Lecture 35: Conservation biology

Why should we conserve nature

• Human activities threaten biodiversity

• Ethical-moral reason to save species

• Nature provides Ecological services

What does conservation biology Integrate

Integrated ecology, physiology, molecular biology, evolutionary biology and genetics in effort to conserve biological diversity

What do ecosystem services encompass

The processes by which natural ecosystems help sustain human life

The 4 classes of ecosystem services

• Provisioning

• Regulating

• Cultural

• Supporting

General examples of ecosystem services

• Air and water purification

• Detoxification and decomposition of waste

• crop pollination, pest control, soil preservation

• moderation of weather extremes and flooding

Cultural ecosystem services

• physical and mental health

• tourism

• knowledge and learning

• recreation

• sense of place

• inspiration

• spiritual and religious connections

supporting ecosystem services example

• space for wildlife

• nutrient cycling

• photosynthesis

• healthy soils

regulating ecosystem services examples

• clean air

• carbon storage

• flood management

• erosion control

• water purification

• disease and pest control

• pollination

Provisioning ecosystem services examples

• food and drink

• natural medicine

• water supply

• materials

• renewable energy

the value of the Earth’s ecosystem

Estimated at $33 trillion per year in 1997

What does the loss of biodiversity reduce

Ecosystem capacity to perform processes critical to our survival and resilience to environmental change.

What is Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)

A measure of the price of specific goods in different countries used to compare the absolute purchasing power of the countries currencies: the ratio of the price if goods at one location divided by the price if the goods at a different location

When may PPP inflation and exchange rate differ from the market exchange rate

because of tariffs and other transaction costs

What are the 3 main levels Biodiversity can be considered at

1. Genetic diversity e.g. in voles

2. Species Diversity e.g. in a coastal redwood ecosystem

3. Ecosystem diversity e.g. across the landscape of an entire region

Describe the process driving an extinction vortex

small population become vulnerable to inbreeding genetic drift leading to a loss of genetic variability and lower individual fitness and population adaptability. This means there is lower reproduction rates and higher mortality. The population becomes even smaller.

what is species diversity

the number of species in an ecosystem or across the biosphere (the region of earth containing all life; living organisms and dead organisms)

how many named species of organisms were in 2021

2.16 million

The actual number of species on Earth

from 5 million to 10 million (possibly higher)

What is the modern day latitudinal biodiversity gradient

The pattern of decreasing biodiversity from the equator towards the poles. e.g. distribution of extant terrestrial vertebrate species have high concentration of diversity at the equator but declining polewards.

What patterns explain the declining polewards biodiversity and higher tropical diversification rates

1. Tropics as Cradle model; origination rates are higher in tropical areas and extinction rates do not vary with latitude.

2. Tropics as museum model; Origination rates are constant with latitude but extinction rates are lower in the tropics

3. Out of the tropics model; origination rates are higher and extinction rates are lower in tropical areas and species movement is higher from the tropics to extratropical areas.

What may species richness vary by

Altitude; Seed plants in mountains-species density is low at 0km, peaks at around 1km and decreases until 4km height

Estimated extinction rates

• Invertebrates; 1 per million pre-human, 1-100 million recent, 0 near future

• All vertebrates; around 10 per million since 1500, 10-100 million since 1900

• Birds; around 30 million since 1500, around 30-100 since 1900

• mammals; 1 million pre human, 10-50 since 1500, 50-100 since 1900, 3000 near future

IUCN Red List of threatened species categories

• Extinct - EX

• Extinct in the Wild - EW

• Critically Endangered - CR

• Endangered - EN

• Vulnerable- VU

• Near threatened - NT

• Least Concern - LC

• Data Deficient - DD

% of species threatened with extinction

• Amphibians - 41%

• Mammals - 27%

• conifers - 34%

• birds - 13%

• sharks and rats - 37%

• reef corals - 36%

• selected crustaceans - 28%

• reptiles - 21%

• Cycads - 69%

What are the major threats of biodiversity loss

• Habitat loss

• introduced species

• overharvesting

• global change

Habitat loss threats to biodiversity

human alteration of habitat through agriculture, forestry, urban development, mining and pollution

what are alien species

animals, plants and other organisms which have been introduced by human activities to new regions

what are invasive alien species

a subset of alien species which have established and spread with negative impacts on nature and people

How do invasive alien species impact nature

1. change ecosystems

2. predation and herbivory

3. compete with native species

what is overharvesting

harvesting of organisms at rates exceeding the ability of their populations to rebound

What species are vulnerable to overharvesting

Species with restricting habitats

What global changes reduce the Earths ability to support life

• Climate; temperature, drought, storms

• Atmospheric chemistry, ozone layer, air pollution

• Major ecosystem change; rainforest, ocean acidity

What changes in the ocean and on land are evident of the world warming

• observed decrease in snow cover

• Northern Hemisphere sea ice extent

• thinner sea ice

• shorter freezing seasons of lake and river ice

• Glacier melt

• decrease in permafrost extent

• increased soil temperature

• borehole temperature profiles

• sea level rises

What shows the climate system warming is unequivocal

• increased global average air and ocean temperature

• widespread snow melting

• rising sea level

• Changes in many physical and biological systems

What has caused the atmospheric concentrations of N2O to increase

Anthropogenic GHG emissions have grown by 70%

Why is climate change coverage limited in some regions

• lack of geographic balance in data and literature on observed changes in natural and managed systems.

• Monitoring extreme events is difficult due to longer data time-series.

• Detecting the effects of climate changes on human and natural systems is difficult due to adaptation and non-climatic drivers.

• Factors like land-use change and pollution complicate the detection of anthropogenic warming influence

What solutions should we use to conserve biodiversity

nature based solutions;

• Protection, restoration and management of natural an semi-natural ecosystems

• Sustainable management of aquatic systems and working lands (e.g. croplands)

• Creation of novel ecosystems in and around cities

• GHG reduction

• Flood and erosion control

• coastal defence

• cooling and shading

• social capital

• cultural values

• livelihoods

what is a biodiversity hot spot

relatively small area with numerous endemics and many endangered and threatened species.

How have we safeguarded our UK protected areas

• National Legislation; sites of special scientific interest and national nature reserves

• European Union Directives or other european initiatives implemented in legislation

• Protected areas set up under global agreements ramsar sites

• Marine protected areas

What are movement corridors

narrow strips or a series of small clumps of habitat which connect otherwise isolated patches and promote dispersal and reduce inbreeding.

where are artificial movement corridors constructed

areas of heavy human use

What do conservation efforts focus on

sustaining the biodiversity of entire communities, ecosystems and landscapes rather than individual species.

what can strongly influence biodiversity

the physical features or structure of a landscape

when were water voles first found in east glasgow

2008 reported as rats in parks and gardens

habitat of water voles

fossorial habitat in dry grasslands forming dense network of tunnels. Ground penetrating radar demonstrated extensive tunnel system.

why is it difficult to manage water voles in urban habitats

complex patterns of land use and particularly due to redevelopment. There is currently development of an action plan for water voles in urban areas.

water vole impact on grassland

• complex urban land use

• loss of grassland (redevelopment)

• mitigation

• relocation

conservation action plan for water voles

• habitat creation

• Monitoring