Announcements: Please go buy an iclicker at the bookstore (~$35) Will start using them next week. Disc. sections start next Tues.

Transcription

1 Announcements: Please go buy an iclicker at the bookstore (~$35) Will start using them next week Disc. sections start next Tues. at 2pm: Next week (Tues. 13 Jan.): Discussion of personal experiences relevant to the course. Following week (Tues. 20 Jan.): Effects of exotic species on species diversity* * Each student will hand in a one-page summary of a scientific paper. Your particular paper will be assigned in next week s discussion period. - See Tutorials section of website Discussion sections general information: Each week, we expect three things from you: (1) Presence. (2) Participation. (3) Conservation stories from the news media. WEEKLY ASSIGNMENT: CONSERVATION BIOLOGY IN THE NEWS And sometimes a fourth: (4) A paper summary or assignment (these will be assigned at the appropriate times) Details will be on the course website. 1

2 Mai Aoki Alice Cang Ishwarya Chaitanya Dennis Randall DeBell Stephanie Fletcher Justin Fung Emma Hodgson Yunn Chi Lam Rita Lo Alvin Lui Matt Peter Robinson Colleen Sanders Hannah Sungaila Carmina Tang William Tang Lauren Wright Vera Yang Discussion section 1 Biological Sciences 5460 Mark Vellend Discussion section 2 Biological Sciences 2449 Nicola Smith Christine Marie Chan Kenny Chow Amy Feng Marie-Josee Gagnon Sean Hurley Haley Kenyon Madiha Khan Emily Kupp James Lewis Jessica Michelle Nephin Chris Proctor Stephanie Rankine Eva Shaffer Rubina Sobhee Karen Wong Jacqueline Yim Discussion section 3 Wesbrook 201 Emily Drummond Christy Adair Karen Mary Ann Bentzen Jennifer Bryant Hannah Capstick Jessica Clements Anthony Ho Boaz Hung Eden Yuet Ying Hung Jennifer Lynn Mackinnon Kassandra Ellen McFarlane Janine McManus Sarah Nyrose Patricia Sun Akira Takahashi Mohammad Vahedifar Harry Wu COURSE SCHEDULE I. Foundations of discipline. II. Scientific underpinnings. III. Threats to biodiversity. IV. Solutions. V. Perspectives & case studies. Last time: Intro, Conservation Targets Today: Biodiversity; Define discipline, History of Conservation 2

3 Hierarchical components of biodiversity A narrower (and more scientifically useful) definition of biodiversity: The numbers and relative equitability of different biological variants found in a given place and time. Is it useful to use one word for all this stuff? Noss (1990) Conservation Biology 4: SPECIES DIVERSITY The number and relative frequencies of species in a given community. SPECIES RICHNESS The number of species SPECIES EVENNESS The equitability of abundance across species SPECIES RICHNESS 2 5 GENETIC DIVERSITY The number and relative frequencies of alleles/genotypes in a given population. ALLELIC RICHNESS The number of alleles HETEROZYGOSITY The probability that two alleles are different from eachother ALLELIC RICHNESS 2 5 SPECIES EVENNESS Low High Different color = different species How often does an individual have two different alleles instead of two of the same? HETEROZYGOSITY Low High Different color = different allele (each individual has two in diploid organisms) 3

4 What is conservation biology? Conservation Biology: Scientific discipline that draws on diverse fields to carry out research on biodiversity, identify threats to biodiversity, and play and active role in the preservation of biodiversity it differs from the applied disciplines in its emphasis on long-term preservation of the entire biological community accompanied by economic sustainability Primack (2008) A Primer of Conservation Biology Conservation Biology in the context of other disciplines Narrowly defined Social Science Economics Law Politics Ethics Biological Science Ecology Evolution Genetics CONSERVATION BIOLOGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Physical Science Climate Atmosphere Soil Oceans & Lakes Broadly defined Applied Science Forestry Fisheries Agriculture Land management see Conservation Biology, June 2006 The history of conservation (biology) Today each and every river and waterside of our realm, large and small, yields nothing due to the evil of fishers Placed restrictions on types of traps, nets, and seasons for fishing in 1289 King Philip IV, France ( ) Quoted in The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts Clive Hambler (2004), Conservation 4

5 The rescue and protection of these animals (giant tortoises) is recommended less on account of their utility than on account of the great scientific interest attached to them. The history of conservation in North America First Nations: relatively light footprint ; closely dependent on nature. (Megafaunal extinctions?) Early European settlers: nature feared, to be subdued; utilitarian value of nature recognized: game & vermin. Didn t take long for particular resources to be decimated in particular places e.g., beaver in the north, HBC With increasing prosperity and urbanization nature increasingly valued for recreation (rural-urban tension) Charles Darwin ( ) With increasing exploitation of landscape nature viewed as having inherent value Nature as enemy, provider, playground, and temple Bocking (2000) Biodiversity in Canada; Loo (2006) States of Nature Important figures in 19 th century American conservation The Romantic-Transcendental Conservation Ethic Important figures in 20 th century American conservation Henry David Thoreau ( ) Ralph Waldo Emerson ( ) Aldo Leopold ( ) The Evolutionary- Ecological Land Ethic Theodore Roosevelt ( ) and John Muir ( ) "Our position in the world has been attained by the extent and thoroughness of the control we have achieved over nature; but we are more, and not less, dependent upon what she furnishes than at any previous time of history." Roosevelt 1908 Gifford Pinchot ( ) The Resource Conservation Ethic 5

6 The history of conservation in Canada Utilitarian Conservation Ethic Romantic- Transcendental Conservation Ethic Evolutionary-Ecological Land Ethic 1800 s: Some control on consumption of some species (e.g., HBC) 1887: Banff National Park a tourist destination, not nature protection per se (later parks such as Algonquin aimed at timber management). 1909: Commission of Conservation efficiency of natural resource use. 1919: Point Pelee National Park focused on wildlife habitat (migratory birds) rather than commercial benefits. 1930: National Parks Act systematic protection from development. MODERN CONSERVATION Bocking (2000) Biodiversity in Canada; Loo (2006) States of Nature Silent Spring: a call to arms Rachel Carson ( ) 1962 Led to the Precautionary Principle: When an activity raises threats of harm to human health or the environment, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically Wingspread Conference, Farley Mowat A sentimental appeal to the new urban majority 6

7 1960s s: Fundamental biologists become conservation biologists 1980s - present: Students and researchers focus specifically on conservation biology Michael Soulé Jane Goodall E.O. Wilson David Suzuki Conservation Biology as a crisis discipline The history of conservation in Canada s: Some control on consumption of some species (e.g., HBC) 1887: Banff National Park a tourist destination, not nature protection per se (later parks such as Algonquin aimed at timber management). 1909: Commission of Conservation efficiency of natural resource use. 1919: Point Pelee National Park focused on wildlife habitat (migratory birds) rather than commercial benefits. 1930: National Parks Act systematic protection from development The Brundtland Report Earth Summit Rio de Janeiro (incl. Convention on Biological Diversity) Some recent landmarks in conservation 1971: Environment Canada a response to the global environmental movement Kyoto protocol 1977: Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) 1995: Canadian Biodiversity Strategy (response to 1992 Earth Summit) : Species At Risk Act 2005 Bocking (2000) Biodiversity in Canada; Loo (2006) States of Nature 7

8 Narrowly defined Social Science Economics Law Politics Ethics So, what is conservation biology? Biological Science Ecology Evolution Genetics CONSERVATION BIOLOGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Broadly defined Applied Science Forestry Fisheries Agriculture Land management (1948) 1938 Some important conservation organizations Physical Science Climate Atmosphere Soil Oceans & Lakes see Conservation Biology, June Lots of agencies & groups involved in conservation B.C. Waterfowl Society 8