Transcript HOW DO WE CONSERVE BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY?

HOW DO WE
CONSERVE
BIOLOGICAL
DIVERSITY?
5 Strategies to Keeping
Species Alive
#1. Protected Areas
 Governments
set aside land to protect
species
 Provincial and National Parks
 Allow animals to live in relatively
undisturbed environments
 244 540 square kilometers of Canada is
national park land
Canadian National Parks Map
List of National Parks in
Western Canada
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Banff
Jasper
Waterton Lakes
Elk Island
Wood Buffalo
Glacier
Gulf Islands
Kootenay
Mount Revelstoke
Yoho
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Gwaii Haanas
Pacific Rim
Riding Mountain
Wapusk
Grasslands
Prince Albert
Ivvavik
Kluane
Vuntut
Nahanni
In-Situ Conservation
 Provincial
and National Parks are
examples of in-situ conservation
 These areas keep species in their
natural environments rather than
removing them
Establishing Wildlife Corridors
Corridors are
important to share
genetic information
between populations
 All levels of
government must
work together to
make these work
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#2. Restoration of Ecosystems
and Species
 There
are various programs to restore
endangered species and their habitats
 Could be charities, non-profit
organizations, volunteer groups or
private citizens doing the restorations
 Some examples include…
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Conserves wetlands
and other habitats
for Canada’s
waterfowl - ducks,
geese, loons, etc.
 Private non-profit
organization
 www.ducks.ca
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Nature Conservancy of
Canada
Purchases land and
turns it into an area
to protect habitat
and endangered
species
 Owns about 1.8
million acres of
Canada
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www.natureconservancy.ca
Friends of Fish Creek
“protect, preserve,
and enhance the
diverse natural and
human history found
in Fish Creek
Provincial Park.”
 Non-profit and
volunteer-driven
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www.friendsoffishcreek.org
World Wildlife Fund
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“stop the degradation of
the planet's natural
environment and to
build a future in which
humans live in harmony
with nature”
Protects 96 millions
acres in Canada
through endangered
species programs
www.wwf.ca
#3. Resource Use Policies
 Governments
pass laws to protect
species that are endangered or
threatened
 These laws say that these species
cannot be hunted or captured
Species at Risk Act
Passed by the Canadian government in June
2004
 “framework for actions across Canada to
ensure the survival of wildlife species and the
protection of our natural heritage”
 To see a copy of this legislation, go to
http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/the_act/HTML/G
uide_e.cfm
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Committee on the Status of
Endangered Wildlife in Canada
(COSEWIC)
This is the national committee that studies
organisms across Canada
 Determines whether or not organisms need to
be protected by law
 Currently there are 456 Species at Risk in
Canada (including 67 mammals and 60 birds)
 If people harm animals protected by this law,
they face up to a $250 000 fine and/or up to
five years in prison
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#4. Controlling the Spread of
Exotic Species
 A new
species in an environment can
have disastrous consequences
 There are two examples of this…
Purple Loosestrife
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Introduced to Alberta from
Europe in the 1800’s
A plant that lives near
wetlands
Nothing eats this plant or
uses it for shelter
Purple loosestrife will reduce
the size of natural plant
communities
Important to control this plant
so that wetlands can
continue to flourish
Rabbits in Australia
Englishman Thomas Austin brought 24
rabbits into Australia in 1859 because he was
homesick
 These 24 rabbits reproduced and soon after
the species was found all across the
continent
 Rabbits would eat the grass and kill trees by
stripping their bark
 Ate grass that should have been for sheep
this cut down on Australia’s wool exports
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Controlling Rabbits in Australia
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Government gave
rewards to people who
killed rabbits
Built a 2000 mile fence
to protect key cereal
crops
In 1950, the
government introduced
a virus that killed rabbits
As of 1997, there were
still 300 million rabbits
Rabbits in Australia
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http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects/rabbits/history.html
#5. Conservation of Genetic
Resources
 These
involve any activity that helps to
store the genetic variations of as many
of the world’s species as possible
 Ex-Situ Conservation – the
maintenance of organisms outside of
their ecosystems
 Two examples are: SEED BANKS and
ZOOS
Seed Banks
 Established
to gather and store seeds
from plants that are threatened by
extinction
 Scientists are able to preserve the
genetic diversity of many plant species
 One of the largest is the Royal Botanic
Gardens in London, England
Zoos
 The
Calgary Zoo performs many
functions
– Educational institution for children to visit
– Supports biodiversity research going on
around the world
– Part of a worldwide network to protect and
preserve endangered animals
– Share animals with zoos around the world
to maintain the genetic diversity
Panda Bears
Our Trips to the Zoo
Do we need Zoos?
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PROS
– Provide a place for
animals with damaged or
limited habitat
– Maintain biodiversity with
animal breeding
programs
– Supports research to reestablish extirpated
species
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CONS
– Animals are put in
enclosures so humans
can observe them,
causing stress to the
animals
– Many animals won’t
breed in captivity so their
genes are lost
– Money spent on zoos
would be better spent
protecting natural
habitats