Environmental Science and Sustainability Chapter 5 - Biodiversity

CHAPTER 5 Conservation: Why Is It Important to Protect Biodiversity? Copyright © 2023 W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. Chapter 5 Outline 5.1 What Is the Status of Earth’s Biodiversity? 5.2 Why Protect Biodiversity? 5.3 What Are Protected Areas? 5.4 What Are the Limitations of Protected Areas, and Ar...

CHAPTER 5 Conservation: Why Is It Important to Protect Biodiversity? Copyright © 2023 W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. Chapter 5 Outline 5.1 What Is the Status of Earth’s Biodiversity? 5.2 Why Protect Biodiversity? 5.3 What Are Protected Areas? 5.4 What Are the Limitations of Protected Areas, and Are There Alternatives? 5.5 Can Laws Protect Biodiversity? 5.6 What Can Be Done to Reduce Biodiversity Loss? Chapter Objectives: This chapter will help you… explain how human actions are contributing to the loss of global biodiversity. identify how humans depend on biodiversity and ecosystem services. evaluate the range of policy tools we can use to protect biodiversity. summarize what steps can be taken in areas of significant human impact to reduce biodiversity loss. understand how species reintroduction and ecological restoration can be used to address biodiversity loss.  Biodiversity Ecological Diversity The variety of Refers to the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems found in an area or on the earth. variety of genes, species, ecosystems, and life in the world. Helps keep us alive and supports our economies https://www.you tube.com/watch Genetic Diversity The variety of genetic Species Diversity The number and ?v=ysa5OBhXz- abundance of species present in different material within a species or a population. communities. Q&t=39s 5.1 What Is the Status of Earth’s Biodiversity? (1 of 5) Extinction is reducing biodiversity Extinction rates: Human impacts have resulted in many extinctions and overall reduction in global biodiversity. Most scientists agree that a human-driven mass extinction called “the sixth extinction” is underway, affecting hundreds to >10,000 species. In the 19th century, the passenger pigeon was the most abundant bird in North America but now is extinct due to overhunting.  What Is the Status of Earth’s Biodiversity? (2 of 5) Alteration of habitats: The most severe human impact on biodiversity is from physical alteration of habitats, such as agriculture, deforestation, and urbanization. Many habitats are so fragmented that many species have lost the population size and genetic diversity necessary for reproduction and viability. The figure shows areas of land in various biomes that have been converted by human uses and compares these areas to those that  What Is the Status of Earth’s Biodiversity? (3 of 5) Overexploitation (overhunting): Humans have also overused or overexploited resources, such as the passenger pigeon mentioned previously. Today, we are overexploiting seafood due to modern fishing technologies that result in overharvesting certain economically viable species. Fishing techniques often catch and discard animals that the industries do not want, cannot sell, or are not allowed to keep. These “discards” are collectively known as “bycatch.” Bycatch can be fish, but also includes other animals such as dolphins, What Is the Status of Earth’s Biodiversity? (4 of 5) Introduction of invasive species: When foreign species are introduced to a new habitat, natural predators are not often present. This leads to: populations increasing without controls native species being harmed, and biodiversity reducing Introduction of invasive kudzu vines and English ivy in the US resulted in the smothering and loss of native plants. What Is the Status of Earth’s Biodiversity? (5 of 5) Effects on water: Humans have dammed rivers, changed fish migrations, withdrawn large volumes of water, polluted water systems, and created dead zones (areas of the ocean devoid of most organisms due to fertilizer run- off that causes oxygen depletion). Climate change can be seen around the globe, such as the loss of arctic ice (polar bear habitat) and coral bleaching due to ocean acidification and temperature increase. 5.2 Why Protect Biodiversity? One reason to protect biodiversity is the instrumental value of species, which is the usefulness of a particular species for human purposes. The rosy periwinkle flower from Madagascar has instrumental value, since it has been a source of chemical extraction for cancer treatment Another motivation is the intrinsic value or the value of something in and of itself apart from its usefulness to others. The 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment reported that loss of species diversity reduces productivity and resilience of ecosystems. What Are Ecosystem Services? (1 of 3) Just as we rely upon public services, such as fire protection, we also rely on ecosystem services, such as a wetland’s ability to naturally purify water, a necessary resource for our survival. Examples: include oxygen, water, food, energy, and building materials Some ecosystem services are provisioning services, which are when ecosystems provide goods that humans consume or use. Examples: salmon for consumption, fresh water for survival or hydropower, wood 5.3 What Are Protected Areas? The government creates areas where ecosystems are protected, such as national parks, which are areas of scenic, historical, and/or scientific importance protected and maintained by the National Park Service. The first US national park was Yellowstone National Park, which today has a diversity of mammals similar to when it opened in the 1800s. Protected Areas Do Not Necessarily Match Protection Priorities Areas with the least percentage of protected land tend to be those most favorable to human crop production and settlement, such as agricultural land. A large percentage of grasslands, which are under- protected, have been converted to agricultural land. Coastal areas have been converted for human settlement and have little protection, with land protection outpacing marine environments. Continued Human Use Most global protected areas still experience poaching (illegal hunting) as well as illegal logging and mining operations. Enforcement is challenging because these areas are difficult to access, it provokes conflicts, and employment training is expensive. 5.5 Can Laws Protect Biodiversity? In 1918, the United States and Canada ratified the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which protected more than 800 types of birds, such as the bald eagle. The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 protects whales, dolphins, seals, and manatees. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 protects both endangered plants and animals from hunting and trapping. International Laws and Agreements The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement banning the hunting, capturing, and selling of endangered and threatened species. The 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity is an international agreement committing countries to pass laws to expand protected areas, restore degraded ecosystems, and ensure the sustainable and equitable human use of ecosystem services. 5.6 What Can Be Done to Reduce Biodiversity Loss? Deforestation, or the clearing of areas of forested land, is destroying homes for many land-based plants and animals and causes In Africa soil than more erosion. 90% of harvested wood is used for firewood. In Southeast Asia, deforestation is often due to conversion for oil palm plantations. Sustainable Forest Management Sustainable forest management is a strategy that manages forests not only for harvest but also for maintaining biodiversity. Important practices include leaving patches of living trees to reseed along with patches of dead trees known as “snags” as bird habitat and prohibiting logging on steep slopes to prevent erosion. Question 1 Which of the following activities would violate CITES? A. Your friend shoots a bald eagle that seems to be eyeing the calf they have been raising for their 4-H project. B. Your friend brings back an ivory chess set that they bought while on safari in Africa. C. Your friend catches a small-mouth bass that is technically not large enough to keep, but they keep it and cook it for dinner instead of releasing it. D. Your friend breaks into a California condor breeding facility and releases all the condors being raised there because they feel sorry for them. E. Your friend transports firewood infested with emerald ash borer from Minneapolis to the Black Hills of South Dakota, inadvertently introducing the pest to Rapid City, where it destroys all the ash trees in the city within a decade. Question 1: Answer Which of the following activities would violate CITES? A. Your friend shoots a bald eagle that seems to be eyeing the calf they have been raising for their 4-H project. B. Your friend brings back an ivory chess set that they bought while on safari in Africa. (Correct) C. Your friend catches a small-mouth bass that is technically not large enough to keep, but they keep it and cook it for dinner instead of releasing it. D. Your friend breaks into a California condor breeding facility and releases all the condors being raised there because they feel sorry for them. E. Your friend transports firewood infested with emerald ash borer from Minneapolis to the Black Hills of South Dakota, inadvertently introducing the pest to Rapid City, where it destroys all the ash trees in the city within a decade. Question 3 Which of the following is a consequence of clearing forests for agriculture purposes? A. The soil becomes richer and retains moisture better because there are few trees to take up the water and soil nutrients. B. Biodiversity increases because of habitat diversification. C. Soil erosion increases because the tree roots and other vegetation that stabilize the soil have been removed. D. Water runoff decreases because crops will take up more of the moisture. E. CO2 levels in the atmosphere drop to dangerously low levels. Question 3: Answer Which of the following is a consequence of clearing forests for agriculture purposes? A. The soil becomes richer and retains moisture better because there are few trees to take up the water and soil nutrients. B. Biodiversity increases because of habitat diversification. C. Soil erosion increases because the tree roots and other vegetation that stabilize the soil have been removed. (Correct) D. Water runoff decreases because crops will take up more of the moisture. E. CO2 levels in the atmosphere drop to dangerously low levels. Question 4 Which of the following is true about ecosystem services? Ecosystem services ______________________________________________________________ _. A. increase costs needed to keep ecosystems productive B. are valuable to natural systems but not to human-created systems C. are economically valuable services provided by natural systems D. are not useful in rebalancing natural systems after human disturbance Question 4: Answer Which of the following is true about ecosystem services? Ecosystem services ______________________________________________________________ _. A. increase costs needed to keep ecosystems productive B. are valuable to natural systems but not to human-created systems C. are economically valuable services provided by natural systems (Correct) D. are not useful in rebalancing natural systems after human disturbance Question 5 Motivation to protect wildlife can focus on an organism’s intrinsic value, which means ______________________________________________________________ _. A. it is not able to become extinct B. it does not contribute to biodiversity of an ecosystem C. the value of the organism is due to its usefulness for human purposes D. it reduces productivity and resilience of an ecosystem E. the value of the organism is apart from its usefulness to others Question 5: Answer Motivation to protect wildlife can focus on an organism’s intrinsic value, which means _______________________________________________________________. A. it is not able to become extinct B. it does not contribute to biodiversity of an ecosystem C. the value of the organism is due to its usefulness for human purposes D. it reduces productivity and resilience of an ecosystem E. the value of the organism is apart from its usefulness to others (Correct) Credits This concludes the Lecture PowerPoint presentation for Environmental Science and Sustainability, Chapter 5, by David Montgomery and Daniel Sherman For more resources, please visit https://digital.wwnorton.com/environsci2 Copyright © 2023 W. W. Norton & Compan y, Inc.