Boreal Zoologists

8/14/2019 Boreal Zoologists

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Boreal Zoologists

Boreal Forest (Taiga)


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What is a boreal forest?

A boreal forest couldalso be considered a

carbon reservoir, ittraps and stores carbonand prevents futureglobal climate change.

It purifies the air and aclimate regulator.

They also have a lot of wetlands which filter

millions of gallons of water and helpregulate thehydrological system.

(or the plumbing of the boreal forest).


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How are they formed?

They are formed by natural forces,such as fire, wind,insects, naturalgrowth pattern,and functions astheyve hadthrough out theyears.


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Why are there fewer boreal

forests?Eight thousand years ago there were a higher amount of boreal forest then there are now. Inthe late 1900s after the Industrial Revolution

had taken place, many of the boreal forestsstarted disappearing, especially in Europe.


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What is a boreal zoologist?

An individual thatstudies animals in a

specific area, which isthe boreal forest. Hestudies mammals,insects, reptiles,

amphibians, birds, andhumans.


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How are they helping

biodiversity?They are conserving it by observing how animals reproduce andmigrate, and how they adapt to their environments. They inform

people that if we dont take care of these animals they will become extinct.


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What is biodiversity?

It is the different typesand the variety of species found in anecosystem in agiven/certain area.(biological

biodiversity.


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Is it important?

Yes, because the more biodiversity there is themore stable an ecosystem,

environment, and biosphereis. A certain species isconnected to the wholefood web of the world;either another species isdependent on this species,or this species is dependenton another species.


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Importance continued...When there are more species with different adaptations, they will have ahigher chance to survive changes and therefore will keep the species alive(genetic variation).Another reason why biodiversity is important is actually an ethical one.People believe that every organism on earth has the right to live whether

they have a use or not.


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How can humans impact

biodiversity?Humans have two

possible roles, we can

conserve biodiversityand therefore make a positive effect or wecan destroy it and

make a negative effectlike the table in your right.

Positive Negative

Captive breeding programs

We use up theorganisms resources

We can prohibithunting endangeredspecies.

We can destroyhabitats

If a species is indanger, we can keepit safe until its pop.is stable

We can cause animalextinction


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Mammals

Mammals are warm blooded animals that feedtheir young with milk

through mammary glands.An example is theSiberian Musk Deer, a

perfect example for

biodiversity. Naturalselection has given itcanine teeth that are up to8 cm. long, and project

below the lips.


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Mammals role in biodiversity

Mammals are part of the predator-prey relation, they are the onesthat keep species from overpopulating. Theyre part of the foodweb, where if they were taken away, their prey would overpopulateand their predators would die out. They are essential organisms tothe boreal forest.


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Others

Musk ox

Polar bear

wolverine

Snowshoe hare


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Insects

Insects are small organisms that dont have avertebrae and are not used technically.Examples are the black fly (left) and themosquito (right).


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Insects role in biodiversityInsects serve the purpose of

being food to other organisms in the borealforest. When birds migrate tothe northern forest they feaston the insects. Insects alsodecompose litter, supplyfood, and eliminate diseasedtrees. Although this is good,insect attacks are morefrequent and with muchmore intensity, which mighthurt the boreal species. Theyalso cause the climate to

become unstable.


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Glass wing butterfly

Praying Mantis

firefly

Lady

bugs


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Reptiles/amphibians

Reptiles are small animals that crawl or moveon their bellies or with their short legs.


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The reptiles/amphibians role

Their job is to keep the population of insectsand lesser animals at a stable point, and also to

be food for the bigger predators, like hawks.

Poisonous bluefrog


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iguana

gecko

Thorny Devil

snake


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Birds

Birds are any of aclass of warm bloodedvertebratesdistinguished byhaving the body moreor less completely

covered with feathersand the forelimbsmodified as wings.

American bittern


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Their role

When birds migrate toanother site, they feedon many insects andtherefore regulate theinsect population, theyare part of the foodchain and are the

predators whereas theinsects are the prey.


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Swan

Robin Mexican Parrot

Wood pecker


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Humans

A human is a bipedal primate mammal, or to put it simply the person near you.


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Our role

Our role in a boreal forest is a bad one and a goodone.Some of us choose to help and support the forests;

by not letting fires happen, not hunting wherewere not supposed to, by not destroying habitats,or having excessive logging.While others choose to destroy many forests, settingfires on purpose, poaching and selling exoticspecies, and killing endangered and threatenedspecies for money.


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How do we benefit from biodiversity?

Through out the ageshumans have benefitedfrom biodiversity.Scientists have usesfor a lot of differentspecies, and every

time we eat, we benefit from biodiversity.


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Extinction

Mass Extinction-The extinction of many species in a very short time.There is a theory that between 1800and 2100, 25% of all species on Earthwill become extinct. The onlydifference is that the extinctions will

be caused by us, instead of naturalcauses.


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Dinosaur Extinction


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Endangered and ThreatenedSpecies

Endangered Species-aspecies that is likely to

become extinct if they

are not protectedimmediately.Threatened Species-aspecies that has adeclining populationand that is likely to

become endangered if it not protected.

The difference between these two isthat the endangered

species have a greater chance to becomeextinct than thethreatened species.


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Endangered Species

Asianelephant

aye-aye

Finwhale

Spider monkey


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Threatened SpeciesManta Ray

Giant BronzeGecko

Funcia di Basiliscu

GoldenDancingJewel


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How can humans causeextinctions?

Humans can causeextinction by causinghabitat destruction, by

bringing exotic speciesto unknown lands,harvesting, hunting,

poaching, and pollution.


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Habitat Destruction

As the human populationgrows, our need for shelter also does. When we clear

forest and other areas weare destroying manyspecies homes. Researchshows that almost 75 % of extinctions are caused byhabitat destruction.


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Importing Exotic Species

Exotic Species-aspecies that is notnative to a particular region. By bringingother species toanothers habitat, theymay cause harm to the

native species, sincethey arent adapted tosurvive around them.


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Poaching

Poaching-the illegalharvesting or captures of fish, game, or other species.

When people poach toomuch it can lead to extinctionespecially when that speciesis already endangered. The

problem is that not allthreatened species are

protected by laws.


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Pollution

When pollution enters afood web the damage iscritical. It harms the

animals, because it causestheir species to get sick,and their offspring canalso get that diseases. Oneexample is the bald eaglewith the pesticide DDT.


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What can humansdo to preserve

biodiversity?


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Captive Breeding Programs

Wild experts/zoologiststry to restore anendangered species

population. In the programs the experts breed the species in thecaptivity, then hope to putthem back in the speciesnatural habitat. Theyknow they have succeededwhen the species cansuccessfully breed in their environment.


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Preserving Genetic Material

Germ plasm is any form of genetic material thatwill help scientists make more of the species if they ever become extinct, they actually save partsof the reproductive germs. Another way is whenfarmers trade or share seeds.


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Zoos, parks, aquariums

Another way to preservemany species is to havezoos or any other establishment that willhelp sustain animal life.These buildings areliterally the livingmuseums of the worlds

biodiversity. Sadly this isnot enough because thesefacilities often dont havethe resources to sustainthe different species.


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Different strategies

Conservationists havecome up with strategies,for example; they focus on

entire ecosystems insteadof one single endangeredspecies. This way theyalso save most of thespecies in thatenvironment, instead of only the endangered or threatened ones.

Another strategy is to preserve native habitatsthat can be restored and

that make a hugecontribution to the worlds

biodiversity. Another strategy is to grow

products in places that are being used, instead of tearing down the trees and

building them there.


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Habitat Conservation Plan

When environmentalistsand developers debateabout endangered species

they reach a habitatconservation plan. Thismeans that they attempt to

protect one or morespecies across large areasof land through trade-offsor corporative agreements.


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Laws protecting biodiversity

Endangered Species Act-This act was passed in1973, it is designed to

protect plant and animallife in danger of becomingextinct. This means thatany person who uses one of the extinct species they

will get a fine. It means thatit is illegal for thegovernment to use thelisted endangered species if they jeopardize their

existence.


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Biodiversity Treaty

The Biodiversity Treaty-on the first Earth Summitmore than 100 worldleaders and to 30,00 other

participants met in 1992 inRio de Janeiro, Brazil toagree to this treaty. Thistreaty preserves

biodiversity and ensuresthe sustainable and fair use of genetic resources inall countries.


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Debates

Debates about conserving biodiversity have risen. Politicalgroups have objected to the Biodiversity Treaty because it prevents economic and trade agreements that might hurt or make a bad impact on biodiversity.


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Cooperation

But the greatest way to protect biodiversity isto make everyoneunderstands that everyspecies has a role in anecosystem, even

though at first it mayseem as if they areuseless.


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Simple sustainable living

Sustainability-thecondition in whichhuman needs are metin such a way that ahuman population cansurvive without

running out of resources.


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Is it important?

Sustainability isimportant to

biodiversity becausewhen we reach thislevel we wont have todestroy or use up the

species resources, andthen there will bemore biodiversity.


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Resources

http://www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au/landcaresa/galleries/biodiversity.htmlhttp://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=354

http://www.hewett.norfolk.sch.uk/curric/NewGeog/Habitats/life.htm

http://www.borealforest.org/world/mammals/wolverine.htmhttp://www.borealforest.org/www.google.comwww.yahoo.comwww.endangeredspecie.comwww.iucnredlist.org
http://www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au/landcaresa/galleries/biodiversity.htmlhttp://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=354http://www.borealforest.org/http://www.yahoo.com/http://www.endangeredspecie.com/http://www.endangeredspecie.com/http://www.yahoo.com/http://www.borealforest.org/http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=354http://www.dwlbc.sa.gov.au/landcaresa/galleries/biodiversity.html


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QUIZ!

What is a boreal forest?How are plants affected by a boreal

forests temperature?What is an example of a type of organismin a boreal forest and what is its role in its

ecosystem?

Documents

Boreal Zoologists