Exam 1 Flashcards
(44 cards)
Biological Conservation
sustainable use of biological resources to avoid their disappearance and ensure they are there for future use
Conservation Biology
application of biological knowledge to sustain biodiversity and the discovery of such knowledge
5 Key Principles of Conservation Biology
- diversity of species should be preserved
- avoid untimely extinction
- maintain ecological complexity
- evolution should continue
- diversity has intrinsic value
Common losses to biodiversity
- increased population
- loss of habitat/natural land
- increasing extraction of natural resources
- high extinction rates
Intrinsic Value
- value of the thing just for existing (not monetarily).
- this leads to sustainable use
Extrinsic Value
- value of the resource only when used anthropocentrically
- leads to over exploitation, immediate and over consumption, loss of biodiversity
Homestead Act of 1862
- govt gave land to ppl to encourage them to explore the west
- lead to the exploration of Yellowstone and eventually the first national park
John Muir
- helped establish yellowstone
- got the govt to protect pretty land (Yellowstone) from private profiteers
- preservationist ethic
- visit it, view it, leave it alone
Preservationist Ethic
idea that intrinsic value is more important than extrinsic
Gifford Pinchot
- director of forest services
- protected nature during the industrial age
- max sustainable use & multiple use
- pro consumptive and non consumptive uses
Maximum Sustainable Ethic
resources should be extracted at the rate equal to the natural renewal rate
Multiple Use
public land should be used for a variety of purposes (recreation, research, resources)
- some given higher priority than others
Aldo Leopold
preserve wilderness for intrinsic value
Rachel Carson
wrote silent spring, brought public attention to degradation of the environment
Summary
- conservation and intrinsic value are becoming more understood/accepted
- public & science & gov’t support conservation
Biodiversity
the variety of life in a certain place or on the entire planet
Externality
the hidden cost of extracting a resource, or engaging in economic activity based on a resource
- can be positive or negative
- “hidden” cost is not evaluated i.e. the benefit, cost, and value of an area
- “cost of doing #1 is that you then can’t do option #2-4”
Tragedy of the commons
when a community resource is freely used by all but gets taken advantage of and then can benefit no one
Can countries protect biodiversity, be sustainable, and economically competitive?
Yes! Sustainability can increase with a countries growing economic well-being
Direct use value
the marketplace value of a harvested / extracted resource, whether sold or consumed immediately
Indirect use value
the value of a resource as determined by the benefits that it currently provides (without being harvested)
Option value
the value of the resource at some point in the future, if a new use/benefit is discovered
Existence value
the monetary value of the resource to exist, without being destroyed.
- different from intrinsic value because it can be assigned a $$ amount
Direct Use - food
- most energy consumed by humans is from agriculture products
- selective breeding for domestic plants/animals = less biodiversity
- most important crops = rice, potatoes, wheat, corn
