This work is supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) collaboration between the Directorates for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geociences (GEO) under grant DUE - 1125331

BiodiversityConserva/on

Inthisac/vity,youwillexplorethecurrent“SixthEx/nc/on”andbiodiversityconserva/on.Bytheend,youshouldbeableto:1.  Explaintheimpactsofhumansonbiologicaldiversity.2.  Compareandcontrastthecausesandratesofthesixth

ex/nc/onwithpreviousmassex/nc/onsfromthefossilrecord.

3.  EvaluatecriteriaforseFngspeciesconserva/onpriori/es.

4.  Dis/nguishbetweenexsituandinsituconserva/onapproaches.

WhatisBiodiversityConserva/on?

Maintainingthediversityofspecies,habitats,andtheinterrela/onshipsbetweenorganismsandtheenvironmenttokeepecosystemshealthyandfunc/oning.

WhyShouldWeConserveBiodiversity?

•  BiologicalResources– Food,fibers,medicine,woodproducts,etc.

•  EcosystemServices– Decomposi/onofwaste,pollina/on,waterpurifica/on,floodcontrol,increasedsoilfer/lity,etc.

•  Social&SpiritualBenefits– Culturalandaesthe/cvalue,recrea/on&tourism,etc.

How:ExSituorInSituConserva/on?

Exsitu:Conserva/onofthecomponentsofbiologicaldiversity“off-site,”oroutsidetheirnaturalsurroundings.Insitu:Conserva/onofspecies,habitats,orecosystems“on-site,”orintheirnaturalsurroundings

Exsituconserva/on•  Zoos,botanicalgardens,aquaria•  Storageof/ssues,seeds,pollen,semen,ovules,embryos,microbialcultures,DNA

•  Fieldgenebanksorlivestockparks,ifmaterialscannotbedriedorfrozen

BeansattheCIATgenebankinColombia.PhotobyNeilPalmer(CIAT)

Exsituconserva/onProvides“insurancepolicy”andcanplayimportantroleinrecoveryprograms.

Example:Przewalski’shorse,na/vetothesteppesofAsia,wentex/nctinthewild~1966.Cap/vebreedingof13individualsinzoosallowedthepopula/ontoreboundto>1,500individualsandsuccessfulreintroduc/oninMongolia. PhotoofPrzewalski’shorseatHustaiNa/onalPark,MongoliabyChinneeb.

Insituconserva/on•  Naturereserves•  Na/onalparks•  Wildliferefuges•  Habitatmanagement•  Habitatrestora/on

BisonatFortNiobraraNa/onalWildlifeRefuge,Nebraska,USA.PhotobyBenEdwards,U.S.FishandWildlifeServiceHeadquarters

SeFngPriori/esforBiodiversityConserva/on

Itisimpossibletoac/velyconserveallspeciesbecauseoflimited/meandmoney.

Asaresult,humansmustmakedecisionsabouthowtotargetconserva/oneffortssolimitedresourcescanhavethegreatestimpact.So,howdowedecide?

SeFngPriori/es•  Iconicorambassadorspecies(flagshipspecies)

– Examples:Giantpandas,/gers,whales

•  Large,land-demandingspecies(umbrellaspecies)– Oienlargecarnivoresormigratoryspecies

•  Ecologicallyimportantspecies(keystonespeciesandecosystemengineers)– Examples:Wolves,beavers,elephants

•  Economicvalue/ecosystemgoodsorservices– Examples:honeybees,wetlandsthatfilterwater

SeFngPriori/es•  Biodiversity

– Howmanyspeciesareintheregion?

•  Endemismordis/nc/veness– Arethererareorendemicspeciesinthearea?Isitauniquehabitat?Isitincountrywithfewotherreserves?

•  Ex/nc/onrisk– Howthreatenedisthespeciesorhabitat?–  (LeastConcern,NearThreatened,Vulnerable,Endangered,Cri/callyEndangered,Ex/nctinWild)

SeFngPriori/es•  Likelihoodinterven/onwillbesuccessful•  Rela/vecostofconservingthepar/cularspeciesorhabitat

•  Cultural/aesthe/c/recrea/onalvalue•  Expectedfuturechangestothreats

– Willtheproposedareas/llsupportthespeciesofconcernifclimatechangesorhumanimpactsinsurroundingareasincrease?

Evalua/ngCriteria

Thinkaboutthecriteriafor1-2minutes.Writedownthefivecriteriayouthinkaremostimportantfordecidingwhichspeciesorhabitatstoconserve.

Evalua/ngCriteria

Formgroupsof3-4andshareideas.Asagroup,chooseyourtopthreepriori/esandwriteashortjus/fica/onforeach.Bepreparedtosharethesewiththeclassin~5minutes.

ApplyingCriteriaYouaremembersofConserva/onWorld,alargeinterna/onalorganiza/onthatfundsconserva/onprojects.Yourtaskistoevaluatethepoten/alprojectsinyourpacket.Resourcesarelimited,soyoumustchooseonethatyouwillrecommendtotheboardofdirectorsforfunding.Youmustincludeajus/fica/onforyourrecommenda/on.Youwillmakeyourrecommenda/ontotheBoard(class)in15minutes.

References•  Maxted,N.2001.Exsitu,insituconserva/on.Encyclopediaof

Biodiversity,Volume2.hnps://enviro.doe.gov.my/lib/digital/1385455130-3-s2.0-B0122268652001152-main.pdf

•  Slide4.Crea/veCommonsImagebyNeilPalmer(CIAT)(NP_Genebank2011_1)[CCBY-SA2.0(hnp://crea/vecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)],viaWikimediaCommons

•  Slide5.Crea/veCommonsImagebyChinneeb(Ownwork)[CCBY-SA3.0(hnp://crea/vecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)orGFDL(hnp://www.gnu.org/copylei/fdl.html)],viaWikimediaCommons

•  Slide6.Crea/veCommonsImagebyU.S.FishandWildlifeServiceHeadquarters[CCBY2.0(hnp://crea/vecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)],viaWikimediaCommons