Texas Natural RegionsTexas Natural Regions

Extinction RatesExtinction Rates

Background (natural) rate of extinctionBackground (natural) rate of extinction

Massextinction

Massextinction

Adaptiveradiations

Adaptiveradiations

Nu

mb

er o

f fa

mili

esN

um

ber

of

fam

ilies

of

mar

ine

anim

als

of

mar

ine

anim

als

Geological PeriodsGeological Periods

Millions of years agoMillions of years ago

Mass extinctions800800

600600

400400

200200

00570570 505505 438438 360360 286286 208208 144144 6565 00

CambrianCambrianOrdovicianOrdovician

SilurianSilurianDevonianDevonian

CarboniferousCarboniferous

PermianPermianTriassicTriassic

JurassicJurassicCretaceousCretaceous

TertiaryTertiaryQuaternaryQuaternary

?

408408 245245 22

Sustaining Wild SpeciesSustaining Wild Species

Brian Kaestner and Dr. Richard ClementsSaint Mary’s Hall and Chattanooga State Technical Community CollegeBrian Kaestner and Dr. Richard ClementsSaint Mary’s Hall and Chattanooga State Technical Community College

Why Should We Care About Biodiversity?Why Should We Care About Biodiversity?

Instrumental valueInstrumental value

Intrinsic valueIntrinsic value

Value of Nature

Instrumental Intrinsic

Utilitarian Nonutilitarian

(human centered) (species orecosystemcentered)

Goods

Ecological services

Information

Option

Recreation

Existence

Aesthetic

Bequest

Projected Status of Biodiversity1998–2018

Critical and endangered Threatened Stable or intact

ANTARCTICA

NORTHAMERICA

EUROPE

AFRICA

ASIA

SOUTHAMERICA AUSTRALIA

PacificOcean

Antarctic Circle

PacificOcean

Tropic Of Cancer

Tropic Of CapricornIndianOcean

AtlanticOcean

150°90°60°E0°30°W90°120°150°0°

60°

30°N

30°S

60°

Arctic CircleArctic Circle

Human Impacts on BiodiversityHuman Impacts on Biodiversity

Food supply and demand

Freshwatersupply and

demand

Forest productsupply and

demandClimate change

Biodiversity loss

Habitatchange

Changes intranspirationand albedo Loss

of cropgenetic

diversityReduced

resistanceto change

Loss andfragmentation

of habitat

CO2 emission

Habitat changeand fragmentation

of habitat

Changes inprecipitation

and temperature

Water availability

Water use and pollutionand soil nutrient loss

CO2, CH4,N2O emissions

Erosion,pollution, and

changes inwater flow

Loss and fragmentation

of habitat

Loss and fragmentation

of habitat

DeforestationDeforestationChanges inwater supply and

temperature

Changes inwater supply and

temperature

Decreasing BiodiversityDecreasing Biodiversity

Large environmental disturbanceLarge environmental disturbance

Introduction of alien speciesIntroduction of alien species

Geographic isolationGeographic isolation

Biome % of Area Disturbed

Temperate broadleaf forests

Temperate evergreen forests

Temperate grasslands

Mixed mountain systems

Tropical dry forests

Subtropical and temperate rain forests

Cold deserts and semidesert

Mixed island systems

Warm deserts and semideserts

Tropical humid forests

Tropical grasslands

Temperate Boreal forests

Tundra

94%

94%

72%

71%

70%

67%

55%

53%

44%

37%

26%

18%

0.7%

Increasing BiodiversityIncreasing Biodiversity

Physically diverse habitatPhysically diverse habitat

Moderate environmental disturbanceModerate environmental disturbance

US DiversityUS Diversity

67%Secure orapparently

secure

1% Other1% Other

16%16%VulnerableVulnerable

8%8%ImperiledImperiled

7%7%Critically Critically imperiledimperiled

1% 1% Probably extinctProbably extinct

U.S. Endangered Species #sU.S. Endangered Species #s

Texas Blind SalamanderTexas Blind Salamander

Species ExtinctionSpecies Extinction

Local extinctionLocal extinction

Ecological extinctionEcological extinction

Biological extinctionBiological extinction

Endangered and Threatened SpeciesEndangered and Threatened Species

Endangered speciesEndangered species

Threatened (vulnerable) speciesThreatened (vulnerable) species

Rare speciesRare species

Florida manatee

Northern spotted owl (threatened)

Gray wolf Florida panther Bannerman's turaco (Africa)

BadgerBadger

Anemone

Karner BlueKarner Blue

Hawaian Sea Turtle

CeratozamiaCeratozamia

Whooping Crane

Whooping Crane FlywayWhooping Crane Flyway

Pitcher PlantPitcher Plant

U.S. Endangered SpeciesU.S. Endangered Species

Characteristic Examples

Low reproductive rate(K-strategist)

Specialized niche

Narrow distribution

Feeds at high trophic level

Fixed migratory patterns

Rare

Commercially valuable

Large territories

Blue whale, giant panda,rhinoceros

Blue whale, giant panda,Everglades kite

Many island species,elephant seal, desert pupfish

Bengal tiger, bald eagle,grizzly bear

Blue whale, whooping crane,sea turtles

Many island species,African violet, some orchids

Snow leopard, tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, rare plants and birds

California condor, grizzly bear, Florida panther

Indian Tiger

Range 100 years ago

Range today(about 2,300 left)

Black Rhino

Range in 1700

Range today(about 2,400 left)

Causes of Premature Extinction of Wild SpeciesCauses of Premature Extinction of Wild Species

Habitat degradation

Habitat degradation

Introduction of non-native species

Introduction of non-native species

Overfishing

HabitatHabitatlossloss

Habitatdegradation

IntroducingIntroducingnonnativenonnativespeciesspecies

Commercialhunting

andpoaching

Sale ofexotic pets

anddecorative

plants

Predatorand

pest control

Pollution

Climatechange

Basic CausesBasic Causes• Population growthPopulation growth• Rising resource Rising resource

useuse• No environmental No environmental

accountingaccounting• PovertyPoverty

Type of Nonnative Organism Annual Losses and damagesCrop disease

Crop weeds

Rats

Feral cats and outdoor pet cats

Crop insects

Livestock diseases

Forest insects and diseases

Zebra mussels

Common pigeon

Formosan termite

Fishes

Asian clam

Feral pigs

Starlings

Fire ant

$23.5 billion

$23.5 billion

$19 billion

$17 billion

$14 billion

$9 billion

$4.8 billion

$3 billion

$1.1 billion

$1.1 billion

$1.1 billion

$1.1 billion

$0.8 billion

$0.8 billion

$0.6 billion

Kudzu UseKudzu Use

Chestnut Blight FungiChestnut Blight Fungi

Zebra MussleZebra Mussle

Zebra Mussle mapZebra Mussle map

1918

2000

Expansion of the fire ant in southern states.

Characteristics ofSuccessful

Invader Species

• High reproductive rate, short generation time (r-selected species)

• Pioneer species

• Long lived

• High dispersal rate

• Release growth- inhibiting chemicals into soil

• Generalists

• High genetic variability

Characteristics ofEcosystems Vulnerable

to Invader Species

• Similar climate to habitat of invader

• Absence of predators on invading species

• Early successional species

• Low diversity of native species

• Absence of fire

• Disturbed by human activities

Concentration of rare species

Low Moderate High

Top Six Hot Spots

1 Hawaii2 San Francisco Bay area3 Southern Appalachians4 Death Valley5 Southern California6 Florida Panhandle

4

5

2

6

3

1

Wildlife ManagementWildlife Management

Laws regulating hunting and fishingLaws regulating hunting and fishing

Harvest quotasHarvest quotas

Population management plantsPopulation management plants

Improving habitatImproving habitat

Treaties and laws for migrating speciesTreaties and laws for migrating species

Solutions: Protecting Wild Species from Depletion and ExtinctionSolutions: Protecting Wild Species from Depletion and Extinction

Bioinformatics Bioinformatics

International Treaties: CITES International Treaties: CITES

National Laws: Lacey ActEndangered Species

Act

National Laws: Lacey ActEndangered Species

Act Habitat conservation plans Habitat conservation plans

Wildlife refuges and protected areas Wildlife refuges and protected areas

Zoos, botanical gardens, and gene banks Zoos, botanical gardens, and gene banks

Strategies for Protecting Biodiversity

Strategies for Protecting Biodiversity

Species approachSpecies approach

Ecosystem approach

Ecosystem approach

The Species ApproachThe Species Approach The Ecosystem ApproachThe Ecosystem Approach

Goal

Protect species frompremature extinction

Strategies

• Identify endangered species

• Protect their critical habitats

Tactics

• Legally protect endangered species

• Manage habitat

• Propagate endangered species in captivity

• Reintroduce species into suitable habitats

Goal

Protect populations ofspecies in their naturalhabitats

Strategy

Preserve sufficient areasof habitats in differentbiomes and aquaticsystems

Tactics

• Protect habitat areas through private purchase or government action

• Eliminate or reduce populations of alien species from protected areas

• Manage protected areas to sustain native species

• Restore degraded ecosystems