Unit Four

1. Unit Four “Conservation Biology and Sustainability”

2. Recap • Recall that biodiversity if the variety of life that exists on this planet. • Recall that the four reasons for species decline are: • 1. Habitat Destruction • 2. Pollution • 3. Overexploitation • 4. Exotic Species

3. Recap • Homo sapiens are the cause for the majority of species being in one of the four categories of decline: • Extinct - no longer in existence • Endangered - very few in existence • Threatened – numbers have been gradually declining • Species of Special Concern – numbers are beginning to decline

4. Florida List of Decline • Dusky Seaside Sparrow • Extinct circa 1987 • Florida Panther • Endangered

5. Florida List of Decline • Gopher Tortoise • Threatened • Burrowing Owl • Species of Special Concern

6. Recap • Recall that biodiversity is found on three levels (from largest to smallest): • 1. Ecosystem diversity • 2. Species diversity • 3. Genetic diversity How do humans preserve the biodiversity that still exists on the planet?

7. Solutions • Conservation Biology is new discipline – 1980’s • Conservation Biologists are charged with the task of preserving biodiversity • These scientists employ a variety of methods to achieve this goal. • First, it is important to distinguish where the work will be conducted: • In Situ – in the species ecosystem • Ex Situ - not in the species ecosystem (zoo)

8. Solutions • The preferred mode of preservation is “In Situ”, but for a variety of reasons that is not often possible. Examples: lack of adequate habitat too few individuals of population illegal hunting – poachers presence of pollutants

9. Solutions • In Situ Methods: • Reintroduction Program – Wolves in Yellowstone/ Condors in California • Augmentation Program – Florida Panther • Corridor - State Road 46 west of Sanford Preserves – SLOSS – single large or several small

10. Black Bear Corridor - Florida

11. Solutions • Ex Situ Methods: • Captive Breeding • Artificial Insemination • Embryo Transfer – Eland mother/bongo calf • Cross-fostering – bald eagle eggs placed in nest of closely related species/mother eagle will produce another clutch • Artificial Incubation – alligators, sea turtles, and fish • Seed Banks – storage of seeds for germination at a later date • http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/02/25/norway.seeds/index.html

12. Eland Mother/Bongo Calf

13. Solutions • Once a population has been brought back from severe decline, that population must continue to be monitored for as long as possible to ensure their recovery • Conservation Biology requires eternal vigilance, solid research methods, and knowledge of many other disciplines (political science, sociology, meteorology, geology etc.)

14. Unit Four “Cities, Forests, & Parks: Land Use & Resource Management”

15. Resource Management There are several resources that require careful oversight in how they are used and/or extracted Soil Water Flora and Fauna Rangeland – cattle grazing Minerals - coal, zinc, tungsten, gold, silver

16. Resource Management cont’d In the USA, the federal government established agencies to manage all natural resources on public lands These agencies fall under the umbrella of three governmental departments

17. Resource Management cont’d Department of Agriculture US Forest Service: founded 1905 Manage timber resources http://www.fs.fed.us/ Natural Resource Conservation Service: founded 1935 Assist citizens with conservation of air, water, and soil http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/about/

18. Resource Management cont’d Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Manage mineral resources http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en.html Bureau of Reclamation: founded 1902 Manage water supply in western states http://www.usbr.gov/

19. Resource Management cont’d • US Fish and Wildlife Service • Conservation of ecosystems, flora, and fauna • http://www.fws.gov/ • National Parks Service: founded 1916 • Yellowstone, Yosemite etc. • http://www.nationalparkservice.org/

20. Resource Management cont’d Environmental Protection Agency (it is a department in itself): founded 1970 Maintain quality of water, air, and soil http://www.epa.gov/

21. History of Global Forestry Many ancient tribes and groups of people recognized the need to maintain the forests in which they lived and depended for survival Advances in medicine and technology, as well as colonization of various regions of the world by Great Britain, France, Spain, and the Netherlands led to massive destruction of the world’s forests (transitional to industrial stage) The demands of the developed countries led to a massive felling of trees for numerous products

22. Original Global Forests

23. Today’s Global Forests

24. History of Global Forestry cont’d Each developed country proceeded through this same course of forest supply meeting the societal demand at different times in history, however, the same general progression occurred in each country 1) wholesale harvesting of trees due to economic development 2) almost complete exhaustion of raw materials i.e. trees 3) institution of forest management policies to meet economic demand while still maintaining forests in an effort to be sustainable in the long term

25. Forestry in the USA A paradigm shift occurred in the 1890’s from that of free reign over the land to that of resource sustainability over the long term In 1891, through the influence of the Boone and Crockett Club (Roosevelt, Phillips, and Hague), President Benjamin Harrison set aside Yellowstone National Park Timberland Reserve and it in essence became the birthplace of both the national parks and national forests

26. Forestry in the USA cont’d In 1904 at the request of Gifford Pinchot (first chief of the U.S. Forest Service), President Theodore Roosevelt transferred the forest reserves from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Agriculture In 1905, Pinchot’s Bureau of Forestry was now officially called the U.S. Forest Service Throughout his and future chiefs tenures, annual timber harvests were not as successful as originally projected

27. Forestry in the USA cont’d “In 1976, President Gerald Ford signed the National Forest Management Act, which stated that all management decisions were to be in accord with the multiple-use policy mandated for the National Forest System.” “Selective cutting was encouraged where proper; clear-cutting was not prohibited but was subject to guidelines set out by the Department of Agriculture.” (Cox, Maxwell, Thomas, & Malone, 1985) Due to this legislation, the U.S. Forest Service had flexibility in managing the national forests but were now required to operate under more specific guidelines

28. Future of Forestry - Sustainability In a 1984 book written by Larry D. Harris entitled The Fragmented Forest, contemporary timber harvesting practices were analyzed and determined to be less sustainable in the long term and less like natural forests in their composition (p 368 of text) Harris also stated that fragmentation of forests leads to lower biodiversity and in essence a lower forest ecosystem viability The crux of Harris’s theory based on island biogeography, states that for the optimal timber harvests at the lowest environmental costs, a system of long rotational islands should be set up to allow for ample recovery time between harvests

29. Private Entities Protecting Forests Several private environmental organizations have as their goal to preserve species and their ecosystems The Nature Conservancy – purchases and manages land The Sierra Club – John Muir founder (he is on California quarter) Defenders of Wildlife World Wildlife Fund Audubon Society – does extensive work with birds

30. Smart Growth – Urban/Suburban People recognize the need to maintain a certain quality of life no matter the size of the population The best way to maintain a high quality of life is to control sprawl while keeping the air, water, and soil clean

31. Smart Growth Principles There are ten smart growth principles to serve as guidelines for regions, cities, and towns 1. Mix land use 2. Utilize compact building design 3. Create a range of housing opportunities 4. Create walkable neighborhoods 5. Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place

32. Smart Growth Principles 6. Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas 7. Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities 8. Provide a variety of transportation opportunities

33. Smart Growth Principles • 9. Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective • 10. Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions • http://www.myregion.org/Default.aspx?tabid=211

34. Urban Planning These professionals develop short and long term plans for the growth and revitalization of urban/suburban areas Urban planners attempt to develop a long term “blue print” for growth that optimizes economic and social activity while maintaining desired aesthetics and preserving the environment

35. Urban Planning • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQEaGyESK6c