Transcript Biodiversity- the future? - Rawlins A-level Geography

Recapping Mangroves
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA5qhC_Y1sw
Biodiversity- the future?
BIODIVERSITY UNDERTHREAT:
To look at possible futures for the biodiversity of our
planet
To evaluate the various strategies
Changing Perceptions of Ecosystems
PEOPLE’S perceptions of
ecosystems
Perception: Need to use
ecosystems as a direct
source of income
Education to
alter
perception
Action: deforestation,
conversion to farmland,
overfishing
Provision of
alternative income
sources and
management
methods
Impact: degradation of
biodiversity
Perception: Need to conserve
ecosystems and use
sustainably
Action: Management of
ecosystems and
sustainable yields
Impact: Positive impact on
biodiversity
Guanyinshan Nature Reserve, China
 In 1980s China passed laws leading to conservation of
depleted bamboo forests, the main source of nourishment
for the Giant Panda
Key Question
Despite these laws
why do you think
Giant Panda numbers
have decreased?
Guanyinshan Nature Reserve, China
 In the Quinling Mountains a large section of the
nature reserve was bisected by a road, separating
two population of panda
 BUT now the road has been replaced with a tunnel
and bamboo has been planted to join the two section
together
Guanyinshan Nature Reserve, China
 Although China is developing its population and
economy which can lead to environmental
degradation it can mean there is money available to
invest in conservation
Current problems
 Only 12% of Earth is said to warrant protection. Only 1% of
marine areas
 Protected areas are fragmented and unevenly distributed
 Funds are short, especially in LDC countries
 Although it is said to be protected does not mean area will
be successfully conserved
 Areas not protected are still very threatened by pollution,
climate change invasive species and unsustainable
development
Biodiversity and the Millennium
Development Goals
 The millennium development goals adopted by world leaders in
September 2000 at the millennium UN summit
 The 8 MDGs break down into 21 quantifiable targets that are
measured by 60 indicators.
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Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development
MDGs
 Obviously goal 7 deals explicitly with biodiversity, but
biodiversity is interlinked with many other goals
 Eradicating hunger (goal 1) depends much on sustainable
agricultural production , which relies on maintaining soils
 The capacity of fisheries to supply hundreds of people with bulk
of protein depends on maintaining coral and mangroves
 Improving health and sanitation (goals 4,5 and 6)require healthy
freshwater ecosystems to provide adequate clean water and
medicinal resources
 This contributes to gender equality (MDG 3) as women are
mainly responsible for water collection
Link between poverty and
biodiversity
 Poverty and biodiversity are inextricably linked
 Poor ~(esp rural) rely on biodiversity for food, fuel,
shelter, medicine and livelihood
 Biodiversity also provides the critical ecosystems on
which development depends, including air and water
purification
 Biodiversity exacerbates poverty and likewise poverty
is a major threat to biodiversity
Scenarios
 The Millennium Ecosystems Assessment (MEA), tried to explore
plausible futures for ecosystems and human well being by 2050
 They explored
 New development pathways- one where world increasingly
globalises, the other where it becomes increasingly regional
 2 different approaches to ecosystem management- one in which
actions are reactive and most problems are addressed only after
they are obvious, the other in which ecosystem management is
proactive and policies seek to manage ecosystem services for
the future
The MEAs 4 scenarios
GLOBAL ORCHESTRATION (1)
Globally connected society focussing on
global trade and economic liberalisation
Approach to ecosystem issues is reactive.
Strong steps are taken to reduce poverty
and inequality and invests in public goods.
Economic growth is highest here and
predicted population is lowest
ORDER FROM STRENGTH (2)
Regionalised and fragmented world,
concerned with security and protection.
Little attention to public goods. Reactive
apporach to ecosystem management
Economic growth rates are lowest (esp in
poorer areas) Population growth is the
highest
ADAPTING MOSAIC (3)
Regional watershed scale ecosystems are
focus of political and economic activity.
Local management of ecosystems common.
Proactive ecosystem management. Initial
economic growth is low but increases over
time. Population nearly as high as in 2
TECHNO GARDEN (4)
Globally connected world reliant on env
sound tech, using highly managed
ecosystems to deliver services. Takes a
proactive approach to ecosystem
management
Economic growth relatively high and
accelerates. Population is mid range of
scenarios
What do you think?
 Use pg 132-133 to help
 What are the pros and cons of each of the 4
scenarios?
 Which overall do you think offers the best scenario?
Why?
WWF’s living Planet Index Report
 Defines two possible pathways (actions and ways), on the basis
of these WWF anticipates 4 possible scenarios
 Business as usual- increased ecological footprint and no
reduction in the overshoot (ecological deficit) or of the degree
to which consumption exceeds biological capacities
 Slow shift- gradual eco footprint reduction through developing
sustainable policies so that biological capacities recover by 2100
 Rapid reduction- radical policies to control ecological footprint,
overshoot eliminated by 2040
 Shrink and share- breaking down the world into regions in order
to share responsibilities of controlling overshoot by global
cooperation
The convention on Biodiversity
 Signed by 150 world leaders at Rio Earth Summit in 1992
 Signed to achieve reduction in current loss rate of
biodiversity at all scales
 Convention recognises people’s role in protection and
conservation that people need to have security before
protecting the environment around them
 The positive trend from this
 Protected areas have doubled
 Water quality has been improved
What are the prospects of achieving
the target?
 Temperate degradation is predicted to reduce, but tropical
will increase
 Time lags are too big changes cannot make a difference
over night it takes years, so sooner started sooner results
seen
 Agricultural efficiency needs to improve rapidly to reduce
impact on biodiversity
 Trade agreements should involve looking at how
biodiversity is affected
 Strategies to reduce poverty need to include conservation
and sustainable biodiversity use
Review Questions
Evaluate the relative importance of global and local threats
to one named global ecosystem (15 marks)
Referring to examples, discuss the threats to biodiversity
hotspots and why these threats could prove critical (15
marks)
With reference to examples, assess the relative importance
of physical and human factors in influencing biodiversity (15
marks)