solo brainstorm
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Biodiversity, Conservation and Domestication— why the most important thing in history is where the tree line is at. Solo Brainstorm. Preview. 1. What is biodiversity—a hierarchical view. Species diversity—the typical view DNA diversity—a simple view and complications - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Biodiversity, Conservation and Biodiversity, Conservation and Domestication—Domestication—why the most important thing why the most important thing in history is where the tree line is at in history is where the tree line is at
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Solo BrainstormBiodiversity Conservation Domesticated
Species
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Preview1. What is biodiversity—a hierarchical view.
– Species diversity—the typical view– DNA diversity—a simple view and complications– Cellular level diversity– Communities and Ecosystems
2. What is Conservation (and how does it affect
biodiversity)?– The view from the North [back to brainstorm]– The view from the South
3. What is Domestication?– Where forest and grassland meet.– The Guinea Pig’s view FLT=Future Lecture Topic
1. What is biodiversity—a hierarchical view.– Species diversity—the typical view– DNA diversity—a simple view and complications– Cellular level diversity– Communities and Ecosystems
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College(more on this coming)
reproductively? By other DNA arrangement/transmission mechanisms?
Population and Species Diversity• Typical measures of diversity—abundance or richness—use species.• Are species or populations fundamental or “real” entities?• Empirical evidence:
– Ethonobotanical/ethnozoological studies agree with “Western” systematics
– DNA/protein systematics often disagrees with morphology-based systematics
• Can organisms be divided or parsed into groups?• Does empirical ability to parse organisms into groups just represent
underlying ways in which DNA is structured and isolated…
FLT
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
What really “causes” biodiversity?— The hierarchy of living systems
The early “molecular age” view:
DNA point mutations cause… cellular/organismal changes which… spread through populations and… via species/community interactions…
are acted upon by natural selection
FLT
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Washington University Sickle Cell WebpageThe Classic Example—Sickle Cell Anemia
DNA point mutation
Cell/Organism effects
Heredity/Spread through population
Species/Community interactions
Natural Selection
IS IT TOO SIMPLE?
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Other DNA diversity mechanisms
• DNA is parsed and arranged– Gene repetition– Control regions– Selfish DNA– Silent regions– Chromosomal inversions,
polyploidy, etc.
• Horizontal (non-hereditary) transmission/movement– PLASMIDS!!!– transposons
FLT
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Classic Example: Barbara McClintock’s “Jumping Genes”
• Each Kernel of corn is genetically distinct individual whose color is genetically determined
• As individual (kernel of corn) develops, the gene control for color can change.
• Purple colored splotches due to inserted DNA sequences that can be visualized on chromosomes
• Transposons or “Jumping Genes”—Nobel Prize!!
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Cellular Biodiversity• How to classify single-celled
groups?• What are fundamental evolutionary
shifts?– Archaea-Prokaryotes– Prokaryotes-Eukaryote
• How do new cell types evolve in multi-cellular groups (e.g. nerve and muscle cells in animals)
FLT
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Community Biodiversity—beyond species level
• Human concepts with no fundamental underlying reality?– Communities– Ecosystems– Ecoregions– Biomes– “Hot Spots”– Habitat types
• Most obvious “real” boundaries– Water’s edge (aquatic-terrestrial)– Forest edge (grassland/farm-forest)— more in a minute
• Recent focus for conservation efforts
FLT
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Conservation and Biodiversity1. What is biodiversity—a hierarchical view.
– Species diversity—the typical view– DNA diversity—a simple view and complications– Cellular level diversity– Communities and Ecosystems
2. What is Conservation (and how does it affect biodiversity)?– The view from the North [back to brainstorm]– The view from the South
3. What is Domestication?– Where forest and grassland meet.– The Guinea Pig’s view
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Solo BrainstormBiodiversity Conservation Domesticated
Species
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Partner Brainstorm (in groups of twos or threes)
• Biodiversity
• Conservation
• Domesticated Species
Now, working with one or two partners, write a simple sentence or phrase that relates the three terms.
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Conservation—The view from the North• Culturally rooted Culturally rooted
(bound?) idea(bound?) idea• Western notion of Western notion of
human place in naturehuman place in nature– Renaissance and Renaissance and
subsequent Industrial subsequent Industrial RevolutionRevolution
– Tourism and U.S. National Tourism and U.S. National Park SystemPark System
•RESULT: Natural areas and their diversity are to be conserved, apart, for some intrinsic value they hold.
•The human element, including domesticated species, are perils—e.g., Galapagos Island introductions
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Goats threat to turtles in Galapagos
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Conservation—the view from the South
• Same brainstorm in Ecuador: “Biodiversity should be conserved for possibility of future domestications.”
• Cultural roots (bounds) do not always apply—conservation is Northern/”Western” import.
• Human survival and well-being are more clearly seen to depend on agriculture
• Many western dichotomies do not apply– Wild/Domesticated– Urban/Rural– Work/Recreation– Public/Private
How to reconcile North/South
views? FLT
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Bring domestication back into biology
1. What is biodiversity—a hierarchical view.– Species diversity—the typical view– DNA diversity—a simple view and complications– Cellular level diversity– Communities and Ecosystems
2. What is Conservation (and how does it affect biodiversity)?– The view from the North [back to brainstorm]– The view from the South
3. What is Domestication?– Where forest and grassland meet.– The Guinea Pig’s view
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
“It makes just as much sense to think of agriculture as something the grasses did to people as a way to conquer the trees.”
--Michael Pollan,
The Botany of Desire
Has anything mattered more than
the tree line?
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
The Alpine Tree Line—the rare case becomes the classic example
• Fits Northern Ecology/Environment ideal as “wild” area
• Easy to see• Climactically and
geographically determined
• In temperate latitudes, humans live in lowlands
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Agricultural and Tropical Forest Frontiers
• In Tropics and Temperate Lowlands, tree lines more common where humans live
• Humans, using mainly fire, took control of tree-line at initiation of agriculture with domestication of crop and grazing species
• What is future of domestication? FLT
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Domestication (or Human co-Evolution) Today
• Early agricultural domestication was with species that– Behave well with humans– Make their reproductive processes obvious to humans
• But what are domestications of last 100 years– Laboratory domestications– Species that can survive indoors– Species that make some aspect of their biology—
usually at cellular/developmental/molecular level—easily accessible to humans
FLT
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Example 1: E. coli
WHY HUMANS “LIKE” E. coli• Adaptable and reproduces
under wide variety of lab conditions
• Easy visualization• Genes and proteins easily
accessible• Endonucleases and other
DNA manipulation genes/proteins known and isolated
WHY E. coli “LIKES” HUMANS• Provide new and safe
environments for reproduction• Make new genetic material
accessible• Virulent strains with easy human
access“Unintended” consequence of E. coli domestication—virulent,
anti-biotic resistant strains
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Example 2: Guinea Pig—a triple domestication
Livestock
Lab animal
Pet
Larry M. Frolich, Ph.D.Biology Department, Yavapai College
Future of Biodiversity—bet on the guinea pigs1. Biodiversity
– Traditional approach is species level– Important to consider all levels
LOOKING AHEAD: -Hierarchy of Living Systems -DNA diversity mechanisms-Cellular Diversity-Population and Species
Concepts/Diversity-Community/Ecological
Diversity2. Conservation
– Typically wildland/community conservation– But must fit in domestication process– Viewpoint of domesticate
LOOKING AHEAD:-North/South views on
conservation
3. Domestication– Driven by agriculture and tree-line dynamics historically– Recently laboratory and pet (urban) domestications
LOOKING AHEAD:-Tree Line Dynamics-Domestication Today