EXTINCTION

&
THEBIODIVERSITYCRISIS

Biodiversity:
Allthevarietyoflife,ateveryleveloforganization...
Geneticdiversity

Speciesdiversity

Ecosystemdiversity

 AccordingtotheU.S.EndangeredSpeciesAct:
Anendangeredspeciesisindangerofbecoming
extinctthroughoutallorasignificantportionofits
range
Athreatenedspeciesislikelytobecome
endangeredintheforeseeablefuture

Extinction:
Thedeathofthelastsurviving
individualofaspecies,population,
orgene,locallyorglobally.

TheBiodiversitySynthesisReport
KEYFINDINGS:
Declineinbiodiversityduetohumanactivitiesmorerapid
inpast50yrsthanatanytimeinhumanhistory
Overlast100yrs,humancausedspeciesextinctionshave
multiplied~1,000times
12%ofbirds,23%ofmammals,and32%ofamphibians
arethreatenedwithextinction

Currentestimatesofspecieslossrange
between1050%overnext2050years.

Thiscurrentrapiddeclineinbiodiversity
isknownastheBiodiversityCrisis

Whatmakesaspeciesvulnerable
toextinction?
Vulnerabilitytointroducedexotics
Overexploitation
Rarity
Habitatloss/Fragmentation

IntroducedExotics
Speciesthathumanshavemoved
fromnativelocationstonew
geographicregions
Inabsenceoftheirnativecompetitors,
predators,parasites,andpathogens,
introducedspeciesmayspreadrapidly
Introducedspeciesthatbecome
establishedinanewhabitatusually
disruptthecommunity

EuropeanStarling

Fig.568

BrowntreesnakeintroducedaccidentallytoGuamhascaused
extinctionof12speciesofbirdsand6speciesoflizards.

(a)Browntreesnake

(b)Kudzu

AsianplantkudzuintroducedbyUSDAtocontrol
erosion;nowchokingoutnativeplantspecies.

Overexploitation
Humanharvestingofwildplantsoranimalsatrates
exceedingabilityofpopulationsofthosespeciestorebound

Largeorganismswithlowreproductiveratesare
especiallyvulnerable

Overexploitationbythefishingindustryhasgreatlyreduced

populationsofsomegamefish,suchasbluefintuna

Worldsfishstockshavebeenreducedby90%
sincethestartofindustrialfishing

Rarity
Rarespeciesarethemostvulnerableto
extinction,thoughcommonspeciescanalso
becomeextinct.

Threewaysaspeciescanberare...

1.

CaveSalamander

2.

3.

ManedWolf

4.

ProboscisMonkey

5.

HawaiianHawk

6.

DwarfNaupaka

 Asmallpopulationispronetopositivefeedbackloops
thatdrawitdownanextinctionvortex
Thekeyfactordrivingtheextinctionvortexislossof
thegeneticvariationnecessarytoenableevolutionary
responsestoenvironmentalchange

Fig.5610

Small
population

Inbreeding

Genetic
drift

Lower
reproduction
Higher
mortality
Reductionin
individual
fitnessand
population
adaptability
Smaller
population

Lossof
genetic
variability

CaseStudy:TheGreaterPrairieChickenandthe
ExtinctionVortex
Populationsfragmentedby
agricultureandlaterfoundto
exhibitdecreasedfertility
Scientistsimportedgenetic
variationbytransplanting
birdsfromlargerpopulations
Populationrebounded,
confirmingthatlowgenetic
variationhadbeencausing
anextinctionvortex

HabitatLoss
Estimatesofcurrent
ratesofextinction
worldwidearebased
primarilyonspecies
arearelationships
andratesoftropical
deforestation.

HabitatFragmentation
Thefragmentationofhabitatsintopatches
thataretoosmalltosupportpopulationsisa
majorcauseofextinction...

Problemsduetofragmentation:

edgeeffects

smallarea
isolation

Fig.5614

(a)Naturaledges

(b)Edgescreatedbyhumanactivity

EdgeEffects

Problemsduetofragmentation:

edgeeffects

smallarea
isolation

IslandBiogeography:Speciesrichnessonislands
dependsonislandsizeanddistancefrommainland.

EquilibriumModel
Explainsvariationinspeciesrichnessondifferent
islandsbyconsideringeffectsofisolationandarea
onratesofimmigrationandextinction.

RemovalExperimentMangroveIslands
Arthropodsremovedfrom
islandsofequalsize,near
andfarfrommainland.

Numberofspecieson
eachislandatendofexpt
matchednumberatstart
(atleastonnearisland),
thoughthespeciesdiffered.

Theequilibriumspeciesnumberisdynamic:
speciescompositionconstantlychangesdue
toimmigrationandextinction.

Today,theequilibriummodelof
islandbiogeographyisbeingapplied
toconservationissues

Smallerfragmentshave:
fewerhabitattypes
fewerspecies
smallerpopulations
higherextinctionrates

Areasensitivespecieswithlargehomeranges
areespeciallyvulnerabletosmallareaeffects...

Jaguar

SpiderMonkey
WhiteplumedAntbird

Isolation
Ratesofextinctionaremuchhigheron
islandsthanonthemainland...

...problematicifspeciesarenotimmigrating
duetoisolation.

Habitatfragmentsarehabitatislands...

BogorBotanicalGarden,Java

Apossiblesolution?

Habitat(Movement)Corridors:
linksbetweenfragmentedhabitats
allowspeciesmovementbetweenhabitats

Fig.5615

AdvantagesofHabitatCorridors
increasedspeciesrichness
rescueeffect
maintaingeneticvariation
altitudinalmigration

ThreewattledBellbirdaltitudinalmigrant

DisadvantagesofHabitatCorridors
increaseddiseasetransmission
increasepredationrisk
increasedspreadoffire
reducedgeneticvariationbetweenfragments

BiodiversityHotSpot:
Arelativelysmallecosystemwith
ahighconcentrationofspecies,
manyofwhichareendemics.

Terrestrialbiodiversity
hotspots

Marinebiodiversity
hotspots

Equator

Hotspotsofbiodiversityarealso
hotspotsofextinction

VideoTopics
PopulationEcology:lifehistorystrategies
parentalcare/fecundity
CommunityEcology:biodiversity
mutualisms,competition,predation
EcosystemEcology:primaryproducers(plants)
primary,secondary,tertiaryconsumers
watercycle
ConservationBiology:hotspot,endemicspecies,rarity,
habitatfragmentation,extinction