This document provides notes on various lectures through Ecology 1000, an intro level ecology class. The notes go in depth about conservation of protected areas, climate change, policy, environmental science, evidence of global warming, the Keeling curve, stable isotope fragmentation, and more. Goo...
Lecture 16 (Conservation of Protected Areas) through Lecture 20 (Climate Change Policy
& Solutions)
Lecture 16
Habitat reduction and fragmentation
- Atlantic coast forests in Brazil
- Loss of many endemic species and others are threatened (golden lion tamarin)
- Decline of forests in eastern Madagascar (loss of > 90% forest cover)
- For today:
- What value is there in designating “protected areas”
- How can we achieve the goal of increasing the scope of protected areas
- What role do economic incentives play in this goal of habitat protection
Two approaches to conservation
- 1. Single species approach - flagship species - species selected to act as an ambassador or
symbol for a defined habitat, issue, or environmental cause
- By focusing on and achieving conservation for the species, many other species
which share its habitat (or are vulnerable to the same threats) may also benefit
- Flagship species are usually ‘charismatic’ so cute and likeable
- However flagship species may or may not be good indicators of biological
processes or environmental health
- Focus on specific threats to those individuals, and possibly implement captive
breeding/reintroduction programs
- Oftentimes successful, but usually costly. And what if the captive breeding
succeeds, but the habitat is lost?
- 2. Ecosystem approach is increasingly supported
- Identify entire ecosystems, and take steps to protect or restore
- Protect large regions of habitat, and the species will benefit by default
- Biodiversity hotspots vs. percentage protected areas
- Costa Rica stands as an internationally recognized model for protected land and
habitat conservation
- >25% of country is protected through National Parks and Reserves
- How did they achieve success - concentration of 4 areas: procured funds &
personnel, obtained national and international support, developed
conservation education programs, passed environmental legislation
- Much of the world’s biodiversity is found in the economically poorest countries
- Therefore, habitat exploitation (e.g. logging, mining, etc.) is a problem
- How can we encourage economic development while protecting the
natural world?
- Give economic incentives for conserving natural systems
, - Example 1: ecotourism
- Sustainable tourism should
- Encourage biological and cultural diversity by protecting habitat
- Promote sustainable use of biodiversity by locals
- Share economic benefits with local community
- Minimize its own impacts
- Potential pitfalls include negative impacts on environment, financial
benefits not staying with local communities
- Example 2: debt for nature swaps
- Developing countries often carry large amounts of debt to wealthy nations,
with habitat exploited to pay interest and debt
- Example: debtor country owes creditor country $2 million, and likely will
default on loan - donor buys debt from creditor country at a discount (at
least the creditor gets something) - donor gives debtor country the
cancelled debt and debtor country uses some agreed upon $ amount for
conservation project
- Plans to protect habitat and biodiversity must incorporate entire landscape,
including humans; preserves and protected areas cannot be successful if
nearby inhabitants are in poverty
- Integrated conservation and development projects include protection of
wildlife and improvement of living standards for locals
- Provide incentives - hire previous poachers as guards, money from
ecotourism goes in their pockets
- Bird’s head peninsula new guinea is one of the largest tropical forests remaining
- Essential habitat for immense diversity but threatened by mining, hunting,
logging
- Birdwing butterflies are huge insects prized by collectors, global sales
restricted
- Locals poached and sold birdwings through black market with no concern
for their long term survival
- Butterfly ranching - Hatam recognized that birdwing used the forest
throughout its life - began planting species of plants for the larvae to feed
on
- WWF obtained permits for sale of butterflies, Hatam raised raised
butterflies, sold adults through WWF, allowed others to return to forest
Review
- Marine mammals protection act - protects all marine mammals (no killing, capture, or
harassment w/o authorization)
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