Conservation Biology Biodiversity Trophic Levels Primary Producers Primary

Conservation Biology Biodiversity

Trophic Levels Primary Producers Primary Consumers Secondary Consumers Tertiary Consumers Quaternary Consumers

Trophic Levels Primary Producers Primary Consumers Secondary Consumers Tertiary Consumers Quaternary Consumers

Keystone Species

Keystone Species

Keystone Species Coyote –Keystone species in Walnut Killing coyotes means an increase in a few dominant species Residents complain about rodent problems when coyotes disappear

Biodiversity – Number of Species?

Biodiversity Levels Genetic Species Community and Ecosystem

Biodiversity Levels Alpha Number of taxa in a local area Gamma Number of taxa in a region Beta The turnover of species from one habitat to another

Geographic Patterns in Species Diversity Latitude 60 degrees N 40 degrees N 20 degrees N Ant Species 10 species 50 – 100 species 100 – 200 species

Geographic Patterns in Species Diversity Country Greenland New York Guatemala Colombia Bird Species 56 species 105 species 469 species 1395 species

Bird Diversity in North and Central America

Geographic Patterns in Species Diversity Location Arctic Waters Temperate Waters Tropical Seas Marine Species (Tunicates) 100 species 400 species 600 species

Latitude Belts Temperate Zone Habitats Marsh Grassland Shrubland Desert Coniferous Forests Upland Deciduous Floodplain Deciduous # of Bird Species J. Tramer) 6 6 14 14 17 21 24 (E.

Foliage Height Diversity Adding new layers adds new habitats for additional species

North American Diversity (Mac. Arthur and Mac. Arthur) Mammals and Breeding Land Birds Increase from North to South More in the west • Increases with heterogeneity Reptiles and Amphibians More abundant in East • Reptiles – mountains • Amphibians - water

Island Biogeography Mac. Arthur and Wilson (1960’s)

Primary Productivity The amount of light energy that is converted into chemical energy Often expressed as biomass

Pyramid of Net Productivity

Secondary Productivity The rate at which an ecosystem converts the chemical energy of the food they eat into their own biomass 10% rule

Biodiversity Crisis Extinction Rates are increasing Toxins (biological magnification) Greenhouse effect / Ozone depletion Overpopulation Major threats to Biodiversity Habitat Destruction Overexploitation Introduction of exotics

Conservation Endangered Species in danger of becoming extinct Threatened Species likely to become endangered in the near future Genetic Diversity Losing individuals or populations loses genetic diversity

Habitat Fragmentation

Conservation Edges Corridors Protect landscapes not individual species Sustainable development

Edge Effect

Corridors

Population Viability Analysis Predicts whether a species will persist in an environment minimum viable population effective population size

Extinction Background Several species a year just go extinct – They are replaced Mass Large scale extinction – species replaced due to adaptive radiation of remaining species Anthropogenic Large scale extinction – species being replaced by a single species (humans)