Minimod 6 - Conservation Biology Flashcards
(40 cards)
What is conservation biology?
Addresses the dynamics and problems of perturbed species, communities and ecosystems
- synthetic, eclectic and multidisciplinary
- value driven and solid scientific foundation
What are normative postulates?
- diversity of organisms is good (therefore extinction is bad)
- ecological complexity is good
- evolution is good
- biotic diversity has intrinsic value
What are functional postulates?
Natural communities are the products of coevolutionary processes
- species are interdependent
- many species are highly specialised
- extinctions of keystone species can have long range consequences
- introductions of generalists may reduce diversity
Ecological processes have thresholds beyond which they break down
- temporal continuity of habitats depends on size
- outbursts reduce diversity
What is meant by flagship species?
Charismatic species (often large vertebrate), used to anchor a conservation campaign. Arouses public interest and sympathy.
What is an indicator?
Presence or absence, population density, reproductive success are used to monitor attributes too difficult, inconvenient or expensive to measure for other species or environmental conditions of interest
What are key stone species?
Species which has impacts on others, far beyond what might be expected from a consideration of its biomass or abundance. Ecological facilitators.
What are umbrella species?
A species that needs such large tracts of (threatened/rare) habitat, that saving it will automatically save may other species.
How can indicator species be used in environmental monitoring for contaminants?
- substances accumulate towards the end of the food chain (higher concentrations at higher trophic levels)
- higher detectability at higher concentrations
- more likely to show fitness/ phenotypic effects at top of food chain
What are the underlying goals and principles of conservation biology?
Preventing extinctions of species (locally and globally): central to conservation biology.
However, biological diversity is also being lost in other ways
- prevent population declines
- avoid genetic impoverishment
- maintain ecosystem functions
What are the motivations to conserve biodiversity?
Aesthetic reasons (intrinsic value)
Moral/ethical reasons (responsibility)
Economic reasons (financial justification)
Ecosystem services (wider societal benefit)
Ecological integrity
Example of monetising biodiversity - whaling
- IWC Moratorium (1986) - but whale hunting permits (2000 whales/yr)
Ethical and management issues -
- legitimise whaling
- failed 2010 compromise due to ideological differences
Current situation -
- lack of effective regulation leads to continued (or increasing) whaling
Are things getting better?
- global biodiversity targets not being met
- is the response to the crisis insufficient/ineffective
- meta-analysis
- counterfactual approach
What is absolute positive impact?
Intervention improves state of biodiversity compared with counterfactual
What is relative positive impact?
Intervention slows decline in biodiversity compared with counterfactual
What is relative negative impact?
Counterfactual shows greater improvements in biodiversity than intervention.
What is absolute negative impact?
Biodiversity declines following intervention compared with counterfactual
Why is microorganism species conservation important?
- production of breathable oxygen
- improved agricultural productivity by plant growth promotion and disease suppression
- degradation of complex organics
- solid waste management
- generation of clean energy
- global climate change
- development of animal, plant and human diseases are directly or indirectly related to microbes
Definition of extinct?
No reasonable doubt that the last animal has died.
Definition of extinct in the wild?
In captivity or cultivation, but exhaustive surveys have not found it in the wild
What is the definition of critically endangered?
90% reduction in population over lat 3 generations or 10 years (causes reversible, stopped), occurs over less than 1000km2 in fragmented habitat or where extreme fluctuations occur or where the decline is continuing
Definition of endangered?
70% reduction over last 3 generations.
Definition of vulnerable? (VU)
> 50% reduction
Definition of near threatened? (NT)
Does not qualify for VU status but close in one of the other 3 areas
What is the definition of least concern (LC)
Does not qualify for NT but is judged meriting conversation observation
