Welcome to ENVR 242

Instructor: Annette DehaltPPT Presentations: Ted Davis & Annette Dehalt

Vertebrate Biology & Ecology

What is “biodiversity”?

The value of biodiversity The loss of biodiversity

B.C. Biodiversity

Threats to Biodiversity

Biological Diversity

Biodiversity (biological diversity)

“…the totality of hereditary variation in life forms, across all levels of biological organization, from genes and chromosomes within individual species to the array of species themselves and finally, at the highest level, the living communities of ecosystems such as forests and lakes.” – E. O. Wilson (1994:359)

Biodiversity is NOT justspecies diversity!

Species diversity is NOT just number of species!

Species diversity = Species richness + relative abundance

a.Species richness = number of speciesb.Relative abundance = proportion of each species in the community

Three levels of biodiversity

Coastal Ecosystem Diversity

Mountains

Forest

Ocean

Diverse components of biodiversity (genes…ecosystems)

are structurally and functionally integrated in various ways,

providing additional levels of diversity and complexity:

The partsHow the parts are organized

How the parts function

What is “biodiversity”?

The value of biodiversity The loss of biodiversity

B.C. Biodiversity

Threats to Biodiversity

Biodiversity

Value of biodiversity

Intrinsic value – value in and of itself without regard for human needs.

Value of biodiversity

Intrinsic value – value in and of itself without regard for human needs.

Direct value – products directly consumed by people.

Value of biodiversity

Intrinsic value – value in and of itself without regard for human needs.

Direct value – products directly consumed by people.

Indirect value – benefits that do not involve the consumption of resources.

Indire

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Indirect v

alue: ecosystem services

Ecosystem services:

The conditions and processes through which natural ecosystems sustain life, including human life.

Ecosystem services 

• production of ecosystem goods

• purification of air and water

• mitigation of floods and droughts

• decomposition of wastes

• renewal of soil and soil fertility

• crop pollination

• control of agricultural pests

• seed dispersal

• nutrient transport

• climate stabilization

Ecosystem services

Global GNP = $18 trillion

Ecosystem services: $33 trillion/year

Catskill watershed

$6-$8 billion for a new water treatment plant

Catskill watershed

$1.5 billion to buy land and introduce water protection measures

What is “biodiversity”?

The value of biodiversity The loss of biodiversity

B.C. Biodiversity

Threats to Biodiversity

Biodiversity

The loss of biodiversity1. The current loss of biodiversity is unprecedented.

Because of human activities, extinction rates are 100X – 1000X greater than the background extinction rate.

Percent of Described Species Globally Threatened

(IUCN 2011)

Fishes insuff. dataAmphibians 41%Reptiles insuff. dataBirds 13%Mammals 25%Vertebrates ~10-20%

The loss of biodiversity1. The current loss of biodiversity is unprecedented.

2. The threats to biodiversity are driven by the growth and size of the human population, the technologies we use, and the amount of natural resources we consume.

Human population growth

The loss of biodiversity1. The current loss of biodiversity is unprecedented.

2. The threats to biodiversity are driven by the growth and size of the human population, the technologies we use, and the amount of natural resources we consume.

3. Many of the threats to biodiversity are synergistic. 4. What is bad for biodiversity is bad for humans.

What is “biodiversity”?

The value of biodiversity The loss of biodiversity

B.C. Biodiversity

Threats to Biodiversity

Biodiversity

BC BiodiversityThe most biologically diverse province or

territory in Canada

BC Biodiversity

3169 native vascular plants 781 species of mosses~1600 species of lichens~520 species of sea weeds~10,000 species of fungi~35,000 species of Invertebrates (mostly insects)

BC Biodiversity

504 species of fish22 species of amphibians22 species of reptiles 529 species of birds 180 species of mammals

1257 species of vertebrates

BC Biodiversity (2011)native

speciesRed listed (extirpated, endangered

or threatened)

Blue listed

(special concern)

% Red or Blue listed

Fish 504 28 17 9 %

Amphibians 22 5 3 36 %

Reptiles 22 7 5 55 %

Birds 529 46 56 19 %

Mammals 180 32 33 36 %

corn

bear

robin

Taxonomy

Common names

• Not standardized

• Don’t indicate relationships

Scientific names

Canis lupus(Grey Wolf)

Peromyscus maniculatus(Deer Mouse)

Scientific names

Canis lupus (Grey Wolf)

Canis latrans(Coyote)

                            

Canis dingo (Dingo)

Canis mesomelas(Black-backed Jackal)

Alces alces (Moose)

Scientific names

Canis Lupus

Canis lupus

canis lupus Canis lupus

Grey wolf

Hierarchical classification

Pantherapardus

Panthera

Felidae

Carnivora

Mammalia

Chordata

Animalia

EukaryaDomain

Kingdom

Phylum

Class

Order

Family

Genus

Species

ZOOLOGICAL BOTANICAL Kingdom Kingdom Phylum Division (-phyta) Subphylum Subdivision (-phytina)

Superclass Class Class (-opsida) Subclass Subclass (-idae)

Order Order (-ales) Suborder Suborder (-ineae) Superfamily (-oidea) Family (-idae) Family (-aceae) Subfamily (-inae) Subfamily (-oideae)

Tribe (-eae)Genus Genus species species

ENVR 242 TaxonomyPhylum Chordata Subphylum Urochordata (tunicates) (Subphylum Cephalochordata-lancelets: 0 in BC) Subphylum Vertebrata

Superclass Agnatha – jawless fishesClass Myxini (hagfish)Class Petromyzontida (lampreys)

Superclass Gnathostomata – jawed vert’sClass Chondrichthyes - cartilagenous fishesClass Actinopterygii – ray-finned fishes

(Class Sarcopterygii – lobe-finned fishes: 0 in BC)Class Amphibia - amphibiansClass Reptilia - reptilesClass Aves - birdsClass Mammalia – mammals

What is “biodiversity”?

The value of biodiversity The loss of biodiversity

B.C. Biodiversity

Threats to Biodiversity

Biodiversity

Threats to biodiversity

• Climate change

• Habitat destruction

• Habitat fragmentation

• Habitat degradation

• Overexploitation

• Introduction of exotic species

• Disease

(details to follow)