Conservation Biology Exam 2

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Minimum Viable Population

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Smallestisolated pop-at least 99% chance of remaining extant for atleast 1000 years despite the foreseeable effects of genetic demographicenvironment & catastrophic variation

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Population Viability Analysis

(extension of demographic analysis)

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Determines whether a species is likelyto persist in an environment. Goal is to estimate MVP

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Metapop

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“Shiftingmosaic” of temporary populations spatially separated inisolated patches of habitat but “connected” by low levels ofdispersal. 1+ core population (large/fairlystable numbers) and several satellite populations (smaller/fluctuating numbers)

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Minimum Dynamic Area

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Suitablehabitat needed to maintaine MVP. Estimated by studying the home rangesizes of individuals & natural dispersion patterns of species. Generally larger for larger organisms

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Biological Invaders

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Distributionsof numerous species restricted by their inability to disperse acrossenvironmental barriers (oceans, deserts, mountains, rivers)

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Invasive Species

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Increased in pop due to human modifications of environment. Often exotic species

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Exotic Species

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Foundoutside of natural range due to human transport. Also known as introduced species

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Zebra Mussels (Caspian Sea)

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"Stowaway” in European tanker, arrived inGreat Lakes in 1988. W/in 2 years reached densities of 700,000 per m^2in parts of Lake Erie, choking out native species of mussels (1 single nativespecies with 10,000 tiny zebra mussels), now has spread throughout Great Lakes into adjacent rivers

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Brown Headed Cowbird

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Invasive species

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Nile Perch

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Exoticspecies, replaced highly diverse endemic radiation of cichlid fishes of Lake Victoria (Africa) primarily through predation (perhapsseveral hundred endemic cichlids extinct)

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Brown Tree Snake

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Introducedonto Pacific islands w/ impact on endemic bird populations. On Guam, has reduced 10 endemic birds to near extinction

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Emerald Ash Borer

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FromAsia; larvae feed on inner bark/cambium layer; often kill by girdling

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Purple Loosestrife

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FromEurope, dominates marshes in many areas of upper Midwest and Northeastreplacing native plants that provide better food and cover for native wetland wildlife

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Asian Carp

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Planktivores,common in Illinois river and Mississippi-may alter river ecosystem and reduce native clams (through competition and predation by black carp)

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Garlic Mustard

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Herbaceousbiannual plant, from Europe as a “culinary herb”-dominant plant in many forests of eastern US outcompeting nativeherbaceous “wild flowers”

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Chestnut Blight

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Fungaldisease from Asia-brought to NYC in early 1900’s. W/in decadeone of most abundant trees in eastern deciduous forest

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Endemic

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Species ONLY found in single geographic area

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Extinct

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No species living

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Extant

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Species live onnnnn

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Barro Colorado

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Formerhilltop in Panama-became a ~1500 ha island during creation of Panama Canal. Willis (1974) discovered45 of original 209 breeding forest bird species on island that disappeared during1923-72

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Slash and Burn

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Shiftingcultivation-plots of natural vegetation are cut and burned. Clearedpatches are farmed for 2-3 years (their fertility diminishes to thepoint where adequate crop production does not occur) and then abandoned as newareas are cleared

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Habitat Fragmentation

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Reduction in habitat continuity & increase in habitat heterogeneity. A larger, continuous area of habitat is reduced in size ÷d into ≥ 2 smaller area.
Example: forested area of Cadiz township (Wisconsin)>90% reduction in forest area

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Daniel Simberloff (1986)

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"If deforestation continues until all forest except national parks andother protected areas are cut down ~67% of all plant and bird species will bedriven to extinction"

Defaunation experimentson mangrove islands in Florida bay. Took mangrove islands of various sizes& sprayed w/ insecticide to kill off all insects, then looked at immigrations & extinction

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Deborah Rabinowitz

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“7forms of rarity” based on...geographicdistribution, habitatspecificity, localpop size

“Classic” rare specieshave small geographic distribution, narrow habitat specificity, and localpop size was always small

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Robert MacArthur (1967)

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Equilibriumtheory of island biogeography (describe and predict species richness onislands) Proposed theory with E.O. Wilson…basic premise was the #of species on an island represents dynamic equilibrium between new speciesimmigrating to island and species going extinct

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E.O. Wilson (1967)

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Equilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography

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Extinct in the Wild (1981-91)

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Only exists in captivity*CaliforniaCondor was extinct in the wild from

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Locally Extinct

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A species no longer exists in an area it once inhabited but is foundelsewhere in the wild*Gray wolf & bison are locally extinct in IL

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Ecologically Extinct

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Aspecies is found in reduced numbers that its effects on the other speciesin its community are negligible*Siberian tigers areecologically extinct

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Globally Extinct

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When nomember of species survives anywhere in the world*Passengerpigeon

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Species diversity has been increasing since lifefirst originated

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Periodsof high rates of speciation,of minimal change, episodesof “mass extinction”, extinctionof species occurs throughout, “naturalextinctions”

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Evidence of species diversity-fossil records and marine organisms

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Manyhave hard body parts, marineanimals 1st arose ~600mybp, overallpattern of increase in # families w/ 5 periods of major extinctions

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5 MASS extinctions

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1. MostFamous: dinos,pterosaurs, ichthyosaurs went extinct; many marine species, and birds andmammals as well (likelydue to asteroid impact)

2. Mostmassive: 77-96% of marine species extinct, 50% offamilies including many trees, amphibians, lasttrilobites, caused bywidespread volcanic eruptions, extinctions occurred rapidly, took 50million years to regain # families lost during Permian mass extinction

3. Ordovicianextinction: 50% ofanimal families especiallytrilobite

4. Devonianextinctions: 30% ofanimal families (jawless and armored fish), moretrilobites

5. Triassicextinctions: 35% ofanimal families, many reptiles & marinemollusks

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AverageRate of Natural Extinction

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1-10species/year. Extinction rates not been constant. Fossil records showsthat an individual species lasts about 1-10 million years before it goesextinct.

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Thepattern of increase in anthropogenic extinctions

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Increase isexponential...and current estimates for anthropogenic extinction rates are100-1000 times the natural/background rate of extinction

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Characteristicsthat make a species vulnerable to extinction

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Speciesin which population size is small, speciesw/ large body size, speciesthat migrate, w/specialized niche requirements, specieshunted or harvested by people, w/ little genetic variability

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Species Area Curve (predictloss of species as habitat is reduced; can be used to estimate size of reserve needed to contain all species)

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S=CA^z

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7 Forms of Rarity

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1.Geographicdistribution

2. Habitatspecificity

3. Localpopulation size

4. Rare species have small geographic distribution, narrow habitatspecificity, and local population size that was small

5. Rare species need habitat protection

6. Species w/ narrow geogr. distribution but broad habitat specificity may be amenable to translocation tonew sites

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TheEquilibrium Theory of Island Biogeography

(describe& predict species richness on islands)

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-# ofspecies on an island represents dynamic equilibrium between new speciesimmigrating to island & species going extinct

-immigrationrates are high early as no species are present & species that make itto island is new

-immigrationrarely drops to 0 when all species from mainland pool are present

-extinctionrate starts at 0 and increases as more species are found on island

-morespecies = greater chance for competition

-moreremote islands tend to have fewer species bc they have lower immigration rates-islands will have fewer species that mainland areas bc both lower immigrationand higher extinction rates

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Faunal“relaxation"

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*Speciesrichness is supersaturated at first

*Islandshave fewer species than mainland area of equivalent size

*EX: =New Guinea land bridge islands with 2x as many birds as oceanic islands of equal area and distance from New Guinea. 134 New Guinealowland bird species unable to cross water gaps & resideonly on land bridge islands

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Pseudo-Turnover

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Differencesin species composition between censuses. Treats allspecies same yet some are more likely to colonize isolated areas like islands

Explainsaccumulation of species on basis of immigration alone

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Tropical Rain forests

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Occupy7% of Earth’s land surface

Contain> 50% of its species

Rateof deforestation estimated at ~200,000km2/year

Primary cause of destruction is small scale cultivation of cropsby farmers

Slash& burn destroying rain forests

Destructionof tropical forests caused by demand in industrial countries for pagriculture products (coffee, pepper, beef)

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Ecological Trap

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Rapid environmental change leads organisms to prefer to settle in poor-quality habitats. Stems from idea that organisms that are actively selecting habitats must rely on environmental cues to help them identify high-quality habitat

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"White nose" Syndrome

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White fungus grows on the muzzle and wings of affected bats...bats with WNS die during winter hibernation. It is hypothesized that the fungus causes bats to arouse too frequently during hibernation, expending precious energy reserves, and therefore leaving to seek food that isn’t present