Lecture 24 Date F Chapter 55 Conservation Biology

Lecture #24 Date ____ F Chapter 55 ~ Conservation Biology

Biodiversity crisis F Extinction ~ natural phenomenon, however, rate is of concern…. . F 50% loss of species when 90% of habitat is lost Major Threats: F Habitat destruction ~ single F greatest threat; cause of 73% of species designation as extinct, endangered, vulnerable, rare; 93% of coral reefs F Competition by exotic (nonnative) species ~ cause of 68% of species designation as extinct, endangered, vulnerable, rare; travel F Overexploitation ~ commercial harvest or sport fishing; illegal trade

Biodiversity: Human welfare 25% of all medical prescriptions F Genetic variability F Aesthetic and ethical reasons F Species survival F

Conservation biology focus F Preservationism: setting side select areas as natural and underdeveloped F Resource conservation: public lands to meet the needs of agriculture and extractive industries, i. e. , ”multiple use” F Evolutionary / ecological view: natural systems result from millions of years of evolution and ecosystem processes are necessary to maintain the biosphere

Geographic distribution of biodiversity F Energy availability ~ solar radiation F Habitat heterogeneity ~ environmental patchiness F Niche specialization ~ narrow resource range specialization F Population interactions ~ complex population interactions

Population & species level conservation F Biodiversity hot spot: small area with an exceptional concentration of species F Endemic species: species found nowhere else F Endangered species: organism “in danger of extinction” F Threatened species: likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future F Bioremediation: use of living organisms to detoxify polluted systems

F La Fin F El Extremo F Das Ende F L’ estremita F The End