Biodiversity:

Who cares?
Which do you like better?

A B
Which do you like better?

A B
Which do you like better?

A B
Which do you like better?

A B
Which do you like better?

A B
Which do you like better?

A B
Which do you like better?

A B
What do you think biodiversity
means?
 Biodiversity
What does Bio mean?

Bio =
 Biodiversity

What does Diversity mean?

Diversity = Variety
 Biodiversity is the variety of life on
Earth and the essential
interdependence of all living things

Scientists have identified more than 1.4 million species. Tens of

millions -- remain unknown (www.thecatalogueoflife.org)

The tremendous variety of life on Earth is made possible by

complex interactions among all living things including micro-
oganisms.
 There are 3 components of
biodiversity
1. Diversity of genes
Chihuahuas, beagles, and rottweilers are all the same
species but they're not the same because there is
variety in their genes.

Chihuahua Beagle
Rottweilers
 There are 3 components of
biodiversity
2. Diversity of number of species
For example, monkeys, dragonflies, and
meadow beauties are all different species.

Saki Monkey Golden Skimmer Meadow Beauty

 There are 3 components of
biodiversity
3. Variety of ecosystems

Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers are all Freshwater Ecosystems.

Rocky coast, Sand Dune, Estuary, Salt Marsh , Coral Reef

are all Marine Ecosystems.

So whats an ECOSYSTEM???
 ECOSYSTEM DEFINITION
A self-contained community of
microorganisms, animals and plants, that
interact with each other and with their physical
environment.

eg a rock
pool
Within an ecosystem there can be
many HABITATS
This is the physical and chemical
description of where a creature lives...
 HABITATS might describe:
The NAME of the place where the creature
lives.

eg Arctic Canada is the habitat of the polar

bear Ursa maritima.
 HABITATS might describe:
The DOMINANT VEGETATION of the
place where the creature lives.

eg Heather moorland is the habitat of the

grouse.
 HABITATS might describe:
The TYPE of place where the creature
lives.

eg species of fish like Pike (Esox lucius)

are found in freshwater lakes and ponds.
A species is difficult to define
exactly!!
 1. A group of morphologically
similar creatures which can:
Interbreed to produce fertile offspring
Are reproductively isolated.

Problems with this definition include

 Extinct creatures eg T. rex
Creatures who breed asexually eg bacteria
Creatures who cant be tested ethically eg
Man x Chimp
 2. Creatures who are related
through PHYLOGENY
Similar DNA
Similar proteins eg in blood
Similar biochemistry
Similar embryology
 DNA profiles of Primates

% DNA
similar
Gibbon Orang Utan Gorilla Chimp Man
100
99
98
97
96
95 Humans share 98-99% of
94 their DNA with Chimps.
93 They are our closest
living relatives.
 Why is a list
of species not
Biodiversity
?
Which is more diverse?

A B
Which is more diverse?

A B
Which is more diverse?

A B
Which is more diverse?

A B
Which has more cultural
diversity?

A B
Which has more biodiversity?

A B
Which has more biodiversity?

A B
Biodiversity has Intrinsic Value

Intrinsic Value = Something that has value

in and of itself
Biodiversity also has Utilitarian Value
Utilitarian Value = the value something has as
a means to anothers end.

Utilitarian values include:

Goods eg sustainable timber
Services eg eco-tourism
Information eg National Park Wardens
What do we get from
biodiversity?

Oxygen
Food
Clean Water
Medicine
Aesthetics
Ideas
 Should we be concerned about
biodiversity?
What we know:
The Earth is losing species at an alarming rate

Some scientists estimate that as many as 3 species

per hour are going extinct and 20,000 extinctions
occur each year.
when species of plants and animals go extinct, many
other species are affected.
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Threats to biodiversity

Habitat destruction
Pollution
Species Introductions
Global Climate Change
Exploitation
BIODIVERSITY
 GOALS OF CONVENTION
ON BIODIVERSITY
The conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable
use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing
of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic
resources
Biodiversity is a common concern of humankind and
an integral part of the development process

> 100,000 plant/animal species lost in last 5 years

Habitat loss is biggest current threat to biodiversity
Deforestation and forest degradation has increased
since the Rio Earth Summit
 BIODIVERSITY
How many species are there?

-- 1.4 million named species (70% of which are

invertebrates)

-- estimated 3 to 50 million species alive!

 WHAT THREATENS
BIODIVERSITY?
Background extinction (95% of all extinctions)
Mass extinction
BIODIVERSITY
Background rates

1 mammal species
every 400 years

1 bird species/200 yrs

Now...

10,000 times the

background rate!

20-75 plant/animal
species each day?
 ENDANGERED VS
THREATENED

Threatened: population low but extinction less imminent

Endangered: nos so low that extinction imminent

THE GREATEST THREAT
HABITAT FRAGMENTATION
 SYSTEM REGULATORS
1000

75% water

Effective runoff (mm)

recycled by
ET

0 100
Ground cover removal (%)
25% water
lost in runoff
 RATES OF DEFORESTATION
1981-1990:
0.9%/year
53,000 sq. mi./year
21,000 sq. mi. in
South America (Amz)
= area of NC

By 1988, +/- 10% of

the Amazon had been
cut down

Due to isolation of
fragments and in
forest/clearing
boundaries = 16%
affected by deforestation
http://www.rainforestweb.org/
 CAUSES

Swidden agriculture (slash-and-burn)

> 60% of deforestation
> Rapid decline in soil productivity (nutrient storage?)
> Can be sustainable
-- (15 - 20 year rotation)
> Inequitable land ownership (e.g., Brazil where only 5% of
farmers own land)
 CAUSES

Commercial logging
21% of deforestation
creaming of the most valuable hardwoods
1-2 trees per hectare taken (widespread damage)
clearcut versus selective
 CAUSES

Cattle ranching
12% of deforestation
frequently aided by government subsidies
2 trees destroyed for each hamburger made from
tropical forest beef
WHY DEFORESTATION?
 WHY DEFORESTATION?
Complex

Many underlying social problems giving impetus to deforestation:

> over-consumption in industrialized countries

> foreign debt
> poverty
> unequal ownership of land
> overpopulation
Deforestation
 WHAT CAN BE DONE?

1. The need to preserve intact sections of tropical forest

> The question of edge communities
 WHAT CAN BE DONE?

2. The need to address the economic needs of the lesser

developed nations in which all of the tropical
forests reside
> Are the ideas of commercial development and maintaining
the health of the environment mutually exclusive?
 WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Broad-scale commercial and conservation strategies need to be
developed but these must take into account the economic and
environmental constraints of the particular country (i.e., detailed
local knowledge!)

There must be designated core and buffer conservation zones

centered around areas of particular endemism (other areas can
be designated for limited sustainable commercial activities
(polycyclic logging, selective extraction of forest products etc.)
Total area: 39 ha; core: 2 Total area: 42 ha; core: 25

Research and training

Multiple-use
Buffer Tourist facility

Core
Human settlement
 Commercial Debt for Nature Swaps

WWF may initiate

discussion between
parties, acts as an
intermediary, and
facilitates negotiations DEBTOR
STEP 1 STEP 2 GOVERNMENT

US$ 11 m US$ 25 m
local currency
US$ 28 m
NGO equivalent
CREDITOR of debt
(WWF) is cancelled STEP 3
US$ 28 m
of debt
CONSERVATION
Assumes: 40% debt purchase price PROJECT FUND
90% payment in local currency
WWF may design conservation criteria by which
grants made from the fund will be evaluated
and/or oversee the funds management
 BIODIVERSITY

http://endangered.fws.gov/
http://www.nesarc.org/

http://www.stopextinction.org/

http://www.audubon.org/campaign/esa/esa.html