Chapter 42

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Preserving biodiversity
Humans simply cannot live without a rich array of other species, both obvious and unseen We use other organisms for food, shelter, energy, clothing, drugs Microbes digest food in our intestines, decay organic matter, fix nitrogen

 Biodiversity variety of life on Earth Many biologists are concerned that Earth is in the middle of a biodiversity crisis Current extinction rate 100-1000 times the background extinction rate Conservation biologists study the preservation of biodiversity
Why are species disappearing Develop strategies to maintain diversity

 Habitat destruction is the primary cause of diminishing biodiversity Deforestation

Soil erosion and water pollution increase Removes important component of global water cycle Releases stored carbon promoting greenhouse effect

Desertification desert areas expanding

 Freshwater habitats also vulnerable Damming for flood control or power generation alters river ecosystems Water temperature, oxygen content, and nutrient levels change Fish migration disrupted

 Aral sea Once the worlds 4th largest lake 1920s water removed to irrigate crops Water removed faster than replenished Only 3 small remnants remain Water salty and fertilizer contaminated

 Pollution any chemical or biological change in the environment that harms living organisms Air pollution
Smog forms visible haze in the lower atmosphere Suspended particulates of road dust, soot, mold may cause lung damage

 Acid deposition
Form of air pollution All rainfall is slightly acidic (pH 5.6) Sulfur and nitrogen oxides form sulfuric acid and nitric acid Coal-burning power plants primary source Average rainfall in eastern U.S. pH 4.4 Acid can leach toxic metals from soils and sediments

 Ozone
Harmful pollutant at Earths surface Blocks UV rays in upper atmosphere Ozone layer forms when UV radiation reacts with oxygen (O2) Ozone layer has thinned in places - hole over Antarctica Chlorofluorocarbons persist for decades destroying ozone Loss of the ozone layer can cause cancer or increase species extinctions

 Water pollution Eutrophication nitrogen and phosphorus fertilize algae in the water, cause bloom, deplete oxygen Toxic chemicals mercury, cyanide, persistent organic pollutants Hurricane Katrina in 2005 released many pollutants

Global climate change

Greenhouse effect
Increase in surface temperature caused by heat trapping gases in Earths atmosphere Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases absorb radiation and reradiate it back toward Earth Block heat escape

 CO2 steadily accumulated in atmosphere since monitoring began in 1950s Accompanied by increase in average global temperatures Trend predicted to continue Global average surface temperature could rise 1.84.0C by the end of the 21st century

 Increase may seem small 2.5C warming of 20th century associated with shrinking of Arctic sea ice and glaciers Evidence is mounting that species ranges are changing
Butterfly habitats shifting north Animals mating a few days earlier Migration routes shifting Coral bleaching

Exotic invaders and overexploitation

Introduced species humans brought to an area where it did not previously occur
Intentional or unintentional Some dont cause obvious problems house sparrow brought from Europe in 1850s Invasive breeds and spreads widely causing harm to environment, human health, or economy
Brown tree snake in Guam Zebra mussels in Great Lakes

 Marine toad in Florida Hydrilla in lakes and rivers Purple loosestrife in wetlands Gypsy moth in trees Fungi killing American chestnut and American elm trees

 Overexploitation 3rd most common cause of extinction Harvesting a species faster than it can reproduce Pet trade Overhunting Ocean fisheries collapse
By-catch nontarget species caught and killed

Recovery
Pressure on natural resources will only grow as human population grows One key may be to slow human population growth Endangered Species Act of 1973 has allowed for recovery of some species

 Preserving critical habitats from destruction, invasive species, and overexploitation Saves not just one species but all the others that share that habitat Red-cockaded woodpecker

 All conservation efforts require a scientific approach Taxonomists must catalog all organisms not just vertebrates and plants Not every question has a scientific answer
Are all species worth saving? How much money should we spend? Should developed countries help poor countries?

Investigating life: The case of the missing frogs

Worldwide decline of amphibians About 1/3 have declined Pollution, habitat loss, overhunting But some losses are in pristine habitats Harlequin frogs in Costa Rica

Populations relatively easy to monitor Brightly colored and active during day Looked closely at databases of observations None of the extinct species were from lowland areas (less than 200 m elevation) Most vulnerable species occupied the middle elevations between 1000-2400 m Coincided with a time of increasing temperature in the tropics
Increases fog in vulnerable habitat making for cooler days and warmer nights

 New conditions made the amphibians more susceptible to skin disease by fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Fungus likes cooler days and warmer nights Additional cloud cover made it difficult for frogs to find sun to raise skin temperature and kill fungus Concluded higher temperatures in tropics created conditions favoring spread of skin disease that killed frogs