I. BIODIVERSITY

A. History of biodiversity (and extinction) on earth

B. Where is biodiversity on earth and why?

C. How many species do we have?

D. Extinction today (Mon and Wed)

E. Relationships between ecosystem functioning, ecosystem services and biodiversity.

D. Extinction!

1. Terms…

• Extinct vs Extant

• Extinct in wild

• Globally vs Locally extinct or extirpated

• Ecologically extinct

• Economically extinct

2. Categorizing species

States “List” Species (MN)

•Endangered-in danger of extinction through sig. portion of their range.•Threatened-likely to become endangered in foreseeable future•Special Concern-problems suspected but not confirmed

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/ets/endlist.pdf

Federal Govt “Lists” Species (US)•Endangered=near extinction•Threatened=likely to be come endangered in near future•Candidate species=need to be looked at

A “listed species” means it is either endangered or threatened.

IUCN “Lists” Species (EX and EW)(International Union for Conservation of Nature)

Threatened•Critically Endangered-extreme risk (.5 in 10yrs or 3 generations)

•Endangered-high risk (.2 in 20yrs or 5 generations)•Vulnerable-likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening it improve (.10 over 100yrs)Two categories of lower risk

Near Threatened-likely to become endangeredLeast Concern

An “Other” category (Data Deficient, Not Evaluated)

The list for US contains species from other countries!!!????

Why List Foreign Species?The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires the Service to list species as endangered or threatened regardless of which country the species lives in. Benefits to the species include prohibitions on certain activities including import, export, take, commercial activity, interstate commerce, and foreign commerce. By regulating activities, the United States ensures that people under the jurisdiction of the United States do not contribute to the further decline of listed species.

fws.gov

Philippines Tarsier

South American Tapir

Tasmanian tiger (endangered)

3. Timing of getting on list

At what point do we put organisms in the extinct category?

How long do we have to wait…?

Pygmy tarsier The last one spotted alive was in 1921 were rediscovered when two Indonesian scientists trapping rats accidentally trapped and killed one in 2000

Dwarf cloud rats …seen by a British researcher in 1896 who was given several specimens by local people,

Recently rediscovered on a different mountain (first location seen was completely logged)-Field Museum Chicago

4. What about loss of populations?

Less dramatic are local extinctions or extirpations…

Widespread species …now restricted to a few small pockets of their former habitat.

burying beetle..

Historically found all over east and midwest..

•1790 - Nicrophorus americanus described from a specimen collected in "Ame’rique, New Jersey”•1974 - Last known mainland occurrence of the ABB east of the Mississippi River collected near Old Man’s Cave in Hocking Co., Ohio•1989 - Became first beetle added to the Endangered Species List, only known populations in Block Island, Rhode Island and Oklahoma•1991 - ABB recovery plan approved.•1991 - Captive breeding program began at the Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio•1994 - Captive breeding program began at the Roger Williams Park Zoo, Rhode Island•1994 - ABB reintroduction program initiated on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts•1998 - ABB reintroduction program initiated in Ohio. Wild ABBs collected from Fort Chaffee, Arkansas and released into southeastern Ohio

www. fws.gov

Greater Prairie-Chicken(Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus)

http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/blackfootedferret/

5. Who has gone extinct? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_extinct_species

http://aso.gov.au/titles/historical/tasmanian-tiger-footage/clip1/

http://globalrumblings.blogspot.com/2012/11/pole-shift-cloning-huge-ancient-animals.html

5. Who has gone extinct?

Diprotodon, a member of the Australian megafauna known as the Giant Wombat (Peter Trusler / Museum Victoriahttp://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/article00229.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2119278/Hunting-caused-megafauna-extinction-Australias-giant-kangaroos-killed-humans-climate-change.htmlDodo mauritius

http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m66l2lnSwY1qkd7h4o1_1280.jpg