biodiversity and conservation

how is biodiversity defined

as the variety of life on earth that includes species diversity, genetic diversity and ecological diversity

what is species diversity

species richness and evenness

what is genetic diversity

variety of alleles within one species

what is ecological diversity

habitat types

why is it important to conserve biodiversity

this is dependent on their worldview, which is highly influenced by cultural, religious and personal experiences

what is the relationship between exposure to biodiversity and physical health

people who live in more biodiverse environments and with better access to parks and large green spaces become ill less often and live longer than those who live in less biodiverse areas, regardless of socioeconomic status

what do the health benefits from exposure to biodiversity likely due to

exposure to a rich source of microbiota provided by biodiverse environments

people exposed to more biodiversity have

improved mental health

what kind of biodiversity can also influence human health

soil biodiversity

what are endemic species

those that are found in one (often isolated) location on the globe

what are biodiversity hotspots

areas that contain at least 1500 endemic plant species and have experienced at least 70% vegetation loss due to human activities

the top 25 biodiversity hotspots comprise how much of the planet’s land area

2.4%, but contain 44% of all plant species and 35% of all terrestrial vertebrate species.

to date, how many extinction events has the world experienced

5 mass extinction events, due to natural causes (not humans)

how are mass extinctions defined

as events in which at least 75% of existing species go extinct within a 2-million-year period

t/f: we are currently thought to be in the 6th mass extinction

true

why is it believed that we are in the 6th mass extinction

because the extinction rate is currently higher than we would expect it to be from natural causes (known as the background rate of extinction)

what are some reasons behind threats to biodiversity

land use change, invasive species, and climate change

how is land use change and habitat destruction a direct threat to biodiversity

due to the removal of plant species

how is lands change and habitat destruction an indirect threat to biodiversity

loss of animal species, due to removal of plant species and reduced genetic diversity in smaller population sizes

how is climate change a threat to biodiversity

models predict that if co2 emissions continue to be high and global warming is not kept under 2°C, 15% of ecological communities will be abruptly exposed to temperature and precipitation conditions outside of their ecological envelop (conditions that encompass their fundamental niche)

how are invasive species a threat to biodiversity

because they have no natural predators in their introduced area and their prey have no natural defenses against them

what do single species conservation programs focus on

protecting an individual ‘high-profile’ species known as flagship species, but less often used for less visible or valued species

what do ecosystem conservation programs focus on

protecting the habitat, which in turn protects all the species that live there

how is success of conservation tracked under ecosystem-scale conservation

by tracking population of indicator species that use different parts of the landscape

what species is ecosystem-based conservation programs especially important for

those with annual migrations, such as bison

what does the endangered species act aim to protect in the US

imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend, whether that’s on public or private land

what is an example of conservation and production having conflict

in Wyoming, sage grouse habitats often overlap with oil and gas development areas

what are umbrella species

species for which efforts to protect them indirectly protect others and the wider ecosystem

what are examples of umbrella species

seed dispersers (orangutans) or species that are highly sensitive to disturbance

what is ecological restoration

the process of human intervention to initiate or accelerate the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed by human actions

what is anticipatory restoration

practices which create habitats that are likely to persist despite climate change

what does prescribed fire serve as

a disturbance that can reset the successional timeline and increase biodiversity

what is restoration v1.0

depends on ecological integrity and historical fidelity

what is restoration v2.0

emphasizes flexibility in setting objectives, process over structure and pragmatic goals that reflect the needs of people who depend on ecosystems for their livelihoods

what is rephotography

the process of taking photos of the same place at different time to create a then vs. now comparison

importance of rephotography

can be used to help understand the magnitude of change over time and establish a historical range of variability