General Botany Group four presentation. This presentation focus on so many biological related topics. It primarily focus on conservation of life in any biodiversity.

1. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
GROUP FOUR
[Bota 103]
December 3, 2018

2. OUTLINE
• Historical Overview
• Overview of Conservation Biology
• Human Population Growth
• Human Impacts on Ecosystems
• Importance of Ecosystems
• Importance of Biological Diversity, Ecological Integrity
and Ecological Health
• Conserving Ecosystem

3. Presentation Objectives
By the end of this presentation, students should be able to;
– Define and discuss Conservation Biology
– Identify some impacts of humans on the ecosystems
– Identify the importance of ecosystem to plants, animals
and humans
– Discuss the importance of Biological Diversity,
Ecological Integrity and Ecological Health
– Identify how to conserve the Ecosystems

4. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
• In the 18th Century Lord Monboddo described the
importance of preserving nature.
• Sir James Ranald Martin was prominent in promoting
the Ideology of Conservation Ethics.
• In 1842 Alexander Gibson, a professional botanist who
systematically adopted a forest conservation program
based on scientific principles, headed the Madras Board
of Revenue, which started local conservation efforts in
1842.

5. Historical Overview Cont.
• Governor-General Lord Dalhousie introduced the first
permanent and large-scale forest conservation program
in the world in 1855
• The Sea Birds Preservation Act of 1869 was passed in
Britain as the first nature protection law in the world.
• In the United States, the Forest Reserve Act of 1891
gave the president power to set aside forest reserves
from the land in the public domain.

6. Overview of Conservation Biology
• Conservation biology is the branch of ecology that deals with the
preservation and management of nature and biodiversity and natural
resources.
• It manages nature and earth’s biodiversity with the aim of protecting
species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of
extinction and erosion of biotic interactions.
• It is concerned with phenomena that affect the maintenance, loss
and restoration of biological diversity, ecological integrity and
ecological health.
• It is the science of sustaining evolutionary processes that engender
genetics, population, species and ecosystem diversity.

7. • Eco-System is the interconnectedness of different
organisms with each other and their environment.
• Bio-diversity is the variation of different species within
an Eco-System.
There are three central goals of Conservation Biology:
1. To evaluate human impacts on biological diversity
2. To understand the effects of human activities on species,
communities and ecosystems.
3. To develop practical approaches to prevent the extinction
of species.
Overview of Conservation Biology

8. Human Population Growth
• Human Population Growth is the increase in the
numbers of individuals within an area.
• Human population is increasing most rapidly as ever
leading to the shortage of food.
• The carrying capacity is the number of individuals which
an environment can support.
• Increased food production will involve genetically
altered plants.

9. Limiting Factors
• The factors which hold the biotic potential in check are
called limited factors.
• They are resources or other factors in the environment
that can lower the population growth rate
• It can be both physical and biological, controlling
population size and growth.
• It changes depending on environmental conditions.

10. Biological Limiting Factors
• Factors affecting a population may be related to
population density called Density Dependent.
̶ Reproduction, Parasitism and Diseases
• Density Independent limiting factors are things affecting
the lives of organisms.
̶ Increase or decrease in oxygen supply and temperature

11. • Food
• Water
• Nutrients
• Space
Limiting Factors

12. Human Impact on Eco-System
• Human change the physical appearance of ecosystems
as well as the types of organisms in them
• Humans alter the natural flow of energy in ecosystem
and change the distribution and quantity of abiotic
components, such as water and minerals.
• Human also introduce new and often damaging biotic
and abiotic agents.
• The Impacts of Humans on the Eco-System is either
Positive or Negative.

13. Positive Impact of Humans on
The Eco-System
• Human positively impact the ecosystem by reducing the
amount of pollutants that enter the soil, water and air.
– by using alternative energy sources and avoiding the
burning of fossil fuels.

14. • Wildlife preserves and
national parks protect
scores of ecosystems
around the world.
• People, with the help of
governments, established
these zones to protect
specific ecosystems
containing threatened
plants and animals lives.
Positive Impact of Humans on
The Eco-System

15. • Simple Recycling is the process of reusing or making
old products into new once without having to take
resources from nature.
Positive Impact of Humans on The Eco-
System

16. • Environmental Protection Laws and management
program have a positive effect on the world’s ecosystem
when enforced.
• These are in place to keep companies from destroying
ecosystems by preventing industrial contaminants on the
ground, into rivers or streams or other waterways.
• Environmental laws also require lumber companies to
replant clear-cut forest areas with new plantings called
reforestation.
Positive Impact of Humans on The Eco-
System

17. Deforestation and Afforestation

18. • Pollution is something introduced into the environment
that is dirty, unclean or has a harmful effect.
• It can occur from the run off or disposal of chemical
substances, or from energy sources.
• There are three major types of pollution:
̶ Air, Water and Soil Pollution
Negative Impact of Humans on The Eco-
System

19. Water Pollution
The discharge of untreated human and domestic animal
wastes into aquatic ecosystems stimulates algae and
bacteria growth and introduces disease causing organisms.

20. Air Pollution
• The burning of fossil fuels-coal, oil, and natural gas has
markedly increase the concentration of toxic pollutants
within the atmosphere.
• Humans have also introduced a wide array of molecules
that were either absent or very rare on earth before
human civilization.
– Chlorine monoxide (ClO), which contributes to
ozone destruction
– Sulfur dioxide (SO2), is the largest contributor to air
pollution

21. Examples of Air Pollution

22. Soil Pollution
• Soil pollution is caused by the presence of xenobiotic
chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment
• It is typically caused by industrial activities, agricultural
chemicals, or improper disposal of waste
• The most common chemicals involved are:
̶ Petroleum hydrocarbons
̶ Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons
• Napthalene and benzo(a)pyrene, solvents, pesticides,
lead and other heavy metals

23. Examples of Soil Pollution

24. Global Warming
• The extensive burning of fossil fuels has contributed
markedly to global warming due to the greenhouse
gases.
• Greenhouse gases which retain thermal energy in the
atmosphere, include; water, nitrous oxide, methane,
and ozone.
• Nitrous oxide absorbs 320 times as much as carbon
dioxide, while methane absorbs 25 times as much

25. Global Warming

26. • Global warming also cause destruction in the ozone
• Ozone is a minor atmospheric gas, but is important as it
shields earth’s from mutation inducing ultraviolet (UV)
radiation.
• Pollutants such as chloro-fluoro carbons (CFC) decrease
the ozone concentration in the upper atmosphere.
• As the ozone concentration falls, more UV radiation
reaches Earth’s surface.
• Plants exhibit a wide range sensitivity to UV radiation.
Global Warming Cont.

27. Global
Warming

28. Example of A Plant Affected By UV
Radiation

29. Introduced Species
• Global travel and trade by humans are responsible for the
planned and accidental introduction of thousands of
species to new locations
• Wind is also another way exotic or invasive species is
introduced to a new environment.
• Invasive plants lower crop production by competing for
water, light, and minerals and by interfering with
harvesting

30. Introduced Species Cont.

31. Extinction
• Extinction is the termination of an organism or
of a group
• The highest rate of extinction is in tropical
rainforest which have the most species per unit
area on land of organisms, normally a species.

32. • Silphion was a plant use
for birth control in the
13th century
• A related species
(Ferula asafetida)
became a less effective
substitute
Extinction Cont.

33. Ways To Combat Extinction
• Habitat protection • Endangered Species
Protection

34. Importance of Ecosystem
• An ecosystem is a community of plants, animals
and smaller organisms that live, feed, reproduce
and interact in the same area of environment.
• It consists of plants, animals, soil, water and
microorganisms living together and relying on
each other for existence.

35. Ecosystem

36. Few Importance of Plants To
Ecosystems
1. The natural processes of plants protect our planet
and supply the air we breathe and the water we
drink
2. Plants harvest sunlight and are the primary
producers of energy in all food chains. They are
the structure of the ecosystem in which we all live.
3. Plants prevent soil erosion and desertification

37. Wildlife Importance To
Ecosystems
• Wildlife enriches food production: Bees, bawits, birds
among other animals help plants become productive
by serving as agents of pollination.
• Animals scatter their manure or excretions in differ
places and make the soil fertile.
• Wildlife plays an important role in balancing the
ecosystem and provides stability to different natural
process of nature

38. Some Plants And Animals Importance To
Each Other
• Animals breathe oxygen and
exhale carbon dioxide. Plants
take in carbon dioxide and
release oxygen back into the air
• Animals need plants for food and
shelter.
• Plants need animals for seed
dispersal and pollination
• Some animals eat plants. When
animals die and decompose, the
plants use the nutrients that were
deposited back into the soil from
the decomposing organism

39. Plants and Animals Importance To Humans
• Without the plants and
animals that humans have
used for food, labor, tools and
companionship over countless
generations, society could not
have advanced to the point it
has today.
• Plants and animals have been
used by people to help with
variety of tasks for millennia
• Plants provide raw materials
for our clothing, food,
medicines, construction, and
other products that will sustain
our lives.

40. Importance of Biodiversity, Ecological
Integrity and Ecological Health
• BIODIVEERSITY boosts ecosystem productivity where
each species, no matter how small, all have an important
role to play
• ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY is measure as the degree to
which a diverse community of native plants organisms are
maintain.
• ECOLOGICAL HEALTH is a term use in relation to both
human health and the condition of the environment

41. Protection and Restoration of
Biodiversity, Ecological Integrity and
Ecological Health
• Endangered species protection
• Ecological reserve systems
• Limiting humans use of nature

42. Ways To Protect The
Ecosystem
• Ecosystems restoration
• Augmentation of natural populations
• Management of harvest
• Political participation
• Education

43. Summary
Conservation biology is the branch of ecology that deals
with the preservation and management of nature and
biodiversity and natural resources.
The presence and activities of large human populations
disturb ecosystems causing air pollutions, water pollutions,
soil pollution etc.
Species at risk of extinction can in some cases benefit from
having their population increased through the into the wild
of individuals/ organisms bred in captivity

44. • Nabor, Murray W., INTRODUCTION TO BOTANY. Copyright 2004
Pearson Education, Inc., Publilshing as Benjamin Cummings, 1301
Sansome St., San Francisco, CA 94111.
www.aw-bc.com
• www.thebotanyplace.com
• https://sciencing.com
• https://www.toppr.com
• https://www.ck12.org
• https://greentumble.com
Reference:

45. Thank you for listening!!!
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