Lecture 1 - Introduction Flashcards
Walter 2003 said what about the Iberian Lynx?
‘For centuries… the lynx… cohabited perfectly easily with the people of southern Portugal and Spain; it’s behaviour evolved to the way people farmed. But now everything had changed. It is being threatened in the most dramatic way by human behaviour & land use. Here we can see in one of the clearest confrontations between conservationists & everyday modern life.
Where are the Iberian Lynx found?
Spain and Portugal to the south
What is their (Iberian lynx) habitat?
Scrub / scattered open areas
How many Iberian lynx left roughly?
200
Why are the Iberian lynx going extinct?
- farming changes / agriculture
- road building between the 2 countries
- other development eg. Reservoirs for fresh water
How can we save the species of the Iberian Lynx
Captive breeding programme
Sustaining places of habitat & prey
Why isn’t the captive breeding programme the best way?
Expensive
Not always successful
E.g. google headlines ‘captive-bred Iberian lynx found dead hours after release’
Sustaining places of habitat and prey… how do we do this?
Politics —> protected areas (EU habitats Directive)
Protest (SOS lynx campaign)
Consumption choices -> cork trees replaced by eucalyptus & fruit
Culture —> valuing land - managing traditional land uses
Resource use —> water (reservoirs for irrigation of crops & tourism)
Development —> new sustainable uses e.g. using cork for insulation and flooring - opportunity to promote traditional cork trees
Reintroductions —> (France or UK) (controversial - debated)
Survival is an issue of many things…
Biology (how well developed the species is) - ecology (how they fit into the environment) - choices - places - futures - environments (global warming - if places become too dry species won’t survive) - human behaviour - economics (sustainability VERY expensive) - politics…
When & how did humanity first see the Earth from space and realise it’s vulnerability?
1972 blue marble image (Apollo 17)
Sustainability is different to sustainable development…
what did Adams, 2005 say?
‘Irritatingly, it can mean everything and nothing’
What’s the definition of sustainability?
The long-term continuity of that which is valued, maintaining the best of what is there but allowing, even promoting, change
(Adams, 2005)
What is ecology?
‘An approach to the study of living things that emphasises their complex & dynamic interrelationships with each other & the non-living environment’
What are the 3 legs of the 3 legged stool?
Social
Economic
Political
Kuhlman & Farrington (2010) focus on three aspects:
- Obscures tension between social welfare aims & environmental conservation
- Risks diminishing importance of economic dimension (ecology)
- Falsely separates social from economic (these 2 closely linked together)
