
ivory
• Convention on biological diversity
– Focuses on conserving biological diversity
worldwide
– Does not yet have the support of the United States
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2006/jan/news_7416.html
Do we live in a diversity hotspot?
What pattern do you see in hotspots?
Who bears responsibility for maintaining hotspots?
http://www.conservation.org/xp/CIWEB/strategies/hotspots/hotspots_map.xml