Ecology and Wildlife and Conservation Notes 2 Biodiversity Levels the diversity of genes species and ecosystems in region 1 Genetic 2 Population species 3 Community ecosystems Ex at the population animal level Composition example the identity and relative abundances of species in natural community Structural example sex ratio age distribution Functional example population growth and fluctuation trends of special interest species 1 Genetic Diversity Genetic Diversity the number of different kinds of genes in a population or species Mutations 1 Changes is the genetic structure of an organism 2 Helpful or harmful Immigration introduces new genetic material to the population Sexual Reproduction generates new genetic combinations that may be more successful in the long run Population Size 1 Small vs Large 2 Inherently less diversity 2 Population Species level Diversity The measure of different species present in an area Some areas are normally high in species diversity while others are normally low Highest level of specie diversity is found in the tropics Factors influencing species diversity in a region 1 The history of the region a May introduce species to an area where they were not present a Poles vs Tropics 2 Immigration previously Invasive species b 3 Size of the Area will be 4 Human Activity a The larger the area considered the higher the species diversity a We have very low species diversity in places we have urbanized Ex Gated communities 3 Community Ecosystem The number of kinds of ecosystems present in an area The larger the area studied the more ecosystems that will be present Why is Biodiversity Important Higher biodiversity higher ecosystem services Maintain food webs better Four Broad Categories 1 Provisioning 2 Regulating 3 Supporting 4 Cultural 1 Provisioning Services Agriculture greater than 670 billion Forestry greater than 200 billion Fisheries greater than 80 billion 2 Regulating Services Controlling climate Carbon sequestration Water purification Ex Pollination 3 Supporting Services Nutrient cycling Seed dispersal 4 Cultural Services Recreation Spiritual Cultural Threats to Wildlife Ethical Value Organisms have an intrinsic value to exist There is great value in just knowing that there are wild areas out there Biodiversity is lost when o Populations are greatly reduced in size o A species becomes extinct the death of a species No individuals remain o An ecosystem is greatly modified or destroyed o Accelerated by Human impact o Developing countries Areas of Highest Loss Bio Diversity The Amazon Basin and Southeast Asia deforestation and expansion of crops Bangladesh Indus Valley Middle East Central Asia Eastern Africa Oceanic Over fishing and pollution 38 of mammals threated with extinction 80 of primates in Asia are threatened due to habitat loss and hunting and Marine mammals are threatened by fishing nets vessel strikes sonar testing marine mammals and pollution 100 marine mammals are killed each day Ex Yangtze River Dolphin o Endemic found only in the Yangtze River o 6 000 animals in the 1950 s o Affected by industrialization overfishing and damming for hydro Traditional Medicine o Rhino horn is used to cool the blood o Tiger penis is used to reat impotence o Bear bile is used to reduce Birds 1 226 species of bird face extinction Twenty of North Americas most common birds have declined by over 50 Ex Spix Macaw o Native to Brazil and dependent on Caraibiera tree for nesting o Plagued by hunting and deforestation o Last three individuals caught for pet use and trade Amphibians o 1 3 of amphibian species are threated the most o 200 species have gone extinct in the last 20 years o The chytrid fungus May kill 80 or more of the native amphibians Ex Golden Toad found in the cloud forest of Costa Rica The Ocean o 70 of coral reefs are threatened or destroyed o 620 marine organisms are currently threatened with extinction o 40 species of fish have gone extinct o Water pollution important o Overfishing Ex Shark Finning o 100 million sharks are killed each year Plants planet o Critical link o One in eight species of plant are threatened with extinction o Habitat degration o Invasive We have a closer count of the stars that we do the number of species in the 1 4 1 8 million species have been identified 2 million is the lowest estimate 100 million is the highest At estimated rate we lose 2 000 100 000 species per year One species is lost every 20 minutes Half of all species might go extinct in our lifetime MISSED CLASS ON TUESDAY MARCH 18TH During the last glacial period o Sea level went down exposing the Bering land bridge allowing humans Early European explorers o Brought disease that decimated Native America populations leaving behind early successional habitat Purpose of the Lacey Act o To federally eliminate inter state transfer of illegal wildlife parts During the era of overexploitation which of the following species did NOT go extinct o Bison Overexploitation Exploitation living off the land or seas There s enough on this planet for everyone s needs but not for everyone s greed Gandhi A middle class American consumes roughly 3 3 time the substance level of food and about 250 times the subsistence level of clean water Earth could only support about 2 billion middle class Americans Overexploitation living off the land or seas in a manner that cannot be sustained Key threat for marine systems second only to habitat loss and destruction for Birds Mammals and Plants Temperate Terrestrial Systems Hunting in the United States Mostly well controlled management Necessary in modified environments o Altered vegetation o Limited disease o Removed predator species o Ex Prerrie Dog shoots rattle snake round outs Overexploiting both of these Hunting wildlife trade Tropics used to have 40 of the people in the world now they have 60 tropics are the most bio diverse place Timber extraction The Bushmeat Trade No longer sustainable Definition of Tropical Forests faster than trees are being cut down in Local consumption regional markets southeast Asia we are killing the animals that are suppose to be in that forest Southeast Asia has 522 people per square km Central West Africa 99 people per square km Latin America 46 people per square km Unintended Side Effects Medicine Trade Pet trade White Nose Syndrome Bats get a fungi that grows on them Makes them wake up during hibernation and burn their fat reserve 90 of the bat populations that get this fungi die A single brown bat myotis can