Primack Ch1 Meine et al Ecological Footprint. P.S. Learn the metric system. Lecture 02, 27 Aug 2009 ConBio, Footprint. 506 meet at 1505h today

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1 Lecture 02, 27 Aug 2009 ConBio, Footprint Conservation Biology ECOL 406R/506R University of Arizona Fall 2009 Kevin Bonine Mary Jane Epps 506 meet at 1505h today Primack Ch1 Meine et al Upcoming Readings Tues 01 Sept: Primack Ch1, pp of Ch3 Leopold readings (see website) Optional: Callicott 1997 (from Meffe and Carroll) Thurs 03 Sept: Primack Ch2, Myers et al st Lab tomorrow 1pm northwest corner BSE 1 Conservation Biology 406L/506L Lab Friday (tomorrow) 1pm NW corner BSE (~4th and Highland) Hat, water, sunscreen, close-toed shoes Readings on Course Website 28 Aug. Tumamoc Hill and Introduction, VAN ecological research, study plots, geology, Tucson basin, desert vegetation, introductions and schedules 2 1 ha = 2.47 acres P.S. Learn the metric system 3 Miller, Def: Number of productive acres (fishing grounds, forests, agricultural fields) needed to maintain a given lifestyle Kevin Bonine USA 23 August Driving (roads, vehicles, fuel, etc.) -Housing (land and resources for construction) -Food (land, transport, inputs, trophic level) -Other goods and services In 2002 model US citizens used 24 acres/person on average (Canadians 17, Italians 9, Pakistanis 2) As of ~2002 model, planet has about 4.5 acres/person Sustainability? (1 acre = hectare) 5 6 1

2 Kevin Bonine Peru 23 August 2007 Contribution to Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Global Warming ~ 2.8 x 2.47 = 6.9 acres Infrastructure and Lifestyle 7 Miller, Your assignment for today was: For Thursday, please calculate your ecological footprint TWICE: Once for your life here in the U.S. A second time using the same information, but choose a different country. Frequently Asked Questions re: : Bring the Numbers to Class on Thursday. Convert to Hectares. 9 Largest? Smallest? Other countries? Direction of difference? Magnitude of difference? 10 Global Average Kevin, U.S. Aug 2008 If everyone on the planet lived my lifestyle, we would need: 5.05 Earths

3 What do the data tell us? Name US Footprint (ha) Other Footprint (ha) Kevin B. Mike Todd I Nathan Anne Glen Amanda Kevin Jherimie Meryl Kim Phuong Ursula Dan Dan Antjie Kim Hitomi Amy Zach Andrew Ashwin Brandon Lauren Mackenzie Isabel Kal Roberto for 28 Kevin, Botswana Aug 2008 If everyone on the planet lived my lifestyle, in Botswana in greece we would need: 1.20 earths italy China 5.18 Tanzania 36.5 Finland 9.44 Kenya 22.3 Guatemala 2.8 Jamaica Switzerland 7.14 Vietnam 5.39 Vietnam Argentina Namibia 4.05 Afghanistan Germany 24.8 China Japan Czech Argentina Australia 3.79 India Swaziland Spain Thailand Japan Botswana Japan mas o menos Social Issues Related to Conservation Biology are Challenging There are only global hectares available per person on a renewable basis. This means we are overshooting the Earth's biological capacity by nearly 50%. To sustain present levels of consumption, we would need: The big choices seem to matter the most: -transportation -food (unprocessed, local, trophic level) -housing -reproduction Recycling etc. important, but not as big an impact Paper or Plastic? - Bring your own /15.71 = Reproduction -Housing -Travel -Food -Etc. Developed Countries 1.2 billion people (~19%) high average per capita purchasing power have 85% world s wealth use 88% natural resources generate 75% waste and pollution (Commoner, Ehrlich, early 1970s) I = P A T Environmental Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology (of a society) (consumption) 17 Developing Countries 81% of the people have 15% world s wealth use 12% world s natural resources produce 25% waste and pollution Poor parents in a developing country need to have children to equal the impact of 2 U.S. children 18 3

4 One of Commoner's lasting legacies is his four laws of ecology, as written in The Closing Circle in The four laws are: 1. Everything is Connected to Everything Else. There is one ecosphere for all living organisms and what affects one, affects all. 2. Everything Must Go Somewhere. There is no "waste" in nature and there is no away to which things can be thrown. 3. Nature Knows Best. Humankind has fashioned technology to improve upon nature, but such change in a natural system is, says Commoner, likely to be detrimental to that system. 4. There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch. In nature, both sides of the equation must balance, for every gain there is a cost, and all debts are eventually paid Brennan and Withgott 2005 Conservation Biology vs. Ecology vs. Environmentalism vs. other? 49 Problems Addressed by Conservation Biologists: 1 Genetic Diversity variation, inbreeding, drift, hybridization 2 Species MVP, PVA small populations declining populations metapopulations 3 Habitat loss, fragmentation, isolation, heterogeneity 4 Ecosystem Processes scale 5 Human sustainability 50 the crux What is Conservation Biology? Primack Ch1, Meine et al Talking Points: Normative Discipline defined by its goal? ~Soulé s (1985) normative postulates 1. Biological diversity is good and should be preserved 2. Untimely extinctions are bad -SUPERKILLING 3. Evolution is good (genotypic variation) and should continue - process - extinct in the wild? Is it Science? Advocacy vs. Objectivity Science vs. Finger Painting Ecological complexity should be maintained - emergent property 5. Biotic diversity has intrinsic value - intrinsic vs. instrumental 52 4

5 Callicott