Biodiversity CH 5 and 18
Biodiversity CH 5 and 18
Evolution of Biodiversity
Chapter Overview
Questions
•How do scientists account for the development of
life on earth?
•What is biological evolution by natural selection,
and how can it account for the current diversity of
organisms on the earth?
•How can geologic processes, climate change
and catastrophes affect biological evolution?
•What is an ecological niche, and how does it help
a population adapt to changing the environmental
conditions?
Chapter Overview
Questions
•How do extinction of species and formation of new
species affect biodiversity?
•What is the future of evolution, and what role
should humans play in this future?
•How did we become such a powerful species in a
short time?
Chapter Overview
Questions
•How have human activities affected the earth’s
biodiversity?
•How should forest resources be used, managed,
and sustained globally and in the United States?
•How serious is tropical deforestation, and how can
we help sustain tropical forests?
•How should rangeland resources be used,
managed, and sustained?
Chapter Overview
Questions
•What problems do parks face, and how should we
manage them?
•How should we establish, design, protect, and
manage terrestrial nature reserves?
•What is wilderness, and why is it important?
•What is ecological restoration, and why is it
important?
•What can we do to help sustain the earth’s
terrestrial biodiversity?
Chapter Overview
Questions
•How do biologists estimate extinction rates, and how
do human activities affect these rates?
•Why should we care about protecting wild species?
•Which human activities endanger wildlife?
•How can we help prevent premature extinction of
species?
•What is reconciliation ecology, and how can it help
prevent premature extinction of species?
Earth is home to a tremendous
diversity of species
Figure 4-2
Biological
Evolution
• This has led
to the variety
of species
we find on
the earth
today.
Figure 4-2
Modern humans (Homo
sapiens sapiens) appear
about 2 seconds before
midnight
Recorded human
history begins about 1/4
second before midnight
Age of
Age of mammals Origin of life
reptiles
Insects (3.6-3.8 billion
and
amphibian years ago)
s invade
the land
Plants
begin
invading
land
First fossil
record of
animals
Evolution and
expansion of life
How Do We Know Which
Organisms Lived in the
Past?
• Our knowledge
about past life
comes from
fossils, chemical
analysis, cores
drilled out of
buried ice, and
DNA analysis.
Figure 4-4
Evolution by artificial and natural
selection
Fig. 4-5, p. 88
Climate Change and
Natural Selection
• Changes in climate throughout the
earth’s history have shifted where plants
and animals can live.
Figure 4-6
Catastrophes and
Natural Selection
• Asteroids and meteorites hitting the earth
and upheavals of the earth from geologic
processes have wiped out large numbers
of species and created evolutionary
opportunities by natural selection of new
species.
SPECIATION, EXTINCTION, AND
BIODIVERSITY
• We have
depleted and
degraded some
of the earth’s
biodiversity and
these threats are
expected to
increase.
Figure 10-2
Why Should We Care About
Biodiversity?
• Use Value: For the
usefulness in terms
of economic and
ecological services.
• Nonuse Value:
existence,
aesthetics, bequest
for future
generations.
Figure 10-3
Natural Capital
Forests
Ecological Economic
Services Services
Support energy flow
and chemical Fuelwood
cycling
Lumber
Reduce soil erosion
Pulp to make paper
Absorb and release
water Mining
Provide numerous
wildlife habitats Fig. 10-4, p. 193
Types of Forests
• Old-growth forest:
uncut or regenerated
forest that has not been
seriously disturbed for
several hundred years.
• 22% of world’s forest.
• Hosts many species
with specialized
niches.
Figure 10-5
Types of Forests
Figure 10-8
Harvesting
Trees
• Trees can be harvested
individually from diverse
forests (selective
cutting), an entire forest
can be cut down (clear
cutting), or portions of
the forest is harvested
(e.g. strip cutting).
Figure 10-9
Harvesting Trees
Effects of clear-cutting in
the state of Washington,
U.S.
Types and Effects of Forest Fires
Prevention Restoration
• Overgrazing
(left) occurs
when too many
animals graze
for too long and
exceed carrying
capacity of a
grassland area.
Figure 10-21
MANAGING AND SUSTAINING
GRASSLANDS
• Extinction
occurs when
the population
cannot adapt
to changing
environmental
The golden toad of Costa conditions.
Rica’s Monteverde cloud forest
has become extinct because of
changes in climate.
Figure 4-11
Species and families
Era Period Millions of Bar width represents relative experiencing
years ago number of living species
Cenozoic mass extinction
Quaternary Today Extinction Current extinction crisis caused
by human activities. Many species
Tertiary are expected to become extinct
Extinction within the next 50–100 years.
65
Cretaceous: up to 80% of ruling
Cretaceous reptiles (dinosaurs); many marine
Mesozoic
Ordovician Extinction
500 Ordovician: 50% of animal
Cambrian families, including many
trilobites.
Fig. 4-12, p. 93
Effects of Humans on
Biodiversity
Figure 11-2
Endangered and Threatened Species:
Ecological Smoke Alarms
• Some species
have
characteristics
that make
them
vulnerable to
ecological and
biological
extinction.
Figure 11-4
SPECIES
EXTINCTION
• Scientists use measurements and
models to estimate extinction rates.
• The International Union for the
Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN) publishes an annual
Red List, listing the world’s threatened
species.
• The 2004 Red List contains 15,589
species at risk for extinction.
Figure 11-5
SPECIES EXTINCTION
Conservation Biology-
Multidisciplinary science that
deals with the crisis of diversity
and how to maintain the earth’s
ecosystems.
In situ vs. ex situ:
In Situ:
• Leaving the animal where it lives
but protecting it.
• Ex. Elephants; make laws that
prevent poaching and have
people to enforce it.
• Ex. Marine turtles are protected-
escape nets must be used on all
fishing nets so the turtles can get
out and not drown.
Ex Situ:
• Taking the animal out of its habitat & protecting it.
• Ex. Zoo’s
• 2 types:
• egg pulling -collecting wild eggs laid by
critically endangered bird species and
then hatching them in zoos or research
centers
• captive breeding, wild individuals of a
critically endangered species are captured
for breeding in captivity, with the aim of
reintroducing the offspring into the wild.
Indian Tiger
Range in 1700
Range today
(about 3,600 left)
Fig. 11-8b, p. 230
African Elephant
Former range
Range today
(34,000–54,000 left)
Fig. 11-8d, p. 230
INVASIVE SPECIES
Alien species (exotic
species)- species that
live outside their
historical range.
Invasive species-
when alien species
spread rapidly
across large areas.
Kudzu vine was introduced
in the southeastern U.S. to Ex- Kudzu Vine,
control erosion. It has taken Zebra Mussel, Silver
over native species
habitats. Carp
Figure 11-A
INVASIVE SPECIES
Renewing, repairing, or
reconstructing damaged
ecosystems.
RECONCILIATION ECOLOGY
• Reconciliation ecology involves finding
ways to share places we dominate with
other species.
• Replacing monoculture grasses with
native species.
• Maintaining habitats for insect eating bats
can keep down unwanted insects.
• Reduction and elimination of pesticides to
protect non-target organisms (such as
vital insect pollinators).
Using Reconciliation Ecology to
Protect Bluebirds
• Putting up bluebird
boxes with holes
too small for
(nonnative)
competitors in
areas where trees
have been cut
down have helped
reestablish
populations.
Figure 11-B
Zoos, aquaria, gardens, etc.
Breeding programs,
protection, teach public
about the animals/
plants so they will want
to conserve them.
Conservation Organizations
Figure 11-16
Case Study: Rising Demand for
Bushmeat in Africa
• Bushmeat
hunting has
caused the local
extinction of
many animals in
West Africa.
• Can spread
disease such as
HIV/AIDS and
ebola virus.
Figure 11-17
Endangered Species
• Adopt a forest.
Protecting Species