Conservation Biology PDF

UNIT 1 – Foundations of Conservation and Importance of Biodiversity WHAT IS CONSERVATION? WHAT IS CONSERVATION AND WHY DO WE NEED TO CONSERVE OUR BIODIVERSITY? Expanding Human Demands on Earth Biological diversity P...

UNIT 1 – Foundations of Conservation and Importance of Biodiversity WHAT IS CONSERVATION? WHAT IS CONSERVATION AND WHY DO WE NEED TO CONSERVE OUR BIODIVERSITY? Expanding Human Demands on Earth Biological diversity Population Growth Industrialization and Urbanization Extinction Conservation Biology Changes in the perception and goals of nature conservation (Mace, 2014) Estimated global human population size from the last Ice Age to the present, illustrating the exponential nature of human population growth since the Industrial Revolution. Notice that we reached 6 billion people in 1999 and now number more than 6.4 billion (Groom et al., 2006). The necessity for conservation on the context of the Anthropocene Conservation Biology Core of Environmental Science (Hambler, 2004); a response by the scientific community to the biodiversity crisis (Groom et al., 2006). Optimizing research and monitoring to ultimately influence conservation policy and ensure that it is evidence-based (Dobson & Katarzyna, 2013). A synthetic field that unites traditionally academic disciplines with the applied traditions and theoretically based disciplines to the maintenance of biological diversity throughout the world (Groom et al., 2006). A schematic view of the relationship between conservation biology and other disciplines. (Redrawn after Jacobson 1990.)  CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, CONSERVATION SCIENCE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 1 2 3 4 Soulé (1985) define Conservation biology as conservation Environmental the emerging field of the application of science has as a key biological science to Science is conservation goal the managing the address the problems of improvement of biology with an species, communities, human well-being environment to essay: the Society and ecosystems for Conservation through the provide human perturbed by humans Biology (SCB). (Soulé, 1985) management of the health and safety environment.  Fields contributing to conservation biology and (b) those contributing to conservation science. In panel (a) is Soulé’s (1985) depiction of the synthetic, multidisciplinary nature of conservation biology. Panel (b depicts an updated view of conservation science, in which the many dimensions of conservation biology are part of a broader and more interdisciplinary endeavor to protect nature. As in Soulé’s (1985) original figure, the dashed line indicates that the fields contributing to conservation span the boundaries between “basic” and “applied” research. DIFFERENCES IN TERMS: CONSERVATIONALIST, PRESERERVATIONALIST, ENVIRONMENTALISM, AND ECOLOGIST (HUNTER JR & GIBBS, 2006) Environmentalist Conservationist Preservationist concerned about the Ecologist someone who advocates or impact of people on practices the sensible and advocates allowing a scientist who studies environmental quality. careful use of natural resources some places and the relationships some creatures to between organisms and exist without their environments. significant human interference A Brief History of Conservation Biology (Hambler, 2004) A Brief History of Conservation Biology (Hambler, 2004) A Brief History of Conservation Biology (Hambler, 2004) The first issue of the journal Conservation Biology, published in May 1987. (Photograph courtesy of E. P. Pister.) THE NOBLE SAVAGE MODERN CONSERVATION BIOLOGY  Soulé’s guiding principles on Conservation Biology: Still a crisis discipline but evidence based  1ST OF THE FOUR CORE PRINCIPLE: Many of the species that constitute natural communities are the products of coevolutionary processes Extinction of keystone species Introductions of Species are Many species are can have long- generalists may interdependent; highly specialized range reduce diversity. consequences; Species do not exist in a vacuum; their past and present interaction are important (E.g., Ecological Succession)  2nd OF THE FOUR CORE PRINCIPLE: Many, if not all, ecological processes have thresholds below and above which they become discontinuous, chaotic, or suspended 3rd OF THE FOUR CORE PRINCIPLE: Largely focused on maintaining genetic Genetic and demographic diversity at high enough levels to avoid maladaptive consequences. processes have thresholds below which nonadaptive, random forces begin to prevail over adaptive, deterministic forces Low individuals of population = Small Genetic Diversity = Low Chances of within the populations Adaptation and Evolution = Low Survival of the Fittest = Possible Extinction and Loss of Interaction with other organism = Low functioning community  4th OF THE FOUR CORE PRINCIPLE: Nature reserves are inherently disequilibrial for large, rare organisms.  The Three Basic Guiding Principles for Conservation Biology Serve as working Paradigm is the world view shared by a scientific paradigms for discipline or community conservation (Kuhn 1972), or the family of theories that undergird a biology discipline (Pickett et al. 1992 PRINCIPLE 1 PRINCIPLE 2 PRINCIPLE 3 THE EVOLUTIONARY PLAY THE ECOLOGICAL THEATER HUMANS ARE PART OF THE PLAY EVOLUTION IS THE BASIC AXIOM THE ECOLOGICAL WORLD IS DYNAMIC HUMAN PRESENCE MUST BE INCLUDED THAT UNITES AL OF BIOLOGY. AND LARGELY NON-EQUILIBRIAL IN CONSERVATION PLANNING. NOTE: foundation of conservation biology is much broader than these three principles. 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. Wilson ). by human) is bad. 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 A An inexact responding to an multidisciplinary science immense crisis science A science with an A value-laden A science of evolutionary time science eternal vigilance scale SOMETHING TO CONSIDER:  Did you know? “Pag-asa” is the first Philippine eagke successfully bred in captivity. Suggested Readings and References Journal/Article References: WEB REFERENCES: