Conservation strategies

Class 5Presentation 1

Background

Biodiversity is distributed unevenly on this planetHuman activity causing spp extinction rates up to 1,000 x higher than background extinction ratePeople care most about what is close to them, so response to this crisis is usually local or national90% of conservation funds spent in rich nations

Prioritization strategies

9 Prioritization strategies have been developed with help from ENGOsWhy would ENGOs want to develop conservation prioritization strategies?

Purpose

Help mobilize action

Help prioritize conservation effort given limited resources

Crisis EcoregionsDeveloped by the Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife FundIdentify biomes and ecoregions where biological diversity and ecological function are at greatest risk because of extensive habitat conversion and lack of protection (not based on being spp rich)Habitat conversion:habitat protection ratios calculatedBiomes at greatest risk:– 8:1 for Mediterranean biomes – 10:1 for temperate grass lands – Estuaries: 50% of the world’s 292 major rivers dammed

» 50% of mangrove forest cleared» 2% of world’s coastal waters protected.

Biological Hotspots

High amount of endemic speciesMust have 1500 endemic plant sppHigh threat from human activity– Must have lost 70% of primary vegetation

First proposed by British ecologist Norman Myers in 1988 (Conservation International and the MacArthur Foundation)Hot spot area covers 2% of Earth

Hot spot locations

Most on continents (16 of 25)Cover 11.8% of earth (about the size of Russia), 88% of this area is lost, retain about 1.4% of earth area or 4 x FranceContain 44% of all plants and 35% of non-fish vertebratesHowever, based on size,islands disproportionately represented (9)– E.g. Caribbean, Madagascar, Philippines

All in climatically benign regions, and somehow isolated

Endemic Bird Areas

Proposed by Birdlife International50% of range restricted birds are threatened or vulnerable218 areas rich in range restricted birds, 4.5% of area of earth77% located in tropics and sub-tropicsCountries with more than 10 EBAs = Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Papua New Guinea and China

Centers of Plant Diversity

Identified by WWF and IUCNAreas have to be rich in plant spp or have high number of endemics– Mainland: more than 1,000 spp and 100 endemics– Islands: 10% endemics or 50 endemics spp

Other factors:– Gene pool of importance to humans– Plants adapted to special conditions– High devastation of habitat by humans

Centers of Plant Diversity

234 plant diversity centres identified73% in forests70% of plant diversity centres overlap with endemic bird areas

Megadiversity countries

Countries with a high number of sppConcept developed by: Russell Mittermeier in 1988– Studied primates and realized all primates found in very few

countries– Megadiversity: Earth's Biologically Richest Nations, published

in 1997 by the Mexican cement company, CEMEX, and Agrupacion Sierra Madre, a Mexican non-governmental organization

17 countries have 66% of the world’s known spp80% of the endangered spp found in these countries

Map of Megadiversity countries

Global 200 ecoregions

What are ecoregions:– One category of a spatial hierarchy of ecosystems– A relatively large area that contains a geographically

distinct assemblage of organisms that share similar dynamics and environmental conditions

Global 200 ecoregions

Proposed by the World Wildlife FundAnalyzed marine, fresh water and terrestrial ecoregions for their irreplaceability (uniqueness)Factors considered:– Endemic spp– Spp richness

238 found unique = G20050% classed as endangered

-Global rarity of ecosystem

-Unusual higher taxa

-Unusual ecological phenomena

High biodiversity wilderness areas

Proposed by Conservation International– Areas retain more than 70%of their original veg– Low human density– Indigenous people maintain their lifestyles

5 regions, cover 6.1% of earthContain 17% of plants and 8% of land animals

Last of the wild

Project by: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University Mapped human influence– 83% of land on earth used by humans

Identified 569 wild areasMay be the easiest to conserve

Frontier Forests

World’s remaining large intact forestsProposed by World Resources Institute and Global Forest Watch Canada home to the 2nd largest FF

Frontier Forests

Original forests

Global Forest Watch

Conceptual framework for conservation priority

Vulnerability

Unique

Proactive Reactive

FF

LW

CE

BHHBWA

Unique and vulnerable

Conceptual framework for conservation priority

Vulnerability

Unique

Proactive Reactive

EBA, CPD

MC, G200

Prioritize high irreplaceability

Limits to these methods

Data limits: many are based on expert opinionCosts for conservation not incorporatedClimate change not incorporated as yetPolitical and institutional capacity affect biodiversity indirectly but not incorporatedOnly 1 incorporates aquatic ecosystemsInvertebrates not considered directlyTransition zones and benign zones that are important for speciation or refugia Implementation: need fine scale information

Comparisons

High degree of agreement between methods that prioritizes:

– Unique regions– Vulnerable regions– Regions with low vulnerability

In total about 79% of earth’s land surface highlighted

How extinction patterns affect ecosystems

Most work has been focused on quantifying biodiversityWe need guidance on the impacts of multi species extinctions.Many problems limit research:– We use computer models, assume random extiction– Extinction not random

Results of 2 studies: Study 1

Marine sediment invertebrate spp database Used spp extinction modelled to measure impact on ecosystemFound that large spp, with high abundance and high mobility had major impact when it went extinct.Small bodied and rare spp had small impact

Results of 2 studies: Study 2

Experimental plots of 21 grassland California spp and impact of invasive spp (yellow thistle)Found that spp rich plots were more resistant to invader

Questions