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Environmental Sciences: Towards a Sustainable Future Chapter 11

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Title: Environmental Sciences: Towards a Sustainable Future Chapter 11


1
Environmental Sciences Towards a Sustainable
Future Chapter 11
  • Wild Species Biodiversity and Protection

2
Google search Biodiversity
Results 1 - 10 of about 3,330,000 for biodiversity
  • biodiversity   n.
  • The number and variety of organisms found within
    a specified geographic region.
  • The variability among living organisms on the
    earth, including the variability within and
    between species and within and between
    ecosystems.

3
The Value of Wild Species
  • Instrumental
  • Sources for agriculture, forestry, aquaculture
    and animal husbandry
  • Recreational, aesthetic and scientific value
  • Sources of medicine
  • Intrinsic

4
Ecosystem Goods, Services, and Functions 33
Trillion/year
  • Biological control
  • Food production
  • Recreation
  • Raw materials
  • Nutrient cycling
  • Waste treatment
  • Gas, climate, and water regulation
  • Water supply
  • Erosion control
  • Soil formation
  • Pollination

5
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
6
Wild
Cultivated
  • Usually high degree of genetic diversity-adaptable
  • Represents the genetic bank
  • ?Selected for growth under specific conditions
  • ? Need highly controlled environmental conditions

7
Botany of Desire
Michael Pollan Apples Tulips Potatoes Marijuana
8
http//www.ultimatedisney.com/melodytime.html
9

10
Red junglefowl S.E. Asian ancestor of the chicken
Domestication 8000 yr ago
11
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.

12
Recreational, Aesthetic, and Scientific Value
  • Ecotourism largest foreign exchange-generating
    enterprise in many developing countries
  • 104 billion spent on wildlife-related recreation
  • 31 billion spent to observe, feed, or photograph
    wildlife

13
Mountain gorillas Uganda Rwanda
14
Intrinsic Value?
Do species have an intrinsic value? Why
religion? Is it ever OK to purposefully extinct
a species?
15
1/3rd N.A. species gone or threatened
http//www.fws.gov
16
Causes of Animal Extinctions
17
Endangered Species Act
  • 1973, reauthorized 1988
  • Protects endangered (imminent danger) and
    threatened (in jeopardy) spp
  • Imposes substantial fines
  • Pgs 271-275

18
Reasons for Biodiversity Decline
  • Habitat alterations
  • Conversions
  • Fragmentation
  • Simplification

19
N.A. fish very diverse, negatively affected by
dams
fresh water fish spp.
North America
700
Europe
250
W/ in North America
Canada Alaska
180
Tennessee Cumberland rivers
250
20
fish species

-
due to Pleistocene extinction rates
site of famous snail darter
http//magma.nationalgeographic.com/2000/biodivers
ity/index.cfm
21
http//magma.nationalgeographic.com/2000/biodivers
ity/index.cfm
snail darter
Darters
? related to walleye perch ? small ( most lt
100mm) ? highly specious
22
orangethroat darter
http//www.state.ia.us/government/dnr/organiza/fwb
/fish/iafish/perch/card/otd-card.htm
23
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.
24
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
25
Human Population Growth
26
Pollution Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
  • March 24, 1989
  • 11 million gallons of crude oil spilled into
    Prince William Sound

Oil slick
27
Exotic Species
Zebra mussels encrusting a native clam
28
species identification can be difficult
Winged mapleleaf Quadrula fragosa federally
endangered
Mapleleaf Quadrula quadrula wide spread, common
29
Purple wartyback Cyclonaias tuberculata endangered
in WI, threatened in IA
Slippershell mussel Alansmidonta
viridis endangered in IL WI, threatened in IA
30
Mucket Actinonaias ligamentina widespread,
locally abundant, extirpated in OH
Fawnsfoot Tuncilla donaciformis widespread common
through most of range, threatened in OH
31
Biology of Unionid mussels
Host serves as a transportation vector for the
mussels
parasitic glochida attach to fish host
external fertilization
male female adults live in sediment
32
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_reeveian
a/Reeviana.htm
33
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
34
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

35
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

36
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

37
http//www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2006/jan/news_7
416.html
38
(No Transcript)
39
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/ho
tspots/hotspots_map.xml
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