Biodiversity Lecture November 9

Question 1

Are humans causing a mass extinction?

Answer 1

~ 20-30% of species assessed extinct with an increase of 1.5-2.5 degrees and 40-70% with an increase of 3.5 degrees by 2100

Question 2

Approximately how many species do we lose on earth per year?

Answer 2

796 species a year.

Question 3

How many more extinctions a year do we have than background extinctions?

Answer 3

10-796 times more extinction per year than background extinctions

Question 4

What are biodiversity conservation strategies?

Answer 4

Species based: captive breeding programs, Ecosystem based: recognizing that species at risk are part of a larger ecosystem (ex. protected areas)

Question 5

What are protected areas?

Answer 5

Lands and waters where development and use are restricted by legal or other means for the conservation of nature. A way to protect species and ecosystems.

Question 6

IUCN Categories of Protected Areas

Answer 6

1A strict nature reserve, limited human access. 1B wilderness area- largely unmodified areas managed to maintain natural condition, II National Parks - large natural areas set aside to protect ecological processes, species and ecosystems, provide for human cultural, educational and recreational use, III Natural Monument - set aside to protect specific natural monuments (landforms, geological features, high visitor value), IV Habitat/Species management area - to protect specific species, V Protected landscape, seascape - cultural landscape, where interaction of nature and people has created a site of ecological, cultural or scenic value, VI Protected areas with sustainable use of natural resources - conserve ecosystems and habitats, a proportion is under sustainable natural resource management, low level non-industrial use of natural resources.

Question 7

Gap Species

Answer 7

Species not included in protected areas (20% of threatened species are gap species)

Question 8

AZE’s

Answer 8

Alliance for Zero Extinction Sites (joint NGO initiative-76 members) must contain at least one red list endangered or critically endangered species and have a definable boundary

Question 9

Conservation International Biodiversity Hotspots

Answer 9

1500 species of vascular plants as endemics, lost at least 70% of its original habitat.

Question 10

IUCN World commission on protected areas

Answer 10

provides support for development of protected areas worldwide, provides detailed instructions on how to do gap analysis, identifies marine systems as a priority

Question 11

Convention on Biological Diversity: AICHI Biodiversity Targets 2010 (Target 11)

Answer 11

conserve through effectively and equitably managed ecologically representative and well connected systems of protected by 2020. Over 17% of terrestrial and inland water, 10% of coastal and marine areas, esp. areas of importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Question 12

Are protective areas a good way to conserve biodiversity?

Answer 12

Yes, one of the best. We still have a way to go especially with marine ecosystems.

Question 13

What is connectivity?

Answer 13

The degree to which the landscape facilitates or impedes movement among resource patches.

Question 14

Functional connectivity

Answer 14

species specific, what type of land cover an individual will or will not move through

Question 15

Structural connectivity

Answer 15

based on the structure of the landscape, physical connectivity between resource patches

Question 16

Corridor

Answer 16

A linear strip of habitat or hospitable matrix. Corridors equal more habitat. *Connected patches have more species! (not always, low quality corridors can act as sinks, high edge to area ratios)

Question 17

4 Types of corridors

Answer 17

Disturbance corridors, remnant corridors, Natural or environmental corridors, anthropogenic corridors

Question 18

Riparian Buffers

Answer 18

Strips of vegetation along lakes and rivers, improve water quality, improve aquatic habitat, conduits and or habitat for terrestrial species, can be sources of wildlife.

Question 19

4 Large connectivity projects in North America based on building connectivity for large mammals

Answer 19

Alqonquin to Adirondack (A to A), Baja, California to the Bering Sea (B to B), Wildlands network, Yukon to Yellowknife (Y to Y)

Question 20

Algonquin to Adirondack

Answer 20

Land stewardship and cooperation. All levels of gov. Environmental NGO’s, first nations, landowners and academics. 93000 km2 between Ontario, Quebec and New York.

Question 21

Baja to Bering Sea

Answer 21

Goal: Coastal connectivity from Mexico to Arctic circle. 28 priority conservation areas. Organized by an intergovernmental organization- Commission for Environmental cooperation (CEC)

Question 22

Wildlands Network

Answer 22

Network of Core Protected areas connected by corridors. 4 Wildways- Eastern, Western, Pacific and Boreal. Cooperation- scientists, conservation organizations, all levels of gov., community coalitions, highway authorities, private landowners, etc.

Question 23

Yellowstone to Yukon

Answer 23

Focus on science and stewardship, 1 300 000 km2 in US and Canada (inspired by wolf Pluie, who traveled 100 000 km in 2 years)

Question 24

Are over and underpasses effective?

Answer 24

Crossing were used over 90,000 times over the last ten years in Banff and the mortality rate dropped by 80% along the highway.

Question 25

What does large scale connectivity require?

Answer 25

Both corridors and stepping stones, generally carried out by multi stake-holder groups, multi-species management, but it is ecosystem management?