Biological Diversity Conservation Human Activities affect the biosphere

Biological Diversity & Conservation

Human Activities… • …affect the biosphere – Hunting and gathering • Have caused extinctions – Agriculture • Provides food supply • Source of pollution – Industry and Urban development • Pollution producer • Loss of farmland • Loss of habitats

Resources • Renewable resources - can be replaced within a human’s lifetime – can regenerate (ex. trees, plants) or can be replenished easily (ex. water) • Nonrenewable resources – limited, not usually replaceable within centuries – cannot be replenished easily by natural processes – (ex. fossil fuels – take millions of years to form)

“If no one person owns it, everybody does!”

Resources • As the population grows, it exerts pressure on Earth’s natural resources – How do we do that? What do we do? • Effective management of Earth’s resources will help meet the needs of the future – What are some ways of managing natural resources? – What will happen when humans reach carrying capacity on Earth?

Biodiversity • Biodiversity is the variety of all organisms in the biosphere

Biodiversity • Biodiversity is important because… • Organisms give us resources – food, medicine, industrial products • Maintains food webs and balance in nature • Living things are interdependent – humans are part of food webs and energy cycles

Threats to Biodiversity 1. Endangerment: a population so small that it’s in danger of extinction 2. Extinction: when no members of a species are left alive

Threats to Biodiversity endangered threatened extinct

Threats to Biodiversity 3. Habitat Destruction • Deforestation and development split ecosystems, cutting species off from one another and endangering resources like food -- also called habitat fragmentation -

Threats to Biodiversity 3. Habitat Destruction • Deforestation causes soil erosion and drought (no rain)

Habitat Loss… • The biggest reason for the decline in biodiversity • Results in loss of habitat – makes a species more vulnerable to extinction

Threats to Biodiversity 4. Bioaccumulation (biomagnification) • Toxic chemicals (from pesticides, herbicides) build up in animal tissue and move up a food chain; hurts highest level consumers

Threats to Biodiversity 4. Bioaccumulation (biomagnification) • DDT (a pesticide) accumulated at higher trophic levels, was banned in the U. S. in 1972; Silent Spring” – Rachel Carson

Threats to Biodiversity 4. Bioaccumulation (biomagnification) • DDT (a pesticide) accumulated at higher trophic levels, was banned in the U. S. in 1972; Silent Spring” – Rachel Carson

Threats to Biodiversity 4. Bioaccumulation (biomagnification) • Alternatives: – Integrated Pest Management : using predatory insects to control pests instead of harmful chemicals – For example, ladybugs eat aphids

Threats to Biodiversity 5. Invasive species • Foreign species brought into an ecosystem (by accident or on purpose) • No natural predators • Examples: kudzu, pythons, zebra mussel

KUDZU

Non-native species • Pythons in FL • Snakeheads

Threats to Biodiversity 6. Global Warming & Climate Change • Overall rise in global temperature because of increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere

Threats to Biodiversity 6. Global Warming • Effects of global warming: – Drought (changed weather patterns) – Ice cap melting and sea level rise (loss of habitats)

Threats to Biodiversity 7. Ozone Depletion • Ozone layer protects us from UV rays --- UV rays damage living tissues and cause cancer

Threats to Biodiversity 7. Ozone Depletion • Use of CFCs (from aerosols resulted in ozone depletion

Threats to Biodiversity 8. Pollution • Water Pollution: when excess fertilizers and waste are carried into lakes and streams, it can cause algal blooms – depleting oxygen and endangering other organisms

Threats to Biodiversity 8. Pollution • Land Pollution: most trash becomes part of billions of tons of solid waste buried in landfills – Trash burning releases greenhouse gases, landfills poison soils and destroy habitats

Threats to Biodiversity 9. Acid Rain • Burning fossil fuels (from industry and cars) releases sulfur and nitrogen compounds into the atmosphere, which combine with water in the air to make acids, which then fall as rain.

Threats to Biodiversity 9. Acid Rain • Acidification affects aquatic ecosystems • Damages plants by acidification of soils • Breakdown of building materials, paints, statues, and sculptures that are part of our cultural heritage

Poor management of the environment leads to… • Soil Erosion (loss of fertile soil, less agriculture) and desertification (productive land desert) • Deforestation (loss of forests, habitats) • Overfishing and overgrazing • General loss of resources

Conservation…past and future steps • Wise management of natural resources (renewable and non-renewable) • Efforts to preserve habitats and the species within

Conservation…past and future steps • More examples: – Stewardship: the activity or job of protecting and being responsible for something

Conservation…past and future steps • More examples: – Conservation of water, paper (recycling) – Establishment of natural parks, nature reserves – Protecting endangered species, making efforts to breed/restore populations

Conservation…past and future steps • Example: identifying “Hot Spots” – Areas where species are in danger of extinction • 1933 – Civilian Conservation Corp. – “Tree Army” • 1966 – Endangered Species Preservation Act • 1970 – 1 st celebration of Earth Day

Sustainable Development • Using natural resources without depleting them or causing long-term environmental harm • Examples: – Integrated Pest Management – Recycling of natural resources

Captain Planet!