Preserving Biological Diversity

(Reference : Chiras, DD. Environmental Science. Creating a Sustainable Future. 6 th Edition. 2001. Jones and Bartlett
Publishers. Sudbury, MA. USA.)

Biodiversity: Signs of Decline Many species of plants and animals face extinction today as a result of human activities. Although extinction has occurred since the dawn of time, modern extinctions are occurring at a rate much faster than is biologically sustainable. 500 million species walked the Earth 10 80 million species living today

Extinction 1. natural extinction represents a kind of evolutionary passing may result from severe climatic changes (e.g. Ice Age) is slow 2. Accelerated extinction occurs as a result of human activities is fast 40 to 100 species become extinct each day Dodo - an extinct flightless bird, once a native of the island of Mauritius. Discovered 1598, extinct by 1681 Endangered species- imminent danger of becoming extinct, e.g. Philippine Eagle Threatened species - still abundant but its numbers are declining, e.g. Flying Lemur

Major Causes of Extinction and the Decline in Biodiversity 1. Destruction and alteration of habitat 2. Commercial harvesting Physical Alteration of Habitat Virtually all human activities alter the environment, changing the biotic and abiotic conditions and fragmenting habitat. Habitat alteration is the number one cause of species extinction. The most dramatic changes occur in biologically rich areas: tropical rain forests, wetlands, estuaries, Examples of human activities that dramatically alter physical habitat Food production, Timber harvesting, Mining, Road building, Manufacture and operation of automobiles, Construction and maintenance of home

Commercial Hunting and Harvesting Commercial hunting and harvesting of wild species have occurred for centuries and represent the second largest threat to the worlds animal species. This includes past activities, such as whale hunting, and present activities, such as commercial fish harvesting and poaching of endangered species. Hunting may be 1. sports hunting occurs for enjoyment and is generally regulated it may even be beneficial because it keeps the population within the carrying capacity 2. subsistence hunting it is usually done by indigenous people (at a sustainable level) 3. commercial hunting or harvesting consists of large scale effort, example whale hunting may also consist of a small scale effort , example rhinoceros hunting some commercial hunting activities are legal others are illegal (i.e. poaching) The Introduction of Foreign Species as a cause of extinction and decline in biodiversity Plant and animal species introduced into new regions may thrive because of the favorable conditions and low environmental resistance. Therefore, they often outcompete and eliminate native species. Islands are especially vulnerable to foreign species. Pest and Predator Control as causes of extinction and decline in biodiversity Chemical pesticides, sprayed on farms and other areas to control insect pests, and predator control programs have had a profound impact on native species. example: nonyphenols a non-active ingredient to some insecticide have deleterious effect on salmon nonyphenols inhibits the salmons production of enzyme to get rid of excess salt. example: DDT tends to make the egg shell fragile and more susceptible to breakage this affected falcons, condor, brown pelican The Collection of Animals and Plants for Human Enjoyment, Research, and Other Purposes as cause of extinction and decline in biodiversity Millions of plants and animals are taken from the wild and imported into developed countries for zoos, private collections, pet shops, and research, contributing to the worldwide loss of species

Pollution as a cause of extinction and decline in biodiversity Pollution alters the physical and chemical nature of the environment in ways that impair the survival of many species. Pollution and climate change (caused by pollution) may be altering the health of the worlds coral reefs and may cause widespread decimation if something is not done to reverse the trend. Beluga whales of the coast of Canada die of cancer caused by 25 different toxic elements selenium, coming from irrigated fields caused abnormalities to 42% of the chicks of waterfowls (no eyes, beaks, wings or legs) in Kesterton National Wildlife Refuge Biological Factors That Contribute to Extinction Many biological characteristics of organisms determine how vulnerable they are to human impacts on the environment, such as the number of offspring they produce, the size of their range, their tolerance for people, and their degree of specialization. critical population size as in the case of Passenger Pigeon (extinct 1914) animal size (larger animal size reproduce slower than smaller ones e.g. Philippine Eagle) degree of specialization some species eat anything some species eat only this and that what if this and that disappear or run short of supply of?

The Loss of Keystone Species Keystone species are organisms upon which many other species in an ecosystem depend. The loss of a single keystone species may have a devastating effect on other organisms Sea Otters Classic Keystone Species The classic tale of a keystone species is that of the sea otter, which was once found in abundance along the West Coast of North America. The story goes something like this: European and Russian trappers hunt sea otters to near extinction in the 18th and 19th centuries. The decline of the sea otters, which are essential to keeping sea urchins in check, allows sea urchin populations to explode. The burgeoning sea urchins feast on and decimate the kelp beds, which are critical habitat for spawning fish. Fish begin to decline for lack of spawning habitat; this affects fishermen's catches. Finally, an international treaty is enacted to protect sea otters. In areas where the otters recovered, urchin populations are once again kept down, the kelp beds recover, fish nurseries recover, and fish catches rise again.

A Multiplicity of Factors that Contribute to Decline in Diversity Many factors acting together contribute to the loss of biodiversity. These factors may synergize to produce a level of devastation far greater than anticipated. Condor DDT cause thinning of eggshell, 1 egg per 2 years, habitat destruction caused by road and housing construction Salmon dams, logging causes deposition of sediments in spawning grounds, agriculture reduces stream flow, victim of overfishing

Why Protect Biodiversity? Utilitarian Reasons Aesthetics and Economics Food, Pharmaceuticals, Scientific Information, and Products Protecting Free Services and Saving Money Non-utilitarian Reasons Ethics: Doing the Right Thing Biodiversity Protection I. Stop-Gap Measures: First Aids for Biodiversity Protection 1. Legislations 2. Captive Breeding and Release Program e.g. Philippine Eagle farm in Davao II. Long-Term Preventive Measures for biodiversity protection 1. Restructuring Human Systems for Sustainability addressing the root causes of the crisis of unsustainability, namely: our inefficient use of resources, continued population growth, our reliance on fossil fuels, our failure to recycle extensively, and our lack of attention to restoration. 2. Setting aside biologically rich regions e.g. National parks, forest reserves, coral reefs 3. Buffer zones and Wildlife Corridors Ecological Islands isolated patches of protected habitat Buffer zone a region in which limited human activity is allowed Wildlife Corridor a strip of land that connects habitats set aside to protect species. These allow species to migrate from one habitat to another, breeding with members of other subpopulations 4. Extractive Reserves land set aside for native people to use on a sustainable basis 5. Improving Wildlife Management