Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Conservation of Biodiversity
Conservation of Biodiversity
IB syllabus: 3.4
AP Syllabus
Ch. 8, 22,
• http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-
culture/stories/14-ted-talks-show-power-
conservation-photography
3.4 Conservation of Biodiversity
• Arguments about species and habitat preservation can be based on
aesthetic, ecological, economic, ethical and social justifications.
• International, governmental and non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) are involved in conserving and restoring ecosystems and
biodiversity, with varying levels of effectiveness due to their use of
media, speed of response, diplomatic constraints, financial resources
and political influence.
• Recent international conventions on biodiversity work to create
collaboration between nations for biodiversity conservation.
• Conservation approaches include habitat conservation, species-based
conservation and a mixed approach.
• Criteria for consideration when designing protected areas include size,
shape, edge effects, corridors, and proximity to potential human
influence.
• Alternative approaches to the development of protected areas
are species-based conservation strategies including:
– CITES
– captive breeding and reintroduction programmes, and zoos
– selection of “charismatic” species to help protect others in an
area (flagship species)
– selection of keystone species to protect the integrity of the
food web.
• Community support, adequate funding and proper research
influence the success of conservation efforts.
• The location of a conservation area in a country is a significant
factor in the success of the conservation effort. Surrounding
land use for the conservation area and distance from urban
centres are important factors for consideration in conservation
area design.
Why should we worry about conservation?
Goal Goal
Strategies Strategy
Tactics Tactics
• Legally protect • Protect habitat areas
endangered species through private purchase
or government action
• Manage habitat
• Eliminate or reduce
• Propagate endangered populations of alien
species in captivity species from protected
areas
• Reintroduce species
into suitable habitats • Manage protected areas
to sustain native species
• Restore degraded
ecosystems
Protection of Wild species
• CITES – convention on international trade in
endangered species (1975)
• 152 countries – 900 species regulated as
endangered, 29,000 species regulated as
threatened
Costa Llanuras de
Guanacastle Tortuguero
Rica
Arenal La Amistad
Bajo
Tempisque
Cordillera
Volcanica Central
Pacifico Central
Pacific Ocean
Peninsula Osa Panama
Principles for reserve design
1. Ecosystems are rarely at a stable point –
hard to lock them and protect them from
change (nonequilibrium state)
2. Ecosystems which experience frequent,
moderate disturbance have the greatest
diversity (intermediate disturbance
hypothesis)
3. View most reserves as habitat islands in
a sea of developed or fragmented lands
Recall Island Biogeography
theories
• Diversity on islands is a function of size and
distance from mainland (balance extinction
vs. colonization)
• Help determine …
– Areas in greatest danger
– Size of reserve that will be necessary
– How closely must small reserves be spaced to
allow immigration
– Size & # of protective corridors connecting parks
The Island Effect
• Isolated ecosystems studied by MacArthur
and Wilson in 1960’s
• Diversity effected by island size & degree
of isolation
• Island Biogeography theory: diversity
effected by
– Rate of species immigration to island
– Rate of extinction on island
– Equilibrium point = species diversity
© 2004 Brooks/Cole – Thomson Learning
High
Rate of immigration
or extinction
Low
Equilibrium number
Rate of immigration
or extinction
Low
Small island Large island
100 Hispaniola
diversity than Puerto Rico
Jamaica
Cuba
Lake
Okeechobee
West
Fort Myers
Palm
GULF OF Beach
MEXICO
Naples
Fort
Lauderdale
Agricultural area
Treatment marsh
Water
conservation area Miami
Canal
Everglades
National ATLANTIC
Park OCEAN
FLORIDA
Key Largo
Florida Bay
Area of
detail 0 20 40 60 miles
0 20 40 60 kilometers
Everglades V
• 1947 Everglades National Park established to
preserve the lower end of the system
• Contains 20% remaining everglades
• Didn’t work because of all of the influences on
the water to the north
• 90% of parks wading birds have disappeared
• Other vertebrate populations are down 75-90%
• Now the country’s most endangered national
park
• Florida Bay suffering from less fresh water as
well as cultural eutrophication
• Threatens reefs & fisheries in the Keys
• 1990 state & federal government agreed upon
38 year $7.8 billion restoration project
1. Restore curving flow of the Kissimmee River
2. Remove 400 km of canals blocking water flow
south of Lk. Okeechobee
3. Buy 240 km2 of farmland & allow it to flood to filter
agricultural runoff before it reaches Everglades
National Park (ENP)
4. Add land adjacent to ENP eastern border
5. Create a network of artificial marshes
6. Create 18 reservoirs & drill wells for storage &
aquifer recharge in rainy season
7. Build new canals & reservoirs to capture current
water lost & return it to ENP
But…
• ENP does not benefit from the first 10
years, $4 billion of the project
• Plan seems to favor agricultural /
consumer uses of water over restoring the
actual habitat
• The plan does not specify how much of
the water moving south will actually go to
ENP
• Somehow we must undo 120 years of
agricultural & urban development in the
area until it is too late
Evaluation
1. Has the protection of the everglades
been successful thus far?
2. Does the local community support it?
Think about the farmers in the area, the
cities of south east FL, etc.
3. Is there enough funding?
4. Where did the research fail in the past?
Where might it fail in the future?
Organizations supporting
Conservation
WWF: World Wildlife Fund
• Established in 1961
• “to conserve the natural environment and
ecological processes worldwide”.
• WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of
the planet’s natural environment and to build
a future in which humans live in harmony with
nature, by:
– conserving the world’s biological diversity
– ensuring that the use of renewable natural
resources is sustainable
– promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful
consumption.
• Role – Promoting awareness & conservation of
wildlife
• Activities – Directed mostly at wildlife conservation,
work with companies like Nike in reducing CO2
emissions, Aid
• Use of the media – International, internet,
newsletters
• Speed of Response – stays current on issues
• Diplomatic constraints – international law &
coordination
• Enforceability – Limited, no real governmental
power, but broad passive influence
Greenpeace
• Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice.
It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs action.
• Greenpeace is a non-profit organization, with a presence in 40
countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.
• To maintain its independence, Greenpeace does not accept
donations from governments or corporations but relies on
contributions from individual supporters and foundation grants.
• As a global organization, Greenpeace focuses on the most
crucial worldwide threats to our planet's biodiversity and
environment.
• We campaign to:
--Stop climate change
--Protect ancient forests
--Save the oceans
--Stop whaling
--Say no to genetic engineering
The current Rainbow Warrior was
launched on 10 July 1989. The original
vessel was sunk in 1985 by agents of
the French government in an attempt to
foil protests of their nuclear weapons
testing in the Pacific.