Conservation Biology: scope and meaning

Bio 415/615

Objectives

• Understand ecological science underlying conservation: population dynamics, island biogeography, etc.

• Understand why conservation is an important human endeavor

• Understand why conservation involves probability, uncertainty, good data

• Gain facility with scientific literature

Grading

• Four in-class quizzes (5% each, best 3)

• Writing assignment (15%)• Midterm Exam (35%): March 7• Final Exam (35%): May 7

Reading Assignments

• Required scientific papers for each class• Consult the course webpage frequently:

plantecology.syr.edu/conbio/conbio.html• Sometimes just for background• Often to stimulate class discussion• Stay on top of the reading!• Quizzes will focus on content of readings

Participate in class discussion!

Writing assignment

• Narrative response to a primary research paper, chosen by you

• 3 pages• Consult syllabus for where to find

papers• Due on or before April 2

Extra credit

• Attend a research seminar that relates to conservation biology, ecology, or environmental science (with 1-paragraph synopsis)

• Each synopsis counts ½% final grade (2% max)

• Many biology seminars this semester

Questions to start each class

TODAY:1. Why are you in this class?2. Why does this course exist?3. How old are concepts of

‘conservation’ and ‘biodiversity’?4. How much of the world’s land area

is managed by people?5. What is Nero’s Dilemma?

Why are we here?

Why are we here?

World population growth

10,000 BC: 4 million

1 AD: 200 million

1750: 760 million

1950: 2.5 billion

NOW

2050: 9-12 billion? (UN)

• Direct (food, fuel, fiber, timber): 3%• + Co-opted (cleared forests, ag

byproducts, etc): 30%• + Foregone (lost due to overuse:

farmland to cities, desertification, overgrazing, etc): 40% (terrestrial), or 28% when marine systems added

(1986)

• Less than 1% of all water on earth potentially accessible

• How much water needed to support the biomass figures of Vitousek et al.?

(2g biomass per kg water)• 26% runoff and 54% ET (rain) used in

1997… total of 70% of available runoff by 2025?

(1996)

How much land to humans use?

FAO: Food and Agricultural Organization (UN) • Urban/settlement: 3%• Cropland: 12%• Pasture: 27%• Forest plantation: 2%• Managed forests: 20%

– TOTAL: About 64% global land area used directly by people

Compare to:• ‘Unfavorable land’ (desert, tundra, alpine): 30%• ‘Undisturbed’ forest (WRI 1997): 7%

Is the Earth described by these biomes…

Or these anthropogenic biomes?

Ellis and Ramankutty (2008) Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

In 2013, the Earth:1. Is populated by 7 billion humans, or 1 for

every 150x150m land area (~campus quad). Note 30% of that land is ‘barren’.

2. Is almost completely transformed by human culture (<7% of ‘pristine’ ecosystems remain).

3. Has about half of its incoming solar energy trapped by plants used by humans, and even more of its freshwater.

There are anywhere from 2 to 100 million additional species on Earth. Where do they fit?

Conservation Biology

• Science necessary to make decisions about preserving the structure and function of the Earth’s biodiversity.

• BUT proper decisions also require knowledge of economics, development, policy, law, sociology, psychology

Conservation Biology

• “Conservation biology” gained use in the early 1980s (along with “biodiversity”).

• Society of Conservation Biology founded in 1985: www.conbio.org

• Antecedents older, but not that old:– Island biogeography: 1967– Population biology: mid-20th century– 1st National Park (ever!): 1872– Wildlife management: early 20th century

Course themes

• Small, declining populations• Fragmented habitats• Metapopulations• Genetics• Communities, ecosystems,

landscapes• Rapid environmental change

Conservation biology: a ‘crisis discipline’?

• Driven by events (crises)• Value-laden• Mission-driven• Advocacy-oriented• Risks of inaction may be greater than

inappropriate action. (eg, warfare)

Nero’s Dilemma“Nero fiddled while Rome burned”

Michael Soule (1986)• As threats to biodiversity increase,

managers are being asked to make important and irreversible decisions based on very limited information.

“In conservation, dithering and endangering are often linked.”

Leopold’s First Law of Tinkering

“To save every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.”

Course format

• Ecology 101: biodiversity, biogeography, relative abundance, population biology

• Ethics and history• Advanced topics: spatial processes,

decision theory• Threats and mitigation: habitat loss,

invasive species, climate change, restoration