Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation PDF

BIODIVERSITY AND WILDLIFE Optimizing research and monitoring to ultimately CONSERVATION influence conservation policy and ensure that it is evidence-based (Dobson & Katarzyna...

BIODIVERSITY AND WILDLIFE Optimizing research and monitoring to ultimately CONSERVATION influence conservation policy and ensure that it is evidence-based (Dobson & Katarzyna, 2013). WHAT IS CONSERVATION? A synthetic field that unites traditionally academic WHAT IS CONSERVATION AND WHY DO WE disciplines with the applied traditions and theoretically NEED TO CONSERVE OUR BIODIVERSITY? based disciplines to the maintenance of biological ▪ Expanding Human Demands on Earth diversity throughout the world (Groom et al., 2006). ▪ Biological diversity ▪ Population Growth ▪ Industrialization and ▪ Urbanization ▪ Extinction ▪ Conservation Biology Changes in the perception and goals of nature conservation (Mace, 2014) A schematic view of the relationship between conservation biology and other disciplines. (Redrawn after Jacobson 1990.) CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, CONSERVATION SCIENCE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ▪ Soulé (1985) define the emerging field of conservation biology with an essay: the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB). ▪ Conservation biology as the application of biological science to address the problems of species, communities, and ecosystems perturbed by humans (Soulé, 1985) ▪ conservation science has as a key goal the improvement of human well-being through the management of the environment. ▪ Environmental Science is managing the environment to provide human health and safety The necessity for conservation on the context of the Anthropocene Conservation Biology Core of Environmental Science (Hambler, 2004); a response bythe scientific community to the biodiversity crisis (Groom etal., 2006). - Fields contributing to conservation biology and (b) those contributing to conservation science.  - In panel (a) is Soulé’s (1985) depiction of the ▪ In the humid Tropics, early agrarian societies synthetic, multidisciplinary nature of dealt with declining resources by moving conservation biology. when yields - Panel (b depicts an updated view of conservation science, in which the many ▪ Conservation biology become a distinctive dimensions of conservation biology are part of discipline (1968) when the multidisciplinary a broader and more interdisciplinary endeavor journal Biological Conservation was launched to protect nature. as 'The international Quarterly Journal - As in Soulé’s (1985) original figure, the devoted to scientific protection of plant and dashed line indicates that the fields animal wildlife and to the Conservation or contributing to conservation span the rational use of the biotic and allied resources boundaries between “basic” and “applied” of the land and fresh waters, sea and air, for research. the lastin cultural and economic welfare of Mankind'. DIFFERENCES IN TERMS: ▪ Another journal on conservation, CONSERVATIONALIST, Environmental Conservation, commenced in PRESERERVATIONALIST, 1974. ENVIRONMENTALISM, AND ECOLOGIST (HUNTER JR & GIBBS, 2006) ▪ Conservationist someone who advocates or practices the sensible and careful use of natural resources ▪ Preservationist advocates allowing some places and some creatures to exist without significant human interference. ▪ Environmentalist concerned about the impact of people on environmental quality. ▪ Ecologist a scientist who studies the relationships between organisms and their environments. The first issue of the journal Conservation Biology published inCMay 1987. (Photograph courtesy of E. P. A Brief History of Conservation Biology (Hambler, Pister.] 2004) ▪ Prehistoric humans caused extinctions THE NOBLE SAVAGE through overexploitation, habitat modification, and species introductions, and - Western anthropology, philosophy, and often changed ecosystems drastically through literature, the noble savage is a stock character clearing, and cultivation. burning, or idealized concept of man symbolizes the innate goodness of one not exposed to the ▪ Classical Greek period Aristotle commented corrupting influences of civilization. on the widespread destruction of forests in the - Redford (1992) and others debunk the notion Baltic region (Northeastern part of Europe). of the "noble savage," primitive but wise peoples who had great concern for natural resources. ▪ Southern Asia - forests were felled to meet the - Wherever humans have settled, growing need for timber to build trading ships environmental destruction has been the rule to serve expanding mercantile centers such as (Diamond, 1992); Constantinople (now Istanbul). MODERN CONSERVATION BIOLOGY ▪ "Land of Perpetual shade" of Asia – The barren landscapes that we associate with much ▪ Romantic Preservationist and the exploitative of Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran are unnatural utilitarian philosophies (19th Century) is to be deserts resulting from massive exploitation of replaced with a balanced approach that looks fragile woodlands. to an ethic of stewardship for philosophical guidance, and a melding of natural and social sciences for theory and practice.  ▪ Academia - Sanctioning the pursuit, growth, - Species do not exist in a vacuum; their past and exchange of knowledge, ideas, and and present interaction are important (E.g., information for its own sake, academic Ecological Succession) institutions allow conservation science to evolve and flourish (Fleishman, n. d.; Groom ▪ 2 nd OF THE FOUR CORE PRINCIPLE: et al., 2006). Many, if not all, ecological processes have thresholds below and above which they become discontinuous, ▪ The global effort to conserve and protect the chaotic, or suspended natural environment is a recent phenomenon, though efforts to conserve economically ▪ 3 rd OF THE FOUR CORE PRINCIPLE: important natural resources have a long Genetic and demographic processes have thresholds history. below which nonadaptive, random forces begin to prevail over adaptive, deterministic forces within the Soulé's guiding principles on populations Conservation Biology: Still a crisis discipline but evidence Largely focused on maintaining genetic diversity at based high enough levels to avoid maladaptive consequences. principles functional postulates Low individuals of population = Small Genetic Diversity = Low Chances of Adaptation and Evolution four core = Low Survival of the Fittest = Possible Extinction and Loss of Interaction with other organism = Low = functioning community ▪ Four core values = normative Postulates ▪ 4th OF THE FOUR CORE PRINCIPLE: Nature reserves are inherently disequilibrial for large, rare organisms. Large organisms tend to have large ranges and their populations are sparser than smaller organisms. RESERVES VS. NATURAL HABITAT The Three Basic Guiding Principles for Conservation Biology Serve as working paradigms for conservation biology Paradigm is the world view shared by a scientific discipline or community (Kuhn 1972), or the family of theories that undergird a discipline (Pickett et al. 1992 PRINCIPLE 1 THE EVOLUTIONARY PLAY EVOLUTION IS THE BASIC AXIOM THAT UNITES AL OF BIOLOGY. PRINCIPLE 2 THE ECOLOGICAL THEATER ▪ 1ST OF THE FOUR CORE PRINCIPLE: THE ECOLOGICAL WORLD IS DYNAMIC AND Many of the species that constitute natural LARGELY NON-EQUILIBRIAL communities are the products of coevolutionary processes PRINCIPLE 3 HUMANS ARE PART OF THE PLAY - Species are interdependent HUMAN PRESENCE MUST BE INCLUDED IN - Many species are highly specialized CONSERVATION PLANNING. - Extinction of keystone species can have long- range consequences; NOTE: foundation of conservation biology is much - Introductions of generalists may reduce broader than these three principles. diversity. Soulé’s (1985) Postulates on Conservation Biology Diversity of organisms is good ▪ A corollary of this postulate is Humans seem to inherently enjoy that untimely extinction (caused diversity of life forms (biophilia , E. O. by human) is bad. Wilson ). Ecological complexity is good ▪ Simplification of ecosystems by “expresses a preference for nature over humans and interference with artifice, for wilderness over gardens” evolutionary pattern is bad; Biotic diversity has intrinsic value, regardless of its utilitarian value ▪ Destruction of diversity by recognizes inherent value in non-human humans is bad. life, regardless of its utility to humans, Pervasive Aspects of Conservation Biology Efforts - A discipline responding to an immense crisis - A value-laden science - A multidisciplinary science - A science with an evolutionary time scale - An inexact science - A science of eternal vigilance SOMETHING TO CONSIDER: - IRREVERSIBIOLITY - GAP ANALYSIS (Dobson & Katarzyna, 2013). Did you know? - "Pag-asa" is the first Philippine eagle successfully bred in captivity. - Ph. eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), Endemic and Critically endangered The Philippine eagle was declared the Philippines' national bird on July 4, 1995. - But because of deforestation and hunting, there are only around 400 pairs left in the wild.