This chapter outline discusses key topics in conservation biology including: 1) The goals of conservation biology are to conserve natural resources for current and future generations and support biodiversity by reducing species extinctions. 2) There is high biodiversity on Earth between 10-50 million species, but nearly 1,200 in the US and 40,000 worldwide are endangered. 3) Conserving genetic, ecosystem, and landscape diversity helps preserve species and ecosystems.

1. Chapter 40
Conservation
Biology
Lecture Outline
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2. 40.1 Conservation biology
 Conservation biology
 Goal of conserving natural resources for this
generation and all future generations
 Support of biodiversity for all species
 Helps reduce extinctions of species
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3. Biodiversity & Extinction
 Biodiversity – variety of life on Earth
 Between 10 and 50 million species may exist
 Of the described species, nearly 1,200 in the
United States and 40,000 worldwide are in
danger of extinction
 Endangered species is in peril of immediate
extinction throughout all or most of its range
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4. Genetic & Ecosystem Diversity
 Genetic diversity
 Variations among the members of a population
 The more diverse a population, the more likely they survive
 Ecosystem diversity
 Conserve species that play a critical role in an ecosystem
 Saving an entire ecosystem can save many species
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5. Landscape diversity
 Landscape diversity
 Ecosystems can be so fragmented that they are connected by
patches or strips of land that allow organisms to move from one
ecosystem to the other
 Distribution of Biodiversity
 Biodiversity is not evenly distributed throughout the biosphere
 Some regions of the world are called biodiversity hotspots
because they contain unusually large concentrations of species
 Exs: Madagascar, Great Barrier Reef in Australia, rainforests
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6. Medicinal & Agricultural Value
 Medicinal Value
 Most prescription drugs in the United States were
originally derived from living organisms
 Valued at over $200 billion
 Agricultural Value
 Crops such as wheat, corn, and rice are derived from
wild plants
 Biological pest controls (natural predators and
parasites) are often preferable to chemical pesticides
 Ladybugs, bats
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7. Figure 40.3 Direct value of diverse wildlife (Cont.)
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8. Consumptive Use Value
 Consumptive Use Value
 Most freshwater and marine harvests depend on the
catching of wild animals, such as crustaceans,
mammals, and fishes
 Provides a variety of other products that are sold in
the marketplace worldwide, including wild fruits and
vegetables, skins, fibers, beeswax, and seaweed
 Many trees in the natural environment are still felled
for their wood
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9. Ecological Value
 Biogeochemical Cycles Dispose of Waste
 Biodiversity contributes to workings of water, carbon,
phosphorus, and nitrogen cycles
 Natural Areas Provide Fresh Water, Prevent Soil
Erosion, and Regulate Climate
 Water-holding capacity of forests and wetlands reduces the
possibility of flooding
 Forests improve climate because they take up carbon dioxide
 Ecotourism Is Enjoyed by Many
 In U.S., people spend $4 billion each year on ecotourism
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10. Figure 40.4 Tourists (inset) love to visit natural ecosystems, such as
this forest, which has indirect value because of its water-holding
capacity and its ability to take up carbon dioxide
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11. Habitat Loss & Extinctions
 Of 1,880 threatened and endangered species in
U.S., habitat loss was involved in 85% of cases
 Other significant causes of extinction are introduction
of alien species, pollution, overexploitation, and
disease
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12. Figure 40.5A
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
Macaws, Ara macao,
and other species are
endangered for the
reasons graphed here
Habitat loss
Alien species
Pollution
Overexploitation
Disease
0 20 40 60 80 100
% Species Affected
© Gunter Ziesler/Peter Arnold/Photolibrary
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13. Non-native Species
 Alien species – nonnative members brought
into new ecosystems
 Introduced by
 Colonization – Europeans brought various familiar species
with them when they colonized new places
 Dandelions
 Horticulture and agriculture – Aliens now taking over vast
tracts of land have escaped from cultivated areas
 Kudzu is a vine from Japan that the U.S. Department of
Agriculture thought would help prevent soil erosion
 Accidental transport – Global trade and travel accidentally
bring many new species from one country to another
 Zebra mussels
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14. Figure 40.6A Kudzu, a vine from Japan, has displaced many native
plants in the southern United States
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15. 40.7 Pollution contributes to extinctions
 Exs. of Pollution
 Acid deposition – (or “Acid Rain”):Both sulfur dioxide
from power plants and nitrogen oxides in automobile
exhaust are converted to acids when they combine
with water vapor in the atmosphere
 Eutrophication – Lakes are also under stress due to
over-enrichment (excess nitrogen and phosphorus)
 Algae blooms occur and upon death, the decomposers break
down the algae, but in so doing, they use up oxygen
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16. Ozone & Organic Chemicals
 Ozone depletion – Ozone (O3) “shield” absorbs most of
the wavelengths of harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation so
they do not strike the Earth
 Severe ozone shield depletion can impair crop and tree growth
and also kill plankton that sustain oceanic life
 Organic chemicals – Organic chemicals are used in
pesticides, dishwashing detergents, cosmetics & plastics
 Mimic the effects of hormones and, in that way, most likely harm
wildlife
 Solid waste disposal – plastic floating in the ocean
creates a danger to wildlife
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17.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnUjTHB1lvM
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-gqJAsXiKQ

22. Figure 40.7 (Top) Normal coral reef. (Bottom) Bleaching of a coral reef. A temperature
rise of only a few degrees causes coral reefs to “bleach” and become lifeless. As the
oceans warm and land recedes, coral reefs could move northward
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23. 40.8 Overexploitation
contributes to extinctions
 Overexploitation occurs when the number of individuals
taken from a wild population is so great that the
population becomes severely reduced in number
 Overexploitation accounts for 17% of extinctions
 U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization tells us that
humans have now overexploited 11 of 15 major oceanic
fishing areas
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24. 40.9 Disease contributes to extinctions
 Number of pathogens that cause diseases is on
the rise, threatening human health as well as
that of wildlife
 Pollution can weaken organisms so that they are
more susceptible to disease
 Example: Almost half of sea otter deaths along the
coast of California are now due to infectious diseases
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25. Figure 40.9
The Harlequin toad is near extinction due to a fungal pathogen
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26. 40.10 Habitat preservation:
Keystone Species
 Keystone species
 Species that influence the viability of a community,
although their numbers may not be excessively high
 Extinction of a keystone species can lead to other
extinctions and loss of biodiversity
 Ex: Grizzly bears in northwestern US and Canada
 Berry seed distribution, control populations of other animals
 Otters
 Keep populations of other species in check
 Bats
 Essential pollinators 40-26

27. Figure 40.10A Landscape preservation will help grizzly bears,
Ursus arctos horribilis, survive
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28. 40.11 Restoration Ecology
 Restoration ecology – seeks scientific ways to
return ecosystems to former state
 Three principles have so far emerged
 It is best to begin as soon as possible before remaining
fragments of the original habitat are lost
 Once the natural history is understood, it is best to use
biological techniques that mimic natural processes to bring
about restoration
 Goal is sustainable development, ability of an ecosystem to
maintain itself while providing services to human beings
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29.  The Everglades – southern Florida
 Vast sawgrass prairie, interrupted occasionally by a
hardwood tree island
 Beginning of 20th century, settlers began to drain land
to grow crops
 A restoration plan has been developed that will
sustain the Everglades ecosystem, while maintaining
the services society requires
 The Everglades is to receive a more natural flow of
water from Lake Okeechobee
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30. Figure 40.11
A variety of
animals make their
home in the
Everglades
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31. Figure 40.12 These activities are characteristic of a sustainable society. Arrows point
inward to signify that these activities increase the carrying capacity of the Earth
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
integrated pest
multi-use farming
management
wetland, delta conservation
preservation of water
and restoration
mass transit and
recycling and
energy-efficient
composting
transportation
(farming): © Inga Spence/Visuals Unlimited; (wetland preservation):© Peter DeJong/AP Images; (recycling): © Jeffrey Greenberg/PhotResearchers, Inc.;(bus): Courtesy DaimlerChrysler;
(drip irrigation): ©Inga Spence/Visuals Unlimited; (integrated pest management): Courtesy V.Jane Windsor, Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture &Consumer Services
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32. 40.13 Renewable Energy Sources
 Traditional renewable energy sources
 Hydroelectric plants
 Geothermal energy
 Wind power
 Solar energy
 In the future, biofuels may run power plants or
your car
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33. Figure 40.13A Traditional sources of renewable energy
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
Hydropower dams Wind power
Solar panels on roof-top Sun-tracking mirrors of a solar
energy plant
(dam): © David L. Pearson/Visuals Unlimited;(wind power): © S.K. Patrick/Visuals Unlimited; (solar panels, roof): © Argus 40-33
Foto Archiv/Peter Arnold/Photolibrary; (solar energyplant): © Gerald and Buff Corsi/Visuals Unlimited

34. Connecting the Concepts:
Chapter 40
 Biodiversity includes genetic, ecosystem & landscape
diversity
 Organisms have medicinal, agricultural & ecological value
 Habitat loss & introduction of non-native species are
destructive
 Overexploitation, pollution & diseases contribute to
extinctions
 Importance of developing renewable energy sources
 Habitat preservation & restoration = sustainable
development
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