Why Do We Conserve Biodiversity Flashcards
What is consecration biology
The applied science of maintaining biological diversity on Earth
What are the foundations in conservation biology
In biology and ecology
What are the parts of conservation biology
Social environment
Physical environment
Biological and ecological context
Researchers, practitioners and citizens
What is conservation biology focused on
Applied practice of natural resource management. Steeped in personal, professional and social ethical questions.
What did Aldo Leopold day
Our job is to harmonise the increasing kit of scientific tools and the increasing recklessness in using them with the shrinking biotas to which they are applied. In the nature of things we are mediators and moderators and unless we can help rewrite the objectives of science we are predestined to failure.
How is conservation biology an evolving field
Growing focus on neglected fields (social sciences), neglected systems (marine and freshwater), capacity building and international engagement. Increasing policy focus and policy voice
What happened in 1978
The first international conference on research in conservation biology, university of California, San Diego in La Jolla
What are some good key journals
Conservation letters
Biological conservation
Frontiers in ecology and the environment
Oryx
What are the aims of conservation biology
Maintain what we have and increasingly think about ways to restore.
Document full range of biological diversity.
Investigate human impact on species, communities and ecosystems.
What do we want to develop practical approaches for
To prevent species extinction.
Maintain diversity.
Maintain ecosystem functions and the interactions among species.
Restore injured biological communities and systems.
Why does consecration not equal preservation
Preservation has a historical background linked to the transcendental movement whereas conservation had a very utilitarian conservation ethic.
Now, preservation attempts to maintain remaining areas untouched by humans and conservation is an amendable to resource use in a sustainable way.
What kind of approach is preservation and what does it focus on
Hands off approach focusing on the intrinsic values of nature
Why is conservation is important
Important to human development which is inevitable and important
Why should we conserve
The value of species
Direct economic values
Strategic values
What is the value of species
Instrumental/utilitarian/ use values
Ecological values.
Intrinsic (non use) values.
Uniqueness values.
What are the direct economic values
Food, medicines, clothing and fuel.
Pollination, pest control.
Recreation - direct consumption use like fishing and hunting or non consumption like photography.
What are strategic values
Indicator species and umbrella species and flagship species
What are indicator species
They reflect the quality of the environment which lets us evaluate changes and aspects of community composition - it’s instrumental.
What are umbrella species
They had demanding habitat requirements and it means that if we protect them it will have a lot of downstream impacts for other species
What are flagship species
Popular, charismatic and serve as symbols and rallying points to stimulate conservation awareness and action
Example of an important instrumental species
Freshwater invertebrate indicators - BMWP score system measures water pollution at a particular site based on species indicator
Example of an umbrella species
Jaguar Eats 85 species. Requires large tracts of land. Requires corridors. Sympatric with other felids.
What does the conservation of jaguars justify
The linking it protected areas
What are the cultural values
Scientific and educational.
Spiritual.
Cultural.
Historical.
What do Darwin’s finches do
Help us understand evolution
What are the ecological values of keystone species
Have impacts on their community or ecosystem that is large and disproportionately large relative to its abundance
How are beavers keystone species
They are habitat engineers, dead wood in water provides habitats for other species and flooding regimes they create cause wetlands
What are the ecological values of dominant species
They constitute a large proportion of the biomass or an ecosystem. A lot of species so their ecological distribution is disproportionate.
What are the ecological values of diversity ecological functions
Play key, large roles in ensuring the function of the overall ecosystem. Dung beetles play critical roles in nutrient cycles
Examples of keystone species
Wolves
Bats
Fig trees
Disease causing organisms
Examples of rare species
Wildflowers
Butterflies
Missed
Examples of dominant species
Forest trees
Deer
Giant kelps
Prairie grass
What is the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions (biomass and ground cover)
Positive but functions carried out by a few species in plants
What is functional diversity different from
Species richness
Example of plant with a key functional role that has low biomass
Canopy bromeliads . Grow on other plants and in a tropical rainforest going up in the canopy is quite dry bc it’s windy. The Leafs are perfect for frogs as they create little puddles and their structure maintains water
What is intrinsic (non use) values
All species have inherent value independent of their usefulness to people or their ecological value
Characteristics of intrinsic values
Implications for welfare.
Subjective.
Presents challenges for prioritisation.
What is uniqueness values
Represent a disproportionate amount of unique evolutionary history. They have few close relatives, and are often the only species in their genus or only genus remaining of their family
Value is not just species themselves, what else is it
The broader ecosystem goods and services that biodiversity supports
Examples of ecosystem services
Nutrient cycling
Soil formation
Primary production
Examples of provisional services
Food Freshwater Wood Fiver fuel Regulating climate Flood Disease Water purification
Example of valuing ecosystem services
SE Asian parks.
Broad recognition of goods and services beyond direct instrument use values.
Relationships among different demographic, economic and educational variables, and the types of goods and services people value.
What are the diverse values of birds
Food Pest control. Biological indicators. Recreation. Diverse intrinsic values. Uniqueness values. Ornament. Religion and mythology. Cultural and arts. Other utilitarian uses. Functional ecological values.
Examples of birds used for food
Pigeons and poultry
Examples of birds used for pest control
Insectivorous birds
Examples of birds used for biological indicators
Pesticides
Examples of whrn birds are used for recreation
Hunting, falconry, pets
Examples of birds used for uniqueness
Spoonbill and kokapo
Examples of birds used for ornament
Egrets
Birds of paradise
Examples of birds used for religion
Eagles
Ibises
Owls
Examples of birds used for functional ecological values
Seed dispersers
Pollinators
Fertilisers
What is the IPBES approach to valuing nature (Pascual 2017)
Diverse valuation through biophysical, sociocultural, economic, health and holistic. A broad view, challenge is operationalising this
