Conservation ScienceMay Faulk

Extinctions, conservation science and biodiversity There may be from 8-100 million species on Earth actual

amounts are still unknown only 1 percent of plants have been investigated from 250,000 species.

Extinction rates between 50-150 species per day Using an estimate of 10 million species about .2-.6

percent are lost each year

When today’s high school students are grandparents more than half of the species on earth may be gone if we continue the extinction rate of species at its present rate.

Source Norman Myers author of article ‘What’s this Biodiversity and What’s it Done for Us today?’

Conservation Science Developed throughout the 20th century 1867 term ‘oecology’ developed by Ernest

Haeckel to describe Darwin’s ideas or the relationship between species and their environment

1890 European and American scientists called themselves ecologists (study communities of both animals and plants) differed from both zoologists and botanists

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/haeckel.html

Two opposing views From 1874-1945 Fredrick Clements Plant associations

have a stable climax that leads to succession

After WWII (1945-- Henry Gleason Change in

communities continuous

Interest in individual species rather than communities

After WWII a new environmental movement changes American culture in regard to ecology and science.

Environmental advocates did not trust scientists would be a benefit to wilderness because… By 1947 U.S produced ___________ lbs of DDT 124,258,00 198, 589,00 637,666,00

True or False In the town of Donora PA a deadly smog killed 20 people and 6000 people became sick?

.

From the 1940s -1960s Two types of scientists existed

Ecologists Aldo Leopold -forest management Rachel Carson -marine biologist Paul Ehrlick -entomologist E.O Wilson -entomologist

Scientists who worked for commercial industries

that produced atomic bombs, pesticides, herbicides, medical and biological warfare

“That land is a community is the basic concept of ecology, but that the land is to be loved and respected is an extension of ethics.” Aldo Leopold,source: http://aldoleopold.org/AldoLeopold/AldoLeopold.pdf Sand County Almanac:

widely read from 1940s-1970 and today

1947 Aldo Leopold became president of the Ecological Society of America

Educating the publicIn the 1950s and early 1960s People wanted to remember a romantic past Ignore devastation of landscape by pesticides,

land pollution to include industrial air and water pollution

Celebrated the life of John Muir The mid 1960s began the “age of ecology” (Lewis, 2007, p.207) Why did it take so long for the public to become

involved with environmental issues? Eventually the environmental movement began to

educate people on scientific and ecological terms carrying capacity, invasive species, extinctions and

biodiversity because of these voices

Rachel Carson

1962- Silent Spring One of few scientists to

work with environmentalists

Started public outcry and advocacy against human pesticides use and its destructive role on humans and ecosystem

By 1972 the Federal Government banned

DDT. Source. www.fws.gov/rachelcarson from Hawk Mountain, PA

www.amazon.com

Paul Ehrlich: The Population Bomb

www. amazon.com

Ecologist, entomologist and environmental advocate

Explained that humans were overpopulating the earth

Public wanted more information on scientific and environmental topics

These scientists shaped the Scientific Design of Wilderness Reserves E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Worked with

insects

Jared Diamond Edge effect Worked with birds

E.O. Wilson and Robert MacArther (Theory of Island Biodiversity 1967) The species area curve

showed direct correlation between area of island and amount of species diversity in plant and animal life on it.

1969-1975 Ecologists and environmentalist cited E.O. Wilson’s work to advocate for preserving large nature reserves rather than small ones in order to save as many species as possible

His books have influenced conservation science Theory of Island

Biodiversity-1967 Biophiia-1984 Diversity of Life-1992 Future of Life—2002

Joined boards such as Conservation International, American Museum of Natural History, World Wildlife, and the Nature ConservancyWhy did E.O Wilson become an Environmental Advocate?

Norman Myers- The Sinking Ark: a New Look at the Problem of Disappearing Species-1979 After this book was

published many scientist left their former stance of objectivity and became environmental advocates including E.O Wilson

Joined boards on conservation organization

Published articles in popular magazines

Wrote books on multiple topics in conservation

Book informed the public and scientific community

1% of global rainforests gone and more than 1 million species will be lost between 1975-2000.

Scientific Design of wilderness areas: Keystone species or umbrella species 1970-1980 Minimum viable

population of species for gene diversity

Save wilderness for large carnivores like mountain lions and bears

Easy to gain support with environmental advocacy for wolves, bears, tigers etc.

Species need broad range each mountain lion needs 25 sq. kms. 500 left25 sq. kms X 500 = 13,0000 kms. or size of CT

Edge Effect and SLOSS preservation Jared Diamond

stated ‘edge effect’ different species on edge of forest verses other species in the interior for example oven bird

Single large or several small microhabitats ---save as much diversity as possible

Two types of Ecology

Conservation Biology

1. Which category would have the Tijuana River Estuary? 3. Which category would have Rocking the Boat?

Hint: Bronx, NY

Restoration Ecology

2. Which category would study a wood frog in a vernal pool? 4. Which category would study a oven bird in its natural habitat?

Society for Conservation Biology Began in 1986 by Michael Soule Goal promote large areas of interconnected

wilderness and species biodiversity Mission: The Society for Conservation Biology

advances the science and practice of conserving Earth's biological diversity.

Society for conservation biology http://www.conbio.org/AboutUs/

Society for Ecological Restoration Founded 1987 Main focus on plant studiesGoals Restore specific species Communities Ecosystems

www. googleimages.com

Match author to book Leopold E.O Wilson Ehrlich Norman Myers Rachel Carson Robert Mac Arthur

Silent Spring The Population

Bomb Island Biodiversity The Sinking Ark a

New Look at Disappearing Species

Sand County Almanac

Conservation and ecological science Contributed knowledge to all Americans Americans used it to conserve wilderness Science has shaped attitudes about wilderness Direct affect on how Americans “understand, manage

and preserve wilderness” (Lewis, p. 207, 2007) Ecology study interactions among community of

species Human influences on nature undesirable Preservation of large wilderness verses small wilderness

areas Humans depend on nature and biodiversity for survival

yet continue to threaten it and their own existence.

References Carson, R. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service retrieved on October 31, 2011 from http://www.fws.gov/rachelcarson/#bio

Clements, F. United States Department of History retrieved on Nov 1, 2011 from http://www.history.ucsb.edu/projects/westcampus/clements/bio.htm

Diamond, J. photo retrieved on Nov 1,2011 from www. wikipedia

Hackel E. University of Berkley retrieved on Oct 31 from http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/haeckel.html

Erhlick, P. book picture retrieved on Nov 1, 2011 from www.amozon.com

Kline, B. (20i1). First along the river. Lanham; MD: Rowman and Littlefield

Leopold,A Aldo Leopold Foundation retrieved on Oct 27, 2011 from http://aldoleopold.org/AldoLeopold/leopold_bio.shtml

Lewis, M. (2007). American wilderness A new history New York: Oxford.

Mountain lion photo retrieved on Nov 1, 2011 from www.images.search yahoo.com

Secession landscape retrieved on Nov 1, 2011 photohttp://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/images/succession.gif

Society for conservation biology retrieved on October 27, 2011 from //www.conbio.org/AboutUs

Wilson, E.O photo retrieved on October 27, from http://www.eowilson.org

Wilson, E. O. Biophilia Center at Nokuse Plantation retrieved on October 27, 2011 from

http://eowilsoncenter.org/viewphotos.html Wilson, E. O. Academy of Achievement. Museum of Living

History. Washington D.C. E.O Wilson retrieved on October 27, 2011

http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/wil2gal-1