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59 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Purpose of conservation Biology |
Investigate human impacts on biological diversity
Develop practical approaches to prevent extinction of species
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Interdisciplinary Approach |
Approaching a conservation problem from multiple angles including but not limited to:
Biology Sociology Management |
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Case Study: Macaws |
Clay-eating to protect from toxins in seeds
Increases vulnerability due to exposure of clay deposits: to hunting, predators and collectors
Always have look out because congregate in large numbers
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Key elements of conservation biology |
Interdependence of species
Vegetation Succession: Disturbance effect
Ecosystem Dynamics |
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Ecosystem Dynamics |
Constantly Changing
when planning conservation should account for natural changes in ecosystem structure.
Natural changes could make ecosystem less desirable. |
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Primary causes of extinction |
Human population growth
Increase in global resource consumption
Habitat fragmentation and degredation |
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Medieval/ Colonial view of nature |
Nature is there to be exploited: resources seemed to be inexhaustable |
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Early Conservation |
European royalty: Protected nature for own personal use not necessarily for the sole purpose of conserving
inadvertently conserved bio diversity |
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When did we realize we were losing biodiversity? |
Early collectors noticed: they were very good at attention to detail
Early extinctions: Bison, passenger pigeon and large copper butterfly
Systematic Hunting or moved in large obvious groups: extremely abundant at the time |
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RSBP |
Royal Society for the Preservation of Birds
declared areas as reserves as the mid 19th century |
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First Conservation Biology Journal |
The British Ecological Society (Journal) |
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Aldo Leopold and Conservation Ethic |
It is antisocial to exploit and destroy natural systems |
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Dust Bowl Causes |
Inc. mechanisation Advances in transportation technology
A lot of prairie was destroyed and plowed under for farming exposing soil
Drought: Farmers abandoned land
Wind Storms= increased erosion and dust storms |
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Effects of Dust Bowl |
300 million tons of dirt eroded
Darkened New York City
Dust on ships 300 miles into the atlantic |
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Conservation efforts for dust bowl |
Rows of trees to break the wind
Cover crops to hold dirt in place |
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"Balance of Nature": Equilibrium Paradigm |
A unit of nature in equilibrium will remain that way if placed in a reserve and will remain stable and unchanged
After a disturbance it will return to the way it was pre-disturbance |
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Non-Equilibrium Hypothesis |
unit of nature is not easily conservable as a reserve in isolation with its surroundings
Unit does not remain in stable and balanced if untouched
Recieve natural and human disturbance and permanently change as a result |
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Conservation Response to Dynamic Ecology |
Focus on dynamic processes
processes, species interaction, Ecosystems are open systems
Should take into account spacial and temporal changes |
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Cons Bio Values |
Diversity good Extinction bad
Ecosystem complexity good simplification bad
Evolution Good
Biotic diversity has intrinsic value |
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Intrinsic |
Belonging naturally: essential |
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Principles of conservation Biology |
1) Evolution unites all of biology 2) ecology is dynamic and non-equilibrial 3)human presence must be included in conservation planning |
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Human Presence: Conservation Biology |
- Account for human impact - "indigenous" knowledge is important - should invite public support - native human cultures are a part of ecological landscape |
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Characteristics of Cons Bio |
- critical discipline -multidisciplinary science - value laden science - not an exact science - with an evolutionary time scale - science of eternal vigilance
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Types of BIodiversity |
-genetic diversity - species diversity -ecosystem diversity |
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What is genetic diversity? |
- variation at gene level - allows populations to adapt to changing enviro. - ^diversity ^ the chance for survival in changing enviro.
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What is species diversity? |
- the # of different species of living things existing in an area - species richness and abundance - 1.7 mil ID and catalog estimated 5-40 million extant species |
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Pace of identification |
- 10,000 new species are found every year - most new species are insects - 1-5 birds and 1-5 mammals discovered each year |
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Examples of recent discoveries... |
Black faced lion tamarin 1990 brazil Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhesis) 1992 vietnam Peruvian beaked whale 1991 |
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Ecosystem Diversity |
- the aggregate of different environmental types in a region -# of different ecosystems occuring in relatively close proximity - each ecosystem has a unique set of species |
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Biodiversity and latitude |
as latitude increases from equator biodiversity increases - most heat energy from the sun at equator etc. |
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Biodiversity and altitude |
As altitude increases, from sea level biodiversity decreases, higher altitude is usually associated with harsher less hospitable environments |
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Biodiversity and isolation |
As isolation increases biodiversity tends to decrease but unique biodiversity can increase - island biogeography - Endimism increases- high endemic diversity of species on islands (many are plants) |
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Biodiversity and climate |
Increase in climate temp= increase in humidity= increase in diversity |
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Biodiversity and stability |
Disturbance and its effects on diversity can increase unless very competitive species repopulating area |
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Species richness |
number of different species n a given area e.g. ecosystem |
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Species abundance |
The abundance of a given species relative to the abundance of other species present in a region - how common or rare a species is compared to the whole of other species present |
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Species evenness |
How close in number each species in an area is - 10:10:10 - 25:4:1 |
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Simpson's index |
Pi = proportional abundance of species i D = diversity of a community |
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Point Richness |
# of species found at a single point in space |
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alpha richness |
# of species found in a small homogenous area |
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beta richness |
change in species composition across habitats |
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gamma richness |
rate of change in species composition across larger landscape gradients |
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sampling in a transect along habitat gradient - number of species gradually increases until it levels off at a "maximum" number of species for the area. |
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Species turnover along habitat gradients - habitat can only hold so many individuals - an area increases diversity as # of individuals per species decreases |
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Importance of beta diversity |
most commonly measured form of richness |
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Linguistic diversity |
-the diversity of languages -anthropologists use it to determine diversity of cultures |
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How many turtles are there |
300 extant species over half threatened with extinction 55 species in US - 25 require cons. action - 21 are protected or candidates for it |
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Michigan Turtle study |
Nest ecology life-histories and demography conservation implications |
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Central PA turtle study |
RFS turtles nesting area mitigation |
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Turtle Traits |
delayed maturity (10-15 yrs): long lifespan extended iteroparity: multiple reproductive occurances low fecundity: reproductive rate
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Data measurements |
clutch size: x-ray width of shell age: based on growth plates |
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Turtle size vs. Egg size |
small turtles: egg size increases with tutlesize
large turtles: egg size remains about the sam for all sizes of turtles |
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Nest predation |
very high; racoons most nests destroyed within 24 hrs of creation then relatively safe until 3-4 weeks after creation: rain brings scent back to surface |
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RFS study turtles |
Box turtles and wood turtles |
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Reproductoin/ Nesting Habits |
Mate in water lay eggs at night usually when raining find soft loose earth- easier to dig - means nests are often exposed |
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Euler's Equation |
r= population persistence
r greater than or equal to 0 = stable/ growing population |
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Turtle Protection |
Need to protect adults over nestlings since only a few nestlings ever make it anyway and it takes a while to reach maturity A few live for a long time many only live for a day or so |
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Over-wintering |
do not burrow very deep can withstand to about 0 celsius (freezing) snow helps with insulation |
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Turtle troubles |
- Habitat loss - Habitat degredation - road mortality - pets |
