3.4 Conservation of biodiversity

what can arguments about species and habitat preservation be based on

aesthetic, ecological, economic, ethical and social justifications

what do conservation approaches include

habitat conservation, species-based conservation and a mixed approach

what are some criteria for consideration when designing protected areas

size, shape, edge effects, corridors, and proximity to potential human influence

what are some species based conservation strategies

the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES), captive breeding and reintroduction programmes and zoos, selection of 'charismatic' species to help protect others in an area (flagship species), selection of a keystone species to protect the integrity of the food web

what influences the success of conservation efforts

community support, adequate funding and proper research influences the success of conservation efforts

what is the rationale of conservation biology

diversity of organisms and ecological complexity are good things, untimely extinction of species is a bad thing, evolutionary adaptation is good, biological diversity has intrinsic value and we should try to conserve it

UN

united nations

IUCN

International Union for the Conservation of Nature

UNEP

United Nations Environment Programme

CITES

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

UNDP

United Nations Development Programme

WWF

World Wildlife Fund

WRI

World Resources Institute

NGO

non-governmental organization

GO

governmental organization

MDG

millennium development goals

what is the direct value of biodiversity

food sources, natural products

what are some examples of food sources as the value of biodiversity

we eat other animal and plant species, we need to preserve old varieties in case we need them in the future, pests and diseases can wipe out non-resistant strains, breeders are only one step ahead of the diseases and require wild strains from which they may find resistant genes

how much of the worlds food is provided by wheat, rice and maize

half

what disease wiped out one third of the wheat crop in the US in the 1960s

wheat stripe rust disease

what was able to save wheat in the US from wheat stripe rust disease

the introduction of resistant genes from a wild strain in turkey

why is maize particularly vulnerable to disease

it is virtually the same genetically worldwide

what does perennial mean

come up every year on their own after planted once

where was a perennial maize found

in a few hectares of threatened farmland in mexico

what genes did the perennial maize found in mexico contain

genes that confer resistance to four of the seven major maize diseases

outline the value of natural products as a result of biodiversity

many medicines, fertilizers and pesticides we use are derived from plants and animals, guano is a fertilizer high in phosphate which is seabird droppings, oil palms give us oil for products such as margarine and toiletries, rubber is from rubber trees, linen from flax, rope from hemp, cotton from cotton, silk from silkworms, honey, beeswax, rattan, natural perfumes, timber are all from plants or animals

what are some examples of the indirect value of biodiversity

environmental services, scientific and educational value, biological control agents, gene pools, future potential for more uses, human health, human rights, recreational, ecotourism, ethical/intrinsic value, biorights self-perpetuation

what are some examples of environmental services

soil aeration depends on worms, fertilizations and pollination of some crops depends on insects, plants capture carbon and release oxygen, soil and water resources are protected by vegetation, climate is regulated by the rainforests and vegetation cover, waste is broken down by decomposers

what are biological control agents

some species of living things help us control invasive species without the use of chemicals, eg myxamatosis in rabbits

what is the importance of biodiversity for human health

the first antibiotics were obtained from fungi, a rare species of ewe from the US has recently been found to produce a chemical that may prove of value in the treatment of certain cancers, the rosy periwinkle from madagascar is curing children with leukaemia

how does biodiversity impact human rights

if biodiversity if protected, indigenous people can continue to live in their native lands, they can continue to live in the forests and make a livelihood

what is conservation biology

the sustainable use and management of natural resources

what is preservation biology

attempts to exclude human activity in areas where humans have not yet encroached

what is the main difference between conservation and preservation biology

conservation biology does not necessarily want to exclude humans from interacting with other organisms whereas preservation biology puts value on nature for its own intrinsic worth and not as a resource that humans can exploit

what do efforts to conserve and preserve species rely on

citizens, conservation organisations and governments

what did the Stearns Review of 2006 suggest about conservation

that 1% of GDP per annum should be invested in climate change mitigation to avoid a drop of 20% in GDP later on

how can you as an individual have an affect on conservation

you can have an effect locally, as a member of a group that may act locally or globally

when was the slogan "think globally, act locally" first used

in the early 1970s

what is sustainable development

meeting the needs of the present without negatively impacting the needs of future generations and biodiversity

what is greenwash

when organizations give the impression that they have changed their practices to have less impact on the environment but, in fact, they have changed nothing

what are intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)

composed of and answering to a group of member states, also called international organizations, eg the UN, IPCC

what are governmental organizations (GOs)

part of and funded by a national government, highly bureaucratic, research, regulation, monitoring and control activities, eg Environmental Protection Department of China

what are non-governmental organizations

not part of a government, not for profit, may be international or local and funded by altruists and subscriptions, some run by volunteers, very diverse, eg Greenpeace

how do IGO and GO use the media

media liaison officers prepare and read written statements, control media (at least one TV channel propagates the official policy in even the most democratic regimes) so communicates its decision more effectively

how do NGOs use media

use footage of activities to gain media attention, mobilize public protest to put pressure on governments, gain media coverage through a variety of protests, sometimes their access to mass media is hindered

how do IGOs, GOs and NGOs all use media

to provide environmental information to the public of global trends, publishing official scientific documents and technical reports gathering data from many sources

what is the speed of response from IGO and GO

considered slow as they are bureaucratic and can take time to act as they depend on consensus often between differing views, directed by governments, so sometimes may be against public opinion

what is the speed of response from NGOs

can be rapid, usually its members already have reached consensus

what are the political diplomatic constraints on IGO and GO

considerable, often hindered by political disagreement especially if international, decisions can be politically driven rather than by best conservation strategy

what are the political diplomatic constraints on NGOs

unaffected by political constraints, can even include illegal activity, idealistic, driven by best conservation strategy, often hold the moral high ground over other organizations, may be extreme in actions or views

what is the enforceability of IGO and GO

international agreements and national or regional laws can lead to prosecution

what is the enforceability of NGOs

no legal power, use of persuasion and public opinion to pressure governments

what is the public image of IGO and GO

organized as businesses with concrete allocation of duties, cultivate a measured image based on a scientific approach

what is the public image of NGOs

can be confrontational or radical approaches to conservation of biodiversity

what are the similarities in the public image of IGOs, GOs and NGOs

they both lead and encourage partnership between nations and organizations to conserve and restore ecosystems and biodiversity

what is the legislation of IGO and GO

enforce their decisions via legislation (may even be authoritarian sometimes)

what is the legislation of NGOs

serve as watchdogs (suing government agencies and businesses who violate environmental law

what are the similarities in the legislation of IGOs, GOs and NGOs

both seek to ensure that decisions are applied

what is the agenda of IGO and GO

provide guidelines and implement international treaties

what is the agenda of NGOs

use public pressure to influence national governments or lobby governments over policy or legislation, buy and mange land to protect habitats

what is the agenda of IGOs, GOs and NGOs

both may collaborate in global, transnational scientific research projects, both may provide forum for discussion

what is the funding of IGO and GO

fund environmental projects by monies coming from national budget

what is the funding for NGOs

manage publicly owned lands, fund environmental projects by monies coming from private donations

what is the extent of influence of IGO and GO

global or national in extent

what is the extent of influence geographically of NGOs

focus more on local and or national information, aiming at education, producing learning materials and opportunities for schools and public

what are the monitoring activities of IGOs and NGOs

IGOs monitor regional and global trends, NGOs also monitor and research species and conservation areas at a variety of levels

what did UNEP set up

the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC)

what did the montreal protocal do

phase out the production of CFCs

what is institutional intertia

an inability to get going

when was the world wildlife fund set up and by who

in 1961 by the IUCN and Julian Huxley

when did the Species Survival Commission publish the Red Data Lists

1966

when was CITES established

1973

when was the Brandt commission published

1980

when was the UN Charter for Nature

1982

when was agenda 21 and the Convention on the Biological Diversity set

at the Earth Summit Rio de Janeiro in 1992

when was the UN Millennium Summit

2000

when was the World Conservation Strategy (WCS) published and by who

in 1980 by IUCN, UNEP and WWF

what were the aims of the WCS

maintain essential ecological processes and life support systems, preserve genetic diversity, ensure the sustainable utilization of species and ecosystems

what were the principles of the UN World Charter for Nature

nature shall be respected and its essential processes shall not be impaired, the genetic viability on the Earth shall not be compromised; the population of all life forms must be at least sufficient for their survival, all areas of the earth shall be subject to these principles of conservation, ecosystems and organisms that are utilized by man shall be managed to achieve and maintain optimum sustainable productivity, nature shall be secured against degradation caused by warfare or other hostile activities

what were the three main objectives of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit

the conservation of biological variation, the sustainable use of its components and the equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources

what was the implementation of Agenda 21 intended to involve

action at international, national, regional and local levels

what are the three basic approaches to conservation

species based, habitat based and a mixture of both

what does species based conservation focus on

conserving the species but does not look at conserving the habitat in which it lives

what are five examples of species based conservation

CITES, Captive breeding in zoos, botanical gardens and seed banks, flagship species, keystone species

what is the aim of CITES

to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival

what is appendix I in CITES

species cannot be traded internationally as they are threatened with extinction

what is appendix II in CITES

species can be traded internationally but within strict regulations ensuring its sustainability

what is appendix III in CITES

a species included at the request of a country which then needs the cooperation of other countries to help prevent illegal exploitation

how many species are on the CITES list

about 5,000 animal species and 28,000 plant species

what is the main problem with programmes to reintroduce populations or establish new ones

they are expensive and difficult and only few are successful

what is one of the main reasons reintroduction programmes often fail

when the animal has become used to humans like in the case of orangutans

when does it become impossible to reintroduce a species into its habitat

when the habitat is gone

what are frozen zoos

stores of animal tissue which could, in theory, be used to raise animals from

what do botanical gardens do

grow, identify and classify and carry out research and conservation

what are seed banks a way of preserving

the genetic variation of a species

what are flagship species

those that are charismatic and instantly recognized, most are large and furry but may not have a significant role in the ecosystem

what are the disadvantages of naming flagship species

they take priority over others, if they were to become extinct, the message is that we have failed, they may be in conflict with local peoples, eg man-eating tigers

what are flagship species also known as

umbrella species, one that conservationists use to gain support to conserve that species, and in return, it greatly helps the other species in the same habitat

what is a keystone species

one that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of the ecosystem in which they live

what can result from the loss of the small population of a keystone species

it could destroy the ecosystem or imbalance it greatly