A presentation about threats to biodiversity

1. Threats to
Biodiversity
BY
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2. Biodiversity
• The variety of life, in genes and species, that inhabit the ecosystems
of the earth
• Important because:
• Greater variety of crops
• Recovery from disasters
• Ecosystem services
• Biological resources
• Social benefits
• Natural Sustainability

3. Habitat Destruction
• Habitat destruction has played a key role in extinctions, especially related to tropical forest
destruction. Factors contributing to habitat loss are: overconsumption, overpopulation, land
use change, deforestation,[pollution (air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination) and
global warming or climate change . Habitat size and numbers of species are systematically
related. Physically larger species and those living at lower latitudes or in forests or oceans are
more sensitive to reduction in habitat area.Conversion to "trivial" standardized ecosystems
(e.g., monoculture following deforestation) effectively destroys habitat for the more diverse
species that preceded the conversion. In some countries lack of property rights or lax
law/regulatory enforcement necessarily leads to biodiversity loss (degradation costs having
to be supported by the community).A 2007 study conducted by the National Science
Foundation found that biodiversity and genetic diversity are co-dependent—that diversity
among species requires diversity within a species, and vice versa. "If any one type is removed
from the system, the cycle can break down, and the community becomes dominated by a
single species. At present, the most threatened ecosystems are found in fresh water.

4. Genetic Pollution
• Endemic species can be threatened with extinctionthrough the process of genetic pollution
i.e. uncontrolled hybridization introgression and genetic swamping. Genetic pollution leads to
homogenization or replacement of local genomes as a result of either a numerical and/or
fitness advantage of an introduced species.Hybridization and introgression are side-effects of
introduction and invasion. These phenomena can be especially detrimental to rare species
that come into contact with more abundant ones. The abundant species can interbreed with
the rare species, swamping its gene pool. This problem is not always apparent from
morphological (outward appearance) observations alone. Some degree of gene flow is normal
adaptation, and not all gene and genotype constellations can be preserved. However,
hybridization with or without introgression may, nevertheless, threaten a rare species'
existence.

5. Overexploitation
• Overexploitation occurs when a resource is consumed at an unsustainable rate. This
occurs on land in the form of overhunting, excessive logging, poor soil conservation
in agriculture and the illegal wildlife trade.
• About 25% of world fisheries are now overfished to the point where their current
biomass is less than the level that maximizes their sustainable yield.
• The overkill hypothesis, a pattern of large animal extinctions connected with human
migration patterns, can be used explain why megafaunl extinctions can occur within
a relatively short time period.

6. Human Overpopulation
• From 1950 to 2011, world population increased from 2.5 billion to 7 billion and is forecast to
reach a plateau of more than 9 billion during the 21st century . Sir David King, former chief
scientific adviser to the UK government, told a parliamentary inquiry: "It is self-evident that
the massive growth in the human population through the 20th century has had more impact
on biodiversity than any other single factor. At least until the middle of the 21st century,
worldwide losses of pristine bio diverse land will probably depend much on the worldwide
human birth rate.
• According to a 2014 study by the World Wildlife Fund, the global human population already
exceeds planet's bio capacity - it would take the equivalent of 1.5 Earths of bio capacity to
meet our current demands. The report further points that if everyone on the planet had the
Footprint of the average resident of Qatar, we would need 4.8 Earths, and if we lived the
lifestyle of a typical resident of the USA, we would need 3.9 Earths.

7. Invasive Species
• non-native to the ecosystem whose introduction causes
economic or environmental harm or harm to human health
• Second only to climate change in terms of ubiquity
• Implicated in the extinction of many species
• Introduced by human involvement primarily
• (ex., soil with a population of native insects to another country)
• Also introduced by nature
• (ex., flood carries microbial to another ecosystem)

8. • Impact in many ways:
• Direct mechanisms
• (ex., competing for same food resource in the
environment)
• Indirect mechanisms
• (ex., a new plant creates cover and enables prey to hide
from predator, skewing the food pyramid)
• Usually reach much higher densities in their new areas than
they do in their native habitat

9. Pollution’s effect on
Biodiversity

10. Coral Reefs
• Coral Reefs cover 1% of the world’s oceans
• 25% of all marine species live in coral reefs
• And even more species use coral reefs as
well, mostly as a nursery for larvae or
juvenile stages
• Most commercially fished species have a
connection to coral reefs

11. • Coral Reefs can only survive in oceans
with clear water and few nutrients at the
ideal temperature and depth.
• Backbone of coral reef is the coral polyp
• The Coral is a small organism that lives
symbiotically with Zooxanthelle.
• A photosynthetic dinoflagellate .

12. Coral Reefs and Pollution
• Pollution mostly from fertilizers or sewage
causes increase of nutrients
• More nutrients cause increase of algae
growth
• This decreases the oxygen and turbidity
• The photosynthetic Zooxanthelle cannot
get enough light and coral dies

13. Loss of Biodiversity
• Loss of biodiversity come from
death of coral.
• Which reduces the number of fish
nurseries and amount of food.
• Many larval organisms die and
adults are few.
Commercial Importance
• Reduced numbers of commercially
fished fish
• Loss of possibilities for research

14. The biggest threat to biodiversity:
Loss of Keystone Species
A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionate effect on
its environment relative to its abundance. Such species affect many
other organisms in an ecosystem and help to determine the types
and numbers of various others species in a community.
This gopher-tortoise is a an endangered
keystone species, under protection in
Mobile Country, AL.

16. Tiger
Tigers once ranged widely across Asia, from Turkey in the west to the eastern coast of
Russia. Over the past 100 years, they have lost 93% of their historic range, and have
been extirpated from southwest and central Asia, from the islands of Java and Bali,
and from large areas of Southeast and Eastern Asia. The remaining six tiger subspecies
have been classified as endangered by IUCN. The global population in the wild is
estimated to number between 3,062 and 3,948 individuals, down from around
100,000 at the start of the 20th century, with most remaining populations occurring in
small pockets isolated from each other. Major reasons for population decline include
habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and poaching.

17. Mountain Tapirs
Mountain tapirs, living in the cloud
forests of the Andes, are near
extinction due to destruction trends
in their homes.

18. Importance of Conservation of Tapirs
• Long distance seed dispersal by tapirs increases seed survival and aggregates tropical trees; as
tapirs disappear, so do certain plants like the majestic Quinten wax palm, Columbia’s national tree
• Causes:
• Coffee Plantations, Opium Fields
• Forests converted to open grassland with slash and burn for high-altitude cattle farming
• Overhunting: vulnerable to hunts by loggers, poor families
• Population Growth

19. Keystone Predator:
Northern Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf
• Removed from Endangered
Species List February 2008, after
only having been reintroduced
into Idaho and Wyoming in 1984
Currently there are 1500
wolves and 100 breeding
pairs

20. Conservation
Success Story?
• "The wolf population in the Northern Rockies has far exceeded its recovery goal
and continues to expand its size and range. States, tribes, conservation groups,
federal agencies and citizens of both regions can be proud of their roles in this
remarkable conservation success story” -Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn
Scarlett
• Republican governor of Idaho, C. L. "Butch" Otter: He hopes to be the first to
legally shoot a wolf in Idaho, as soon as the animals lose ESA protection, and
wants no more than the federal minimum recovery target of 100. There are 650
now. ( It is now legal, and the 2009 limit was 220 wolves.)

21. Conclusion
• The most major threats to biodiversity:
• Human Disregard and Carelessness
• Population Growth: Estimated based on expected human population growth
forecast a 7% increase in number of threatened species by 2020, and a 14%
increase by 2050!

22. THANK YOU