Biodiversity

Question 1

Define biodiversity

Answer 1

The variety among living organisms and the ecological complexity in which they occur. Or the diversity of stuff places

Question 2

There are three levels of biodiversity what are they

Answer 2

Genetic diversity – variability in the genetic makeup of individuals and the same species. Species diversity – the total number of species in an area. Ecosystem diversity – the variety of the ecosystems in an area

Question 3

We measure of a biodiversity on three different levels what are the three levels

Answer 3

Composition – the biological units present and their abundance i.e. caribou population. Structure – how biological units are organized in time and space i.e. migration of Caribou. Function – the role different biological units play in maintaining natural processes.

Question 4

The three levels of biodiversity aren’t equally useful. List them from least useful to most useful

Answer 4

Least useful is species diversity, then genetic diversity, then ecosystem diversity. We have a lot of information about species and genetic diversity but they don’t tell us very much. Ecosystem diversity is most useful for environmental planning and management though there is uncertainty and complexity here.

Question 5

There are five patterns of biodiversity with regards to space. What are they

Answer 5

One – Latitude: the number of species Decreases from the equator to the polls. Two – area: the larger the area of the more species. Three – altitude: diversity decreases as elevation increases ( Largely because of a decrease in temperature). Four – habitat diversity: the more types of habitat or terrain the more species. Five – hotspots: areas that are exceptionally diverse or have rare species.

Question 6

Regarding the stability of different species there are a few different hypotheses and theories. One is ecological redundancy. What is it

Answer 6

More than one species performs a given role within an ecosystem. Species redundancy enhances the ecosystems resilience because if there’s stress on one speciate another specie can help to compensate and fill their role.

Question 7

Regarding biodiversity and stability, what is the rivet hypothesis.

Answer 7

Species are pretty specialized in their roles and their ability to compensate is less than what the redundancy hypothesis thinks. The loss of even one species is critical to the ecosystems success. So the key difference between this and the redundancy principle is that the loss of species affects the total ecosystems function At a much greater rate. Analogy is taking out the rivets in an airplane. If you take it one it’s okay, but if you take out a few then All the other rivets are more vulnerable To breaking. And so is the whole plane.

Question 8

Regarding diversity instability, what is the portfolio effect

Answer 8

The more diversity within an ecosystem the less vulnerable to suffer the client. Bigger spaces are necessary in order to maintain a portfolio. So, together species create a stabilizing function even though they exhibit different responses to a perturbation.

Question 9

What are some direct drivers of biodiversity loss. (They have a direct and immediate effect we can identify them and link them to human action with very little doubt)

Answer 9

Habitat alteration from physical changes ie ( Agriculture, drainage of wetlands, forests loss, urbanization, fragmentation and islandization) Introduction of invasive alien species (aka biological pollution) Overharvesting animals and plants, Chemical changes( aka pollution)

Question 10

Tell me about how apiculture is a direct driver.

Answer 10

We convert a lot of grasslands into agricultural lands. Between 1986 and 2006 Agricultural land classified as cropland increased from about 46 to 53%. Habitat Loss affects around 80% of all threatened birds, mammals, and plants.

Question 11

How is drainage of wetlands a direct driver.

Answer 11

Between 65 and 80% of wetlands and marshes have been drained in the prairies, in Southern Ontario, and on the Atlantic coast. Not intentionally, but slowly one by one overtime.

Question 12

Explain how forest are important to biodiversity and can be a direct driver if lost

Answer 12

The Carolina Forest in Ontario has a greater diversity of wildlife and any other ecosystem in Canada. 40% of breeding bird population in Canada. 90% of the forest has been transformed from Forest land to Agricultural or urban.

Question 13

How is urbanization a direct driver of diversity loss

Answer 13

Urbanization changes the environment habitats, water flows, and impermeable surfaces.

Question 14

How is fragmentation or islandization a direct driver of diversity loss

Answer 14

Human development chops up land into islands divided byroads, buildings, farms, canals and other infrastructure. They have built tunnels and bridges for wildlife, but that doesn’t really fix the problem.

Question 15

I was introduction of an invasive alien species of direct driver of diversity loss? What’s an example.

Answer 15

The non-native species competes with the other species. The introduction of exotic species can be intentional like crops or domestic animals or unintentional. Invasive species is the second greatest threat to biodiversity worldwide. An example is zebra mussels in Lake St. Clair that came on cargo ships from the Caspian Sea. They clog up water intakes and cause infrastructure problems. Impacted recreation, fisheries.

Question 16

Tell me about how overharvesting plants and animals is a direct driver of diversity loss

Answer 16

This is exploitation of species by things like hunting wild life treating overgrazing. An example is the Atlantic cod on the grand Banks.

Question 17

Tell me how chemical changes or pollution can be a direct driver of diversity loss

Answer 17

In example is acid deposition. So for dioxide and nitrogen react with water and oxygen to create a sulfuric acid. Goes into lakes and streams lowering pH. Hard on aquatic species

Question 18

So what is the result of all of these direct drivers

Answer 18

16,000 species globally are identified as threatened or endangered. Half of all primate species are threatened. About 800 plant and animal species are known to be extinct.

Question 19

There are both extrinsic and intrinsic reasons for conserving biodiversity what are some examples of each

Answer 19

Extrinsic – Utilitarian: ( like ecological capital, chemical and medical uses, substance, tourism, medical Research, aesthetic )
Intrinsic – ecological ( like Nutrient cycling) Moral and spiritual ( Intrinsic value, made by the Creator)

Question 20

Where decisions regarding biodiversity conservation difficult

Answer 20

Because they are complex. Ie It’s hard to hold back on Forrestry to conserve the spotted owl but we want to conserve the spotted owl. They are moral choices. Ie Taxol was found in the Pacific Yewtree. It helps to cure cancer. But it takes 60 Pounds of Yewtree bark to treat one patient. They are political choices. Often there’s a lot of support to protect charismatic species like the grizzly bear caribou or polar bear. But there’s less interest in a less visible species like amphibians with bottom dwellers.

Question 21

What are some responses to biodiversity loss

Answer 21

(All are interbational) Convention of international trade in endangered species 1973. Convention on conservation of migratory species, 1979. Convention for regulation of whaling, 1946. UN convention on biodiversity, 1992.
In Canada :
Species at risk act (SARA). Committee on the status of endangered wildlife in Canada ( COSEWIC)

Question 22

There are different categories of risk. What are they

Answer 22

Special concern, vulnerability, threatened, endangered, expiration, extinct.

Just because this species is on the list does not mean it will be protected. We list species not regions and in the end the province controls the land-use. Example of this is Grizzly bears recommended to be listed as threatened, but the minister failed to act on the recommendation. No protection until 2010 but still government has done very little.

Question 23

In order for COSWEIC To list a SARA species What has to be in place?

Answer 23

In order for COSWEIC To list a SARA species, There needs to be management and recovery Plans in place. But often we see that the species we don’t use get listed and the ones that we harvest and use do not.

Question 24

With regards to protected areas, what is the difference between in situ conservation and Ex situ conservation.

Answer 24

In situ- protected species are in their natural habitat. The space is large enough to support ecosystem. There is read creation of processes and diversity. Thirsted stainable use of resources outside of this is protected areas. Ex situ- Species are in an artificial habitat. Conservation is under an artificial condition, they are removed from the ecosystem in which they belong.

Question 25

How much protected space is in The world. And how much of Canada.

Answer 25

About 4% are. Leading countries are Denmark, Australia, Canada, US. But what’s important is not really the size of the area but what areas are protected. Also, Canada needs a greater protected area than Mexico per se because we are further north. About 9% of Canada is protected.

Question 26

What were Canada’s first protected spaces

Answer 26

First national Park – Banff, 1885. First wildlife sanctuary – last Mountainlake, Sask 1887. First provincial Park – Algonquin Ontario. First municipal park – Mt. Royal Montréal.

Question 27

Internationally, what are the categories of protected spaces

Answer 27

Highest level of preservation and therefore uses most restrictive – nature reserve or wilderness area, national Park, natural monument, habitat or species management area, protected landscape or Seascape, managed Resource protected area (Least protection)

Question 28

What are national parks designed to do and how has that changed over time

Answer 28

Rainout national parks are designed to you: one sustain the integrity of one or more ecosystems. Two – provide a foundation for research education and recreation. Three – Management, of ecosystem and recreation.
Before, parks were entrepreneurial in nature. It was to preserve the resource so it could be used later. In the 80s and 90s it was for environmental protection, not about development of the economy.
2000’s Aboriginal communities rights To access.
Now it’s a balance between revenue, rights and access, environmentalism

Question 29

What is the debate about the role of national parks

Answer 29

Are parks meant to be entertainment resorts? Or mountains without handrails, they are for conservation, so people shouldn’t be stopping there. One example of this is in Churchel Manitoba. The fact that parts are protected spaces means that new impacts are created because of things like to Tourism. About 1000 visitors come every year to see the polar bears In tundra buggies, but tender buggies destroy their habitat and harass the Bears. So the bears are important to economy, but we affect the habitat, which affects the economy.

Question 30

Are protected spaces actually protecting biodiversity

Answer 30

Well, not really. Patterns of extinction of mammals and North American parks are consistent with land Bridge Island hypothesis.
No bc: 1- The number of species extinctions post establishment is greater than number of colonization
post establishment
2- We’ve extinction is inversely related to park area.

Question 31

What is the theory of ‘Island biogeography’

Answer 31

Small islands can’t support as many species as a large island of similar habitat. MVP - Minimum viable population - The smallest population size that can be predicted to have a high chance of surviving in the future. For example, see 15,000 clumber squared is required to support the wolf population. Most of Canada’s national parks cannot support the minimum viable population for wolves bears… In order to make protected spaces work and to preserve diversity and species they need to be connected not in little chunks or islands. So Parks probably aren’t the solution.