Individuals Matter: Wangari Maathari and Kenya’s Green Belt Movement

• Green Belt Movement: 1977-today• Self-help group of women in Kenya• Success of tree planting• 50,000 members planted 40 million trees• Women are paid for each tree that survives• Slows soil erosion• Shade and beauty• Combats global warming

• Nobel Peace Prize: 2004

LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT 17THMILLER/SPOOLMAN

Chapter 10Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach

10-1 What Are the Major Threats to Forest Ecosystems?

• Concept 10-1A Forest ecosystems provide ecological services far greater in value than the value of raw materials obtained from forests.

• Concept 10-1B Unsustainable cutting and burning of forests, along with diseases and insects, all made worse by projected climate change, are the chief threats to forest ecosystems.

Forests Vary in Their Make-Up, Age, and Origins

• Old-growth or primary forest (36%)• Uncut, or not disturbed for several hundred years• Reservoirs of biodiversity• Russia, Canada, Brazil, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea

• Second-growth forest (60%)• Secondary ecological succession

• Tree plantation, (aka-tree farm, commercial forest) (4%)• May supply most industrial wood in the future• Clear-cut, then replanted in a regular cycle• Contain only 1 or 2 tree species, all the same age

Tree Plantations

Advantages• May help conserve

remaining old-growth and secondary growth forests

• Produce wood at fast rates & increase owner profits

• Could Supply most of the wood for industrial purposes

Disadvantages• Much less bio-diverse and

thus, less sustainable• Repeated cutting depletes

top-soil of nutrients• May lead to irreversible

hindrance of forest regrowth

• Produces GMO tree species that may spread to old- and second-growth forests

60% of tree plantations found in (1)China (3)U.S (5)Canada(2)India (4)Russia (6)Sweden

Natural Capital: An Old-Growth Forest

Fig. 10-2, p. 219

Rotation Cycle of Cutting and Regrowth of a Monoculture Tree Plantation

Fig. 10-3, p. 219

Fig. 10-3a, p. 219

25 yrsWeak trees removed

Clear cut

30 yrs

Years of growth 15 yrs

Seedlings planted

5 yrs 10 yrs

Forests Provide Important Ecological Services

• Support energy flow and chemical cycling

• Reduce soil erosion

• Absorb and release water

• Purify water and air

• Influence local and regional climate

• Remove carbon from air, supply atmospheric oxygen

• Habitats for about 2/3 of terrestrial species

Forests Provide Important Economic Services

• Wood for fuel

• Lumber

• Pulp to make paper

• Mining

• Livestock grazing

• Recreation

• Employment

• Medicinal extractions

Natural Capital: Major Ecological and Economic Services Provided by Forests

Fig. 10-4, p. 220

Fig. 10-4, p. 220

Forests

Support energy flow and chemical cycling

Fuelwood

Ecological Services Economic Services

Natural Capital

Reduce soil erosion Lumber

Absorb and release water

Pulp to make paper

Purify water and airMining

Influence local and regional climate Livestock grazing

Store atmospheric carbon Recreation

Provide numerous wildlife habitats Jobs

Science Focus: Putting a Price Tag on Nature’s Ecological Services

• Forests valued for ecological services• Nutrient cycling• Climate regulation• Erosion control• Waste treatment• Recreation• Raw materials

• Forests provide $4.7 trillion per year – hundreds of times their economic value for lumber & paper use.

Estimated Annual Global Economic Values of Ecological Services Provided by Forests

Fig. 10-A, p. 221

Fig. 10-A, p. 221

350

400

300

250

200

150

Wor

th (b

illio

ns o

f dol

lars

)

100

50

Nutrient cycling

Climate regulation

Waste treatment

0

Erosion control

Ecological service

Recreation Raw materials

Unsustainable Logging is a Major Threat to Forest Ecosystems

Logging is one of the world’s major industries• >2/3 wood removed from forests used for biofuel

(cooking, heating)• Remainder used for industrial wood (paper, lumber)

•Most detrimental effects of logging:• Increased erosion• Sediment runoff into waterways• Habitat fragmentation• Building roads for access of timber removal

• Loss of biodiversity

Unsustainable Logging is a Major Threat to Forest Ecosystems

Creating logging roads is first step to harvesting timber•This causes habitat fragmentation that makes forests susceptible to:• Invasion by

• Nonnative pests• Disease• Wildlife species

• Now-Granted access to• Miners• Ranchers, famers• Hunters• Off-road vehicles

Fig. 10-5a, p. 221

New highway

Old growth

Fig. 10-5b, p. 221

Cleared plots for grazing

Highway

Cleared plots for agriculture

Major tree harvesting methods

• *Selective cutting- only intermediate-aged or old trees are cut singly or in small groups

• Clear-cutting- removal of all trees in an area

• *Strip cutting- variation of clear cutting;• Clear-cuts a strip along the contour of the land within a

narrow corridor• Allows natural regeneration within a few years

*** more sustainable practice!

New highway

Old growth

Cleared plotsfor agriculture

HighwayCleared plotsfor grazing

Stepped Art

Fig. 10-5, p. 221

Natural Capital Degradation: Building Roads into Previously Inaccessible Forests

Major Tree Harvesting Methods

Fig. 10-6, p. 222

Fig. 10-6a, p. 222

(a) Selective cutting

Clear stream

Fig. 10-6b, p. 222

(b) Clear-cutting

Muddy stream

Fig. 10-6c, p. 222

(c) Strip cuttingUncut

Cut 1 year ago

Dirt road

Cut 3–10 years ago

Uncut

Clear stream

Clear-Cut Logging in Washington State

Fig. 10-7, p. 222

Trade-offs: Advantages and Disadvantages of Clear-Cutting Forests

Fig. 10-8, p. 223

Fig. 10-8, p. 223

Trade-Offs

Clear-Cutting Forests

Advantages Disadvantages

Higher timber yields

Reduces biodiversity

Destroys and fragments wildlife habitats

Maximum profits in shortest time

Can reforest with fast-growing trees

Increases water pollution, flooding, and erosion on steep slopes

Good for tree species needing full or moderate sunlight

Eliminates most recreational value

Major Unsustainable Logging Countries

• Africa and S.E Asia• Largest practice of illegal, unsustainable logging

• 37 out of the 41 national parks in Kenya ravaged from logging

Fires Can Threaten Forest EcosystemsSurface fires- Burn only seeds, small trees, undergrowth and leaf litter, spare mature treesBenefits

• Allow most wild life to escape• Burn away flammable ground material, prevents destructive fires• Free tied-up mineral nutrients from decomposing litter• Control tree disease• Release seeds from cones, stimulate new germination

• Many species depend on this

Fires Can Threaten Forest Ecosystems• Crown Fires- Extremely hot: burns whole trees

• Kill wildlife• Dramatic habitat loss• Increase soil erosion• Usually never pre-exposed to surface fires

• Accumulate dead, flammable wood, leaves, and ground litter

Fires not a major long term threat• Short term threat • Especially intentional burns to clear forests • Increase atmospheric CO2 and pollutants

Surface and Crown Fires

Fig. 10-9, p. 223

Prescribed Burns

Insects and Climate Change Can Threaten Forest Ecosystems

• Introduction of foreign diseases and insects• Accidental• Deliberate*List some ways to reduce harmful impacts of tree

diseases and insect pests (page 224)

• Global warming• Rising temperatures• Trees more susceptible to diseases and pests• Drier forests: more fires• More greenhouse gases

Nonnative Insect Species and Disease Organisms in U.S. Forests

Figure 10, Supplement 8

We Have Cut Down Almost Half of the World’s Forests

• Deforestation- temporary or permanent removal of forests• WRI: 46% reduction of total forest cover in past 8,000 yearsForest losses most concentrated in less-developed countries• Tropical forests

• Especially in Latin America, Indonesia, and Africa• Boreal forests

• Especially in Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, and Russia

• Encouraging news• Net total forest cover has stayed the same or

increased in U.S. and a few other countries between 2000 and 2007

Natural Capital Degradation: Harmful Environmental Effects of Deforestation

Fig. 10-12, p. 226

Case Study: Many Cleared Forests in the United States Have Grown Back

• Forests of the eastern United States decimated between 1620 and 1920

• Grown back naturally through secondary ecological succession in the eastern states

• Bad news: Since 1960, increasing area of old growth and second growth forests cut & replaced with biologically simplified tree plantation• Biologically simplified tree plantations reduce

biodiversity and deplete nutrients from soil

Natural Capital Degradation• Deforestation has consequences:

1. Decreased soil fertility from erosion

2. Runoff of eroded soil into aquatic environment

3. Premature extinction of species with specialized niches

4. Loss of habitat for native species and migratory species

5. Regional climate change from extensive clearing

6. release,/non-removal of CO2 in atmosphere

7. Acceleration of flooding

Tropical Forests are Disappearing Rapidly

• Majority of loss since 1950

• Africa, Southeast Asia, South America

• 98% will be gone by 2022

• Role of deforestation in species’ extinction

• Secondary forest can grow back in 15-20 years• Yet lack original biodiversity

Natural Capital Degradation: Extreme Tropical Deforestation in Thailand

Fig. 10-11, p. 226

Species Diversity in Tropical Forests

Fig. 10-13, p. 227

Causes of Tropical Deforestation Are Varied and Complex

• Population growth• Poverty of subsistence farmers• Ranching• Lumber• Plantation farms: oil palm

• Begins with building of roads• Many forests burned• Can tilt tropical forest to tropical savanna

Fig. 10-14, p. 228

Natural Capital Degradation

Major Causes of the Destruction and Degradation of Tropical Forests

Basic/Underlying Causes Secondary/Direct Causes

• Not valuing ecological services • Roads • Cattle ranching• Crop and timber exports • Fires • Logging• Government policies • Settler farming • Tree plantations• Poverty • Cash crops• Population growth

Cattle ranching

Tree plantations Logging

Cash crops

Settler farming

FiresRoads

Natural Capital Degradation: Large Areas of Brazil’s Amazon Basin Are Burned

Fig. 10-15, p. 228

Human effects on Forests

10-2 How Should We Manage and Sustain Forests?

• Concept 10-2 We can sustain forests by emphasizing the economic value of their ecological services, removing government subsidies that hasten their destruction, protecting old-growth forests, harvesting trees no faster than they are replenished, and planting trees.

Solution: Sustainable Forestry

Fig. 10-16, p. 230

Ways to shift to sustainable forestry:

•Rid of government subsidies and tax breaks that encourage degradation/ deforestation

•Massive tree planting programs (i.e. the Green Belt movement)

Science Focus: Certifying Sustainably Grown Timber

• Collins Pine • Owns and manages protective timberland NE

California – doesn’t take more than is sustainable• Forest Stewardship Council• Nonprofit • Developed list of environmentally sound practices• Certifies timber and products• 2009: 5% of world’s forest have certified to FSC

standards• Also certifies manufacturers of wood products

We Can Improve the Management of Forest Fires

• The Smokey Bear educational campaign• Forest fire prevention program• Gave all forest fires a negative public view

We NEED fires!!!• Why? Refer to previous slides

How can we reduce fire-related harm to forests?• Prescribed fires• Allow fires on public lands to burn• Protect structures in fire-prone areas• Thin forests in fire-prone areas

We Can Reduce the Demand for Harvested Trees

• Improve the efficiency of wood use• 60% of U.S. wood use is wasted

• Make tree-free paper• Kenaf• Hemp

• Non-tree fiber sources yield more pulp per area of land than tree farms AN require fewer pesticides

Using Kenaf for Paper Pulp

• 1987 study- using kenaf to make newspaper• Brighter, stronger pages• Less environmental impact• 20% less energy used than producing from tree fibers

We could essentially eliminate the need to use trees for paper pulp

• so what’s stopping us?• Timber companies successful lobbying for subsidies($$$)• No lobbying efforts or subsidies for using kenaf substitute• Timber companies lobby AGAINST kanaf subsidies

Recycling Paper

Indirect benefits:• Reduces deforestation rate• decreases atmospheric

carbon by having more tree’s sequestering it

• Reduces the need for habitat fragmentation due to harvesting methods

• Saves energy in paper production

• Reduces pollution• Preservation of trees helps

sustain biodiversity

Disadvantages

• Uses fossil fuels during

production

• Paper quality reduced

• Harmful chemical byproducts

from recycling process

• Removal of ink gets into water

supply (copper, lead, zinc, etc)

• Creation of solid waste

• Encourages consumption

Case Study: Deforestation and the Fuelwood Crisis

• One half of world wood harvest is for fuel

• Possible solutions• Establish small plantations of fast-

growing fuelwood trees and shrubs• Burn wood more efficiently• Solar or wind-generated electricity• Burn garden waste• Bagasse- left over sugar cane

processing

Haiti: ecological disaster

Governments and Individuals Can Act to Reduce Tropical Deforestation

• Reduce fuelwood demand• Practice small-scale sustainable agriculture and forestry in tropical

forest• Government protection

• Example: Brazil law sets aside 57% of tropical rainforest for indigenous people

• Law is difficult to enforce

• Debt-for-nature swaps/conservation concessions• Plant trees• Buy certified lumber and wood products

Fig. 10-19, p. 233

Solutions

Sustaining Tropical Forests

Prevention Restoration

Protect the most diverse and endangered areas

Encourage regrowth through secondary succession

Educate settlers about sustainable agriculture and forestry

Subsidize only sustainable forest use

Rehabilitate degraded areasProtect forests through

debt-for-nature swaps and conservation concessions

Certify sustainably grown timber

Concentrate farming and ranching in already-cleared areas

Reduce poverty

Slow population growth

10-3 How Should We Manage and Sustain Grasslands?

• Concept 10-3 We can sustain the productivity of grasslands by controlling the number and distribution of grazing livestock, and by restoring degraded grasslands.

Some Rangelands Are Overgrazed• Important ecological services of grasslands• Soil formation• Erosion control• Nutrient cycling• Storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide in biomass• Maintenance of diversity

• Grazing is when large herbivorous species feed on grasslands• Grass grows from the base• So grazing is renewable as long as only upper half of grass

is eaten

Some Rangelands Are Overgrazed• Rangelands• Unfenced grasslands in temperate and

tropical climates • provide forage for animals (grass-

eating)• Provide browsing for animals (shrub

eating)

• Pastures• Managed grasslands and fences

meadows used for grazing livestock

Some Rangelands are Overgrazed • Overgrazing of rangelands• Reduces grass cover• Leads to erosion of soil by water and wind• Soil becomes compacted • Enhances invasion of plant species that cattle won’t eat

• 200 years ago, grasslands covered 50% of S.W US• Now- only covers 20%

• Malpai Borderlands• Arizona-New Mexico border• Management success story- recovered from overgrazing

Natural Capital Degradation: Overgrazed and Lightly Grazed Rangeland

Fig. 10-20, p. 234

We Can Manage Rangelands More Sustainably

• Rotational grazing-• Cattle are confined by portable fencing to one area for a

short time (1-2 days) then moved to another area• Riparian Zones• Lush vegetation-lined areas of a river• Cattle tend to aggregate here

• Suppress growth of invasive species• Herbicides• Mechanical removal• Controlled burning• Controlled short-term trampling (Cheaper)

More Expensive method, less widely used

We Can Manage Rangelands More Sustainably (2)

• Replant barren areas

• Apply fertilizer

• Reduce soil erosion

Natural Capital Restoration: San Pedro River in Arizona

Fig. 10-21, p. 235

Case Study: Grazing and Urban Development the American West

• American southwest population surge since 1980

• Land trust groups: conservation easements• Deed restrictions that bar future owners from

developing the land

• Reduce the harmful environmental impact of herds• Rotate cattle away from riparian areas• Use less fertilizers and pesticides• Operate ranch more economically and sustainably

Sustainable Acts to Know

• Taylor Grazing Act (1943)• signed by President Roosevelt, was intended to "stop injury to the public

grazing lands [excluding Alaska] by preventing overgrazing and soil deterioration; to provide for their orderly use, improvement, and development; [and] to stabilize the livestock industry dependent upon the public range" (USDI 1988). This Act was pre-empted by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA).

• Lacey Act (1900)• Originally passed in 1900, the U.S. Lacey Act makes it a federal crime to poach

game in one state with the purpose of selling the bounty in another. Introduced in the House of Representatives by Iowa Congressman John Lacey over a century ago, the Lacey Act has been revised several times turning it into one of the broadest and most comprehensive policies in the federal arsenal designed to combat wildlife crime.

• Wilderness Act (1964)• To protect large expanses of pristine land

10-4 How Should We Manage and Sustain Parks and Natural Reserves?

• Concept 10-4 Sustaining biodiversity will require more effective protection of existing parks and nature reserves, as well as the protection of much more of the earth’s remaining undisturbed land area.

National Parks Face Many Environmental Threats

• Worldwide: 1100 major national parks

• Parks in developing countries • Greatest biodiversity• 1% protected against• Illegal animal poaching• Illegal logging and mining

• Why do you think it’s difficult to control illegal park degradation in less developed countries?• Too little money• Too few personnel

Case Study: Stresses on U.S. Public Parks

• 58 Major national parks in the U.S.

• Biggest problem may be popularity• Noise • Congestion• Pollution• Damage or destruction to vegetation and wildlife• Off-roading vehicles, dirt-bikes, jet skis, snow mobiles

Case Study: Stresses on U.S. Public Parks (2)

• Damage from nonnative species• Boars and mountain goats• Introduced plants, insects, worms

• Native species sometimes killed or removed

• Threatened islands of biodiversity• Air pollution• Mining• Logging• Livestock grazing

• Need billions $$ in trail and infrastructure repairs

• Urban development• Coal-fired power plants• Water diversion

Grand Teton National Park

Fig. 10-22, p. 237

Natural Capital Degradation: Damage From Off-Road Vehicles

Fig. 10-23, p. 237

Solutions: National Parks

Fig. 10-24, p. 239

Science Focus: Reintroducing the Gray Wolf to Yellowstone National Park

• Keystone species• 1995: reintroduced; 2009: 116 wolves in park

• Prey on elk and push them to a higher elevation• Regrowth of aspen, cottonwoods, and willows• More beaver dams, more wetlands, more aspens

• Reduced the number of coyotes• Fewer attacks on cattle• More smaller mammals

Natural Capital Restoration: Gray Wolf

Fig. 10-B, p. 238

Nature Reserves Occupy Only a Small Part of the Earth’s Land

• Currently less than 13% is protected • Only 5% strictly protected

• Conservationists’goal: protect 20%

• We need cooperation between government and private groups and concerned individuals

• Conservation efforts:• Nature Conservancy- www.nature.org • Land trust groups• Private, non-profit

Silver Creek Nature Conservancy Preserve near Sun Valley, Idaho

Fig. 10-25, p. 240

Designing and Connecting Nature Reserves

• Large versus small reserves• Amazon- large is better• Some habitats benefit from well-placed medium sized

• The buffer zone concept• Areas between strictly protected inner core and

human-inhabited areas• United Nations: 553 biosphere reserves in 107 countries• Allows sustainable resource use by locals

Habitat CorridorsA connection pathway between segmented wildlife habitats separate by human-inhabited areas (i.e. roads, communities, etc)

Advantages•Allows for migration

• For species that need to move when conditions in an area deteriorate

• Need seasonal migration for food

•Increase biodiversity of birds, insects, small mammals and plants

Disadvantages•May also allow movement of:

• Pest species• Fire• Invasive species between reserves

•Increase exposure to:• Natural predators, hunters,

pollution

•Very costly

Case Study: Costa Rica—A Global Conservation Leader

• 1963–1983: cleared much of the forest

• 1986–2006: forests grew from 26% to 51%• Goal: net carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2021

• ¼ of land in nature reserves and natural parks – global leader• 8 zoned megareserves- protected innor core surrounded by

2 buffer zones• Earns $1 billion per year in tourism

Case Study: Costa Rica—A Global Conservation Leader

How do they maintain their sustainability?• Eliminated subsidies for rangeland conversion• They even pay landowners to maintain/restore tree

cover• Mass tree planting• 14 million between 2007-2008• Plans for more

Solutions: Costa Rica: Parks and Reserves—Eight Megareserves

Fig. 10-26, p. 241

Fig. 10-26, p. 241

NicaraguaCaribbean Sea

Costa Rica

Panama

Pacific Ocean

National parkland

Buffer zone

Protecting Wilderness Is an Important Way to Preserve Biodiversity

• Wilderness• Land officially designated as having no serious disturbance from

human activities• Wilderness Act of 1964

• President Teddy Roosevelt- “Leave it as it is. You cannot improve it”

• Controversial- • opponents contend their economic value should not be restricted

from use• Biologists argue we need to protect it for long term ecological

insurance policy• They are centers for evolution in response to inevitable

environmental change

Case Study: Controversy over Wilderness Protection in the United States

• Wilderness Act of 1964• Protect undeveloped lands• 2% of lower 48 protected, mostly in West• ¾ of protected US Wilderness is in Alaska

• 10-fold increase of protected area from 1970 to 2010

• 2009• 2 million more acres get wilderness protection• 50% increase in length of wild and scenic rivers

10-5 What is the Ecosystem Approach to Sustaining Biodiversity?

• Concept 10-5 We can help sustain biodiversity by identifying and protecting severely threatened areas (biodiversity hotspots), restoring damaged ecosystems (using restoration ecology), and sharing with other species much of the land we dominate (using reconciliation ecology).

We Can Use a Four-Point Strategy to Protect Ecosystems

Ecosystem Approach: Protect and sustain ecosystems to maintain biodiversity within them by protecting habitats and eco-services

-Many biologists believe its better to focus on this rather than saving individual speciesFollows a four point plan:1.Map global ecosystems; identify and take inventory of species2.Locate and protect most endangered ecosystems and species• Emphasis on plant biodiversity and eco-services

3.Restore degraded ecosystems4.Development must be biodiversity-friendly• Implement tax-breaks and write offs for financial incentives

•Are new laws needed?

Ecosystem Approaches

1. Protect biodiversity hot spots

2. Protect ecosystem services

3. Rehabilitate and restore damaged ecosystems

Protecting Global Biodiversity Hot Spots Is an Urgent Priority

• 34 biodiversity hot spots • Biodiversity hotspot: areas rich in endemic plant

species and are in danger of extinction• Cover 2% of earth’s surface- but 50% of flowering

plant species and 42% of terrestrial vertebrates • Also home to 1.2 billion people

• Drawbacks of this approach• May not be rich in animal diversity• People may be displaced and/or lose access to

important resources

Endangered Natural Capital: 34 Biodiversity Hotspots

Fig. 10-27, p. 243

http://www.earthrangers.com/video/biodiversity/hotspots-video_5d688b9a6.html

Endangered Natural Capital: Biodiversity Hotspots in the U.S.

Figure 27, Supplement 8

Protecting Ecosystem Services Is Also an Urgent Priority

• U.N. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: 2005• Identify key ecosystem services• Human activities degrade or overuse 60% of the eart

h’s natural services

• Identify highly stressed life raft ecosystems• High poverty levels• Highly depended upon Ecosystem services degraded• Foster cooperation among residents, government and

scientists to protect people and biodiversity

We Can Rehabilitate and Restore Ecosystems That We Have Damaged

• Ecological restoration: process of repairing damage caused by humans to the biodiversity and dynamics of natural ecosystems

• Study how natural ecosystems recover1. Restoration- returning degraded habitat to conditions of its

natural state2. Rehabilitation- turning ecosystem into functional or useful

system without restoration (ex. Remove pollutants)3. Replacement- replacing degraded ecosystem with another

type of ecosystem (i.e- degraded forest into tree plantation)4. Creating artificial ecosystems- artificial wetlands to reduce

flooding or treat sewage

We Can Rehabilitate and Restore Ecosystems That We Have Damaged

• How to carry out most forms of ecological restoration and rehabilitation

1. Identify what caused the degradation2. Stop the abuse/eliminate causes3. Reintroduce species, if possible4. Protect from further degradation

Science Focus: Ecological Restoration of a Tropical Dry Forest in Costa Rica

• Guanacaste National Park restoration project• Relinked to adjacent rain forest• Bring in cattle and horses – aid in seed dispersal• Local residents – actively involved

Will Restoration Encourage Further Destruction?

• Preventing ecosystem damage is cheaper than restoration

• About 5% of the earth’s land is preserved from the effects of human activities

We Can Share Areas We Dominate With Other Species

• Reconciliation ecology • Invent and maintain habitats for species diversity

where people live, work, and play• Aka- work together with nature

• Community-based conservation• Belize and the black howler monkeys• Protect vital insect pollinators

Case Study: The Blackfoot Challenge—Reconciliation Ecology in Action

• 1970s: Blackfoot River Valley in Montana threatened by• Poor mining, logging, and grazing practices• Water and air pollution• Unsustainable commercial and residential

development

• Community meetings led to• Weed-pulling parties• Nesting structures for waterfowl• Developed sustainable grazing systems

What Can You Do? Sustaining Terrestrial Biodiversity

Fig. 10-28, p. 247

Three Big Ideas

1. The economic values of the important ecological services provided by the world’s ecosystems are far greater than the value of the raw materials obtained from those systems.

2. We can manage forests, grasslands, parks, and nature preserves more effectively by protecting more land, preventing over-use of these areas, and using renewable resources provided by them no faster than such resources can be replenished by natural processes.

Three Big Ideas

3. We can sustain terrestrial biodiversity by protecting severely threatened areas, protecting remaining undisturbed areas, restoring damaged ecosystems, and sharing with other species much of the land we dominate.

Watch APES in a Box: Environmental Law (take notes)

Kyoto Protocol: What Can Be Done?

• Working alone what are two things you can do as individuals to lower greenhouse gas emissions

• Generate a short list as a group of 2-3

• As a group what are two things society can do to help lower greenhouse gas emissions

A Plan to Slow Global Warming• A global problem demands a global response• Kyoto Protocol – an international attempt to reduce greenhouse gas

emissions to 1990 levels• 156 countries involved in the initial writing• Agreement went into force Feb. 2005• The United States did NOT join the final group• Bush Administration argues that1. “the United States [was] facing an economic downturn and an energy

shortage.2. “in order to reduce greenhouses gases (especially carbon dioxide)

without "harming the economy and hurting American workers", as he puts it, the United States would need to use much more natural gas - and it does not have the means to do this.”

*source: bbc news (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1248757.stm)Updated March 2001

Global Warming- Its not new!