Transcript 9.4 Notes
9-4 How Can We Protect Wild Species from Premature Extinction? • Concept 9-4 We can reduce the rising rate of species extinction and help to protect overall biodiversity by establishing and enforcing national environmental laws and international treaties, creating a variety of protected wildlife sanctuaries, and taking precautionary measures to prevent such harm. International Treaties and National Laws Help to Protect Species • 1975 Convention on International Trade in CITES Endangered Species _______________ • Signed by _______ countries 175 • Bans the hunting, capturing, and selling of threatened or endangered species • Specifically lists… 900 • some _________ endangered species • 5,000 animal and 28,000 plant species that are at risk of becoming _________________ endangered varies • Limitations? Enforcement _____________ from country to country International Treaties and National Laws Help to Protect Species • Convention on Biological Diversity _______ (CBD) • Focuses on _________________ ecosystems • Includes efforts to prevent or control the spread of ________________ species invasive • Ratified by 191 countries (not the U.S.)…we are a contributing member but ratification requires a bill _________ to be passed. Endangered Species Act (ESA) • 1973 U.S. Endangered Species Act ______ • amended in 1982, 1985, and 1988 • Identifies and protects endangered species in the U.S. and abroad • National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) identifies ocean __________ species • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) identifies all others ___________ Endangered Species Act (2) defense • Forbids federal agencies (except _____________) from funding or authorizing projects that jeopardize endangered or threatened species • 2010: ___________ species officially listed…for these 1,370 species, _____________ plans are developed recovery • Some success plans involve the American alligator, gray wolf, peregrine falcon, bald eagle, and brown pelican incentives • Provides economic _______________ for private land owners to help save endangered species living on their lands Science Focus: Accomplishments of the Endangered Species Act (1) • ESA has many critics…has only removed 46 species from the endangered list • Four reasons ESA not a failure critical 1. Species are listed only when in ___________ danger - would be similar to telling a hospital that they are not saving enough lives decades 2. Takes ____________ to help endangered species 3. Conditions for more than half of listed species are ______________ or _________________ stable improving 4. 2010 budget: spends only ____________ per 9 cents American Confiscated Products Made from Endangered Species 1/10 of the illegal Due to a lack of funds, probably only _______ wildlife trade in the U.S. is discovered Fig. 9-20, p. 210 Science Focus: Accomplishments of the Endangered Species Act (2) • Three ways to improve ESA funding 1. Greatly increase _____________________ quickly 2. Develop recovery plans more ____________ core 3. When a species is first listed, establish the _________ of its habitat that’s critical for survival • Most biologist agree that the U.S. needs a new law to focus on sustaining biodiversity and ___________ ecosystem health ________________ We Can Establish Wildlife Refuges and Other Protected Areas • First wildlife refuge was established in ______ 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt at Pelican Island in ______________ to help protect the brown pelican Florida • Wildlife refuges • Most are _______________ sanctuaries wetland • ____________ are needed for endangered plants More • Most do not receive enough funding to support their staff ____________ • Could abandoned military lands be used for wildlife habitats? Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge Fig. 9-21a, p. 211 Gene Banks, Botanical Gardens, and Wildlife Farms Can Help Protect Species • Gene or seed banks • Preserve ____________ material of endangered genetic plants • Drawbacks? Expensive to operate; can be destroyed by fires or other mishaps • Botanical gardens and arboreta living • Contain _____________ plants • Drawbacks…too little space to try and contain all of our endangered plant species Farms • __________ to raise organisms for commercial sale instead of taking them from the wild Zoos and Aquariums Can Protect Some Species (1) • Techniques for preserving endangered terrestrial species • Egg pulling…collecting ________ eggs wild • Captive breeding…________ (not economically zoos _______________) feasible • Artificial insemination • Embryo transfer • Use of incubators • Cross-fostering….when the young of one rare species similar is raised by a _______________ species What Can You Do? Protecting Species Fig. 9-22, p. 213 Case Study: Trying to Save the California Condor • Largest North American bird…nearly extinct in the 22 early 1980s with only _______ remaining in the wild • Threatened by lead poisoning from ____________ bullets present in __________________ that they were carcasses eating • Birds captured and breed in captivity 180 • By 2009, ________ in the wild…a total of 348 including captive populations • Expensive project…$35 million so far The Precautionary Principle • Precautionary principle: ______ to prevent or act reduce harm when _____________ preliminary evidence indicates acting is needed • “Better safe than sorry” • Preservation of species and ecosystems Allocating limited resources/funds Which species to focus on? Most critical habitats? Three Big Ideas 1. We are greatly increasing the extinction of wild species by destroying and degrading their _______________, introducing harmful habitats invasive _______________ species, and increasing human pollution growth population _____________, _______________, change climate _____________, and _________________. overexploitation 2. We should avoid causing the extinction of wild species because of the ecological and economic services _________________ they provide and because their existence should not depend primarily on their usefulness to us. Three Big Ideas 3. We can work to prevent the extinction of species laws and to protect overall biodiversity by using _______ and treaties, protecting wildlife _______________, sanctuaries and making greater use of the _________________ precautionary principle. Review Questions • What two main international treaties are discussed in this section? CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CBD Convention on Biological Diversity • What are some methods for sustaining biodiversity and protecting species? Wildlife refuges, gene and seed banks, botanical gardens, farms, egg pulling, captive breeding, artificial insemination, cross-fostering