Transcript Environmental Science

Environmental Science
Chapter 10
Biodiversity
Notes #2
Biodiversity - Protecting
 Public Policy
 Endangered Species – such low numbers remain,
that extinction is expected
 Ex. Florida Panther (loss of habitat)
 Threatened Species – dropping numbers, likely to
be endangered if they are not protected
 Ex. Northern Spotted Owls
 Most in danger
 those with small population
 Special habitat needs/ migration needs
Biodiversity - Protecting
Endangered Species Act (1973)
1.
List the Endangered and Threatened
Species
2. May not catch or kill the listed species
3. Gov’t can’t do any project that would
endanger the listed species
4. The gov’t must come up with recovery
plans for each of the endangered and
threatened species
 The US has the strongest laws that protect
endangered species
Biodiversity - Protecting
Preventing Extinction:
IUCN – International Union for the Conservation
of Nature and Natural Resources
200 governments
700 private organizations
Prints a list of worldwide endangered and threatened
species, along with methods of effective ways of
helping preserve those species
CITES – banned ivory
Saved African Elephants from poaching
Why is that more effective than limiting ivory sales?
Biodiversity - Protecting
 Saving Individual Species
 Captive Breeding Programs
 Zoos, botanical gardens, and wildlife parks are
ideal for this
 Ex. California Condor
 Ex. Gray Wolf
 Botanical Gardens
 Germ-Plasm Banks
 Store genetic material or seeds
 Germ plasm = content of plant seeds
 Importance of genetic diversity
Biodiversity
 Saving Ecosystems
 Puts focus on whole ecosystem rather than
Individual species
 Why?
 Its saving all the species in one place, not
just those that are on the list (which helps
those on the endangered list and the
unknowns)
 The health of the biosphere depends on
the health of individual ecosystems
Future of Biodiversity
 Issues with protecting Biodiversity
 Developers v. Environmentalists
 Why is there friction between these two groups?
 Short term v. long term resources
 Job security v. biodiversity
 Balancing human needs v. other species
 Ex. Developed country v. developing
country
 The developing country destroys
land/habitat for survival, hunting for food