Chapter 5: Biological Diversity and Conservation

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Chapter 5 Biological Diversity and Conservation
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Biological Diversity (Biodiversity)

• variety of species in a specific area
• Ex. Farmland dominated by one species of corn
• Rainforest contains 400 species of plants

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• areas around the world differ in biodiversity
• biodiversity increases as you move towards the
  equator
• biodiversity is important species are
  interdependent
• animals could not exist without green plants
• plants are dependent on decomposers for nutrients
  in the soil
• Biodiversity brings stability ecosystems are
  stable if their biodiversity is maintained

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• Humans
• depend on plants for oxygen, animals for food,
  plants used for pharmaceuticals

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Loss of Biodiversity

• Extinction the disappearance of a species when
  the last of its members die
• - natural process
• - rise due to expanding needs of the human
  population

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Endangered Species

• species is considered to be endangered when its
  numbers become so low that extinction is possible

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Threatened Species

• when a population of species is likely to become
  endangered
• Ex. African
• Elephants

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Threats to Biodiversity

• 1. Habitat loss land cleared in rain forests,
  coral reefs destroyed

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• 2. Habitat Fragmentation separation of
  wilderness areas from other wilderness areas

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Found to contribute to

• Increased extinction of local species
• Disruption of ecological processes
• New opportunities for invasions by introduced or
  exotic species
• Increased risk of fire
• Changes in local climate
• Wildlife areas that are broken up by development

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3.  Edge Effect -

• different conditions along the edge of an
  ecosystem
• where water meets land
• where a field meets another field
• edges tend to
• have greater
• biodiversity
• edge changes,
• animals migrate
• to other areas

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4. Habitat degradation -

• the damage to a habitat by pollution
• air, water, and land pollution
• Acid precipitation rain, snow, sleet, and fog
  with low pH values
• Have deteriorated some lakes and forests
• Damages plant tissues, leaches nutrients from the
  soil
• Ozone Layer absorbs UV rays striking the
  atmosphere and reduce the Earths UV radiation
• caused by pollutants Chorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

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5. Water Pollution -

• - degrades aquatic habitats excess fertilizers
  and animals wastes

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6. Land Pollution

• average American produces 1.8kg of solid waste
  daily trash
• 657 kg trash a year
• Land fills
• Pesticides and chemicals can also lead to land
  pollution

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7. Exotic Species -

• people introduce a new species into the area
• species that are not native to a particular area
• once introduced, grow at an exponential rate b/c
  they are not vulnerable to predators

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Conservation Biology

• the study and implementation of methods to
  protect biodiversity
• strategies based on principals of ecology
• natural resource conservation and species
  conservation

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Natural Resources

• parts of the environment that are useful or
  necessary for living organisms
• Sunlight
• Water
• Air
• plant and animal resources

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Legal Protection of Species

• US Endangered Species Act became law in 1973
• Illegal to harm an endangered species
• Includes changing ecosystem where species lives

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Preserving Habitats

• Habitat physical location where an organism
  lives and interacts with its environment
• Natural reserves and parks

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Habitat Corridors

• connecting protected areas with habitat corridors
• if the areas are separated, then interbreeding
  within populations occurs

• Habitat Corridors protected strips of land that
  allow migration of organisms from wilderness area
  to another

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People

• are needed to patrol parks
• People are allowed to use resources
• Sustainable use people are allowed to use
• resources in
• a way that will
• benefit them and
• the ecosystem

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Reintroduction

• release organisms into an area where the species
  once lived
• Ex. Black-footed ferret-
• almost a lost species b/c they feed on prairie
  dogs
• prairie dog population was destroyed by rural
  land use
• ferrets - bred in captivity
• then released back into the wild

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Captivity

• organism that is held by humans
• Ex. Ginkgo tree planted around temples,
  survived extinction when all other similar trees
  were destroyed

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Protecting Plant Species

• - ideal ways allow to exist in natural
  ecosystem
• seed banks save seeds incase plant ever becomes
  endangered