Transcript Unit Four “Environmental Solutions”

Unit Four
“Conservation Biology and
Sustainability”
Recap
• Recall that biodiversity if the variety of life
that exists on this planet.
• Recall that the four reasons for species
decline are:
– 1. Habitat Destruction
– 2. Pollution
– 3. Overexploitation
– 4. Exotic Species
Recap
•
Homo sapiens are the cause for the
majority of species being in one of the
four categories of decline:
1. Extinct - no longer in existence
2. Endangered - very few in existence
3. Threatened – numbers have been gradually
declining
4. Species of Special Concern – numbers are
beginning to decline
Florida List of Decline
• Dusky Seaside Sparrow
– Extinct circa 1987
• Florida Panther
– Endangered
Florida List of Decline
• Gopher Tortoise
– Threatened
• Burrowing Owl
– Species of Special Concern
Recap
• Recall that biodiversity is found on three
levels (from largest to smallest):
– 1. Ecosystem diversity
– 2. Species diversity
– 3. Genetic diversity
How do humans preserve the biodiversity that
still exists on the planet?
Solutions
• Conservation Biology is new discipline – 1980’s
• Conservation Biologists are charged with the
task of preserving biodiversity
• These scientists employ a variety of methods to
achieve this goal.
• First, it is important to distinguish where the work
will be conducted:
– In Situ – in the species ecosystem
– Ex Situ - not in the species ecosystem (zoo)
Solutions
• The preferred mode of preservation is “In
Situ”, but for a variety of reasons that is
not often possible.
Examples: lack of adequate habitat
too few individuals of population
illegal hunting – poachers
presence of pollutants
Solutions
• In Situ Methods:
– Reintroduction Program – Wolves in
Yellowstone/ Condors in California
– Augmentation Program – Florida Panther
– Corridor - State Road 46 west of Sanford
Preserves – SLOSS – single large or several
small
Black Bear Corridor - Florida
Solutions
• Ex Situ Methods:
– Captive Breeding
• Artificial Insemination
• Embryo Transfer – Eland mother/bongo calf
• Cross-fostering – bald eagle eggs placed in nest of closely
related species/mother eagle will produce another clutch
• Artificial Incubation – alligators, sea turtles, and fish
• Seed Banks – storage of seeds for germination at a later
date
– http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/02/25/norway.seeds/
index.html
Eland Mother/Bongo Calf
Solutions
• Once a population has been brought back
from severe decline, that population must
continue to be monitored for as long as
possible to ensure their recovery
• Conservation Biology requires eternal
vigilance, solid research methods, and
knowledge of many other disciplines
(political science, sociology, meteorology,
geology etc.)
Unit Four
“Cities, Forests, & Parks: Land
Use & Resource Management”
Resource Management
• There are several resources that require
careful oversight in how they are used
and/or extracted
– Soil
– Water
– Flora and Fauna
– Rangeland – cattle grazing
– Minerals - coal, zinc, tungsten, gold, silver
Resource Management cont’d
• In the USA, the federal government
established agencies to manage all natural
resources on public lands
• These agencies fall under the umbrella of
three governmental departments
Resource Management cont’d
• Department of Agriculture
– US Forest Service: founded 1905
• Manage timber resources
• http://www.fs.fed.us/
– Natural Resource Conservation Service:
founded 1935
• Assist citizens with conservation of air, water, and
soil
• http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/nati
onal/about/
Resource Management cont’d
• Department of the Interior
– Bureau of Land Management
• Manage mineral resources
• http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en.html
– Bureau of Reclamation: founded 1902
• Manage water supply in western states
• http://www.usbr.gov/
Resource Management cont’d
– US Fish and Wildlife Service
• Conservation of ecosystems, flora, and fauna
• http://www.fws.gov/
– National Parks Service: founded 1916
• Yellowstone, Yosemite etc.
• http://www.nationalparkservice.org/
Resource Management cont’d
• Environmental Protection Agency (it is a
department in itself): founded 1970
– Maintain quality of water, air, and soil
– http://www.epa.gov/
History of Global Forestry
–
–
Many ancient tribes and groups of people
recognized the need to maintain the forests in
which they lived and depended for survival
Advances in medicine and technology, as well as
colonization of various regions of the world by Great
Britain, France, Spain, and the Netherlands led to
massive destruction of the world’s forests
(transitional to industrial stage)
The demands of the developed countries led to
a massive felling of trees for numerous
products
Original Global Forests
Today’s Global Forests
History of Global Forestry cont’d
•
Each developed country proceeded through
this same course of forest supply meeting
the societal demand at different times in
history, however, the same general
progression occurred in each country
1) wholesale harvesting of trees due to economic
development
2) almost complete exhaustion of raw materials i.e.
trees
3) institution of forest management policies to meet
economic demand while still maintaining forests
in an effort to be sustainable in the long term
Forestry in the USA
•
•
A paradigm shift occurred in the 1890’s from
that of free reign over the land to that of
resource sustainability over the long term
In 1891, through the influence of the Boone
and Crockett Club (Roosevelt, Phillips, and
Hague), President Benjamin Harrison set
aside Yellowstone National Park
Timberland Reserve and it in essence
became the birthplace of both the
national parks and national forests
Forestry in the USA cont’d
• In 1904 at the request of Gifford Pinchot
(first chief of the U.S. Forest Service),
President Theodore Roosevelt transferred
the forest reserves from the Department
of the Interior to the Department of
Agriculture
•
•
In 1905, Pinchot’s Bureau of Forestry was
now officially called the U.S. Forest Service
Throughout his and future chiefs tenures,
annual timber harvests were not as
successful as originally projected
Forestry in the USA cont’d
•
•
“In 1976, President Gerald Ford signed the
National Forest Management Act, which stated
that all management decisions were to be in accord
with the multiple-use policy mandated for the
National Forest System.” “Selective cutting was
encouraged where proper; clear-cutting was not
prohibited but was subject to guidelines set out
by the Department of Agriculture.” (Cox,
Maxwell, Thomas, & Malone, 1985)
Due to this legislation, the U.S. Forest Service had
flexibility in managing the national forests but were
now required to operate under more specific
guidelines
Future of Forestry - Sustainability
•
•
•
In a 1984 book written by Larry D. Harris entitled
The Fragmented Forest, contemporary timber
harvesting practices were analyzed and
determined to be less sustainable in the long
term and less like natural forests in their
composition (p 368 of text)
Harris also stated that fragmentation of forests
leads to lower biodiversity and in essence a lower
forest ecosystem viability
The crux of Harris’s theory based on island
biogeography, states that for the optimal timber
harvests at the lowest environmental costs, a
system of long rotational islands should be set
up to allow for ample recovery time between
harvests
Private Entities Protecting Forests
• Several private environmental organizations
have as their goal to preserve species and their
ecosystems
– The Nature Conservancy – purchases and manages
land
– The Sierra Club – John Muir founder (he is on
California quarter)
– Defenders of Wildlife
– World Wildlife Fund
– Audubon Society – does extensive work with birds
Smart Growth – Urban/Suburban
• People recognize the need to maintain a
certain quality of life no matter the size of
the population
• The best way to maintain a high quality of
life is to control sprawl while keeping the
air, water, and soil clean
Smart Growth Principles
• There are ten smart growth principles to
serve as guidelines for regions, cities, and
towns
– 1. Mix land use
– 2. Utilize compact building design
– 3. Create a range of housing opportunities
– 4. Create walkable neighborhoods
– 5. Foster distinctive, attractive communities
with a strong sense of place
Smart Growth Principles
– 6. Preserve open space, farmland, natural
beauty, and critical environmental areas
– 7. Strengthen and direct development
toward existing communities
– 8. Provide a variety of transportation
opportunities
Smart Growth Principles
– 9. Make development decisions predictable,
fair, and cost effective
– 10. Encourage community and stakeholder
collaboration in development decisions
– http://www.myregion.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2
11
Urban Planning
• These professionals develop short and
long term plans for the growth and
revitalization of urban/suburban areas
• Urban planners attempt to develop a long
term “blue print” for growth that optimizes
economic and social activity while
maintaining desired aesthetics and
preserving the environment
Urban Planning
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQEaG
yESK6c