Ecology: Lecture 7 Flashcards
What might we use conservation biology for?
To deal with invasive species like the lion fish.
Approaches to deal with lion fish?
- Divers might collect or kill them
- Remove spines and cook the fish to encourage other people to hunt them
STILL hard to deal with.
Lionfish example?
Invasive species to Florida and the Caribbean (Atlantic waters) and they have blossomed there. The range has grown very quickly.
- Prey on species that aren’t prepared for them and corral into a place where the can’t get away. They feed on herbivorous (grazing) fish.
- Outcompete the native species and cause many issues.
What is conservation biology?
A recent science (50 years) where we tr and recognize that human beings, through moving invasive species, climate change, increasing pollution, habitat conversion, and more, are affecting ecosystems and causing all kinds of problems.
What is the goal of conservation biology?
Aims to conserve biodiversity and ecosystems under a level of human pressure.
- slow, halt, or reverse the loss of biodiversity.
What do conservation biologists do?
Applying ecological theory to aid in biodiversity conservation.
Approach: provide a scientific foundation for conservation decisions
What is the IUCN Red List?
A list of species who are threatened with extinction.
- An assessment of individual species to determine/identify if they are threatened with extinction.
What does the IUCN do for assessments?
Working groups sit down and look at all the available data (population size, trends, range size, threats, etc).
- They have groups for individual groups of organisms, plants, animals, etc.
- They then categorize these species by putting them into a set of categories based on extinction risk.
Red List?
list of species at risk of global extinction
Red List Categories?
All have numeric values associated wit them (thresholds)
Extinct (EX)?
Very certain that the species is gone, and does not exist.
Extinct in the Wild (EW)?
Same as extinct, but there are some individuals in captivity.
Critically Endangered (CE)?
High risk of imminent extinction in the near future.
Endangered (EN)?
Trending towards critically endangered (pop/range decreasing or threats increasing)
Vulnerable (VU)?
At risk of extinction
Least Concern (LC)?
No imminent risk of extinction.
Data Deficient (DD)?
Not enough information.
Not Evaluated (NE)?
Not enough resources to evaluate at the moment.
What categories are considered to be endangered?
Those that are at risk of extinction
- Critical endangered (CE)
- Endangered (EN)
- Vulnerable (VU)
How often is the list updated?
Every 4-5 years, they update the list to see improvement or decline in the status.
Current stats for assessments?
166,000 species assessed
46,300 species threatened
1.2 million described species
8.7 million total species
Shortfin mako?
Current status: endangered
Population size: unknown
Threats: overfishing, both as a target and bycatch species
Sumatran rhino?
Current status: critically endangered
Population size: ~30
Threats: human disturbances, poaching, land conversion, and illegal logging, etc
Sea otter?
Current status: endangered
Population: decreasing
Threats: oil spills, disease, climate change