Biodiversity

Ch 12

Learning Objec8ves
A"er studying this chapter you should be able to 1. Dene biodiversity. 2. Explain the various hypotheses as to why biodiversity is so much richer in humid tropical biomes than in those at higher la8tudes. 3. Discuss the reasons why biodiversity is important and should be preserved. 4. Explain how ecologists measure the various elements of biodiversity.

Father of Biodiversity
Biodiversity coined by Edward O. Wilson (born 1929). Amalgam of biological diversity (now just biodiversity). The richness of biological varia8on at all levels of biological organiza8on (genes, species, communi8es)

E.O. Wilson continues to work on finding and identifying ants throughout the world

Es8mate that we are losing 30,000 species annually Earth s 6th Ex8nc8on

Father of Biodiversity

hRp://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/e_o_wilson_on_saving_life_on_earth.html Winner of the 2007 TED Prize: Excerpted during his presentation

Environment Program (UNEP) convened a Working Group on Biological Diversity and began nego8a8ng an interna8onal legally binding treaty. In 1992 (Rio Summit), Conven8on on Biological Diversity was opened for signatures (signed by 168 countries). Canada was rst industrialized country to sign and ra8fy in 1992. U.S. signed but has yet to ra8fy.

Conven8on on Biological Diversity (CBD) www.cbd.int In 1988, United Na8ons

Conven8on on Biological Diversity (CBD) www.cbd.int

Has objective of conserving biological diversity, sustaining use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from utilization of genetic resources.

In April 2002, parties gathered to commit to achieving by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level.

2010: Year of Biodiversity

Levels of Biodiversity
Gene=c varia=on: Species richness:
e.g., within a popula8on of guppies. e.g., in a Swiss mountain meadow.

Diversity of communi=es:

e.g., in Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario.

Low Gene8c Diversity

Gene8c diversity allows popula8ons to respond to environmental changes. Popula8ons with low gene8c diversity are at risk in changing environments. Endemics

Many agricultural crops have low gene8c diversity and are suscep8ble to pests and disease.

Species Richness and Global Numbers of Species

Numbers of described and es8mated species in dierent groups of organisms. In some organism groups, most of the species have not yet been described. Small tropical arthropods are especially poorly known.
Table12.1 , p. 367

Canadian Numbers of Species

Even in Canada, a large number of species have not yet been discovered.

Table12.2 , p. 368

Species Richness Decreases with La8tude

Table12.3 , p. 367

Richness Extremes
The tree Luehea seemannii in Amazonian forest was found to have 1100 species of beetles in its canopy, 14.5% of which were previously unknown (Erwin 1983). 742 tree species (DBH>10 cm) were found on a 3 ha plot in Sarawak, Malaysia (Primack & Hall 1992). 283 tree species occurred on a 1 ha plot in Amazonian Peru (Gentry 1988). In all of Canada there are about 300 tree species.

Table12.3 , p. 367

Ecological Time Hypothesis

Based on the 8me needed for species to disperse into unoccupied areas. Time past since glacia8on.

Spa8al Heterogeneity Hypothesis

Simpson (1964) More complex and heterogeneous environments contain more plants and animals Topography, ver8cal vegeta8on structure e.g. MacArthur (1972)
Foliage diversity and bird diversity

The Importance of Biodiversity

Useful to people as food, medicine, materials, companionship. Ecosystem services. Spiritual, aesthe8c, cultural. Not all uses discovered yet.
The chemotherapeu8c value of taxol, found in Canada yew (Taxus canadensis), was discovered only recently.

Measuring Biodiversity
Gene8c diversity with DNA markers. Species richness Species diversity Indicators
Area-richness curves can tell us the number of species in a certain area.

Fig. 12.1 , p. 379

Interpreta8on of diversity indices

Diversity index such as Shannon, Simpsons, etc. should not be used to indicate ecosystem quality.
Advantages Look at many species at once BeRer than species richness, species abundance and evenness alone Disadvantages No informa8on on the role of the species in the community (e.g. parasite) or their sensi8vity to disturbance

Index of Bio=c Integrity (IBI) is more appropriate for assessing habitat quality.

Index of bio8c integrity (IBI)

Biological integrity
The ability of an area to support and maintain a balanced, integrated, adap8ve community of organisms having a species composi8on, diversity, and func8onal organiza8on comparable to that of natural habitat of the region (Karr and Dudley 1981). Includes func8on of the system and species.

Includes the use of ecological indicators

Primarily biological and respond to: Chemical, physical, and other biological phenomena (e.g. introduced species).

Why use them?

Allow humans to isolate key aspects of the environment from an overwhelming array signals (species richness not enough) Understand current and predict future Assessment needed to make regulatory, and sustainability decisions Need for policy in light of: Loss of species, deteriora8ng water quality and quan8ty, climate change

. . . (the IMBCI) . . . may help communicate complex ecological data to natural resource managers and conserva8on planners.

1 2

3 4

DeLuca et al. (2004)

13

8.5

DeLuca et al. (2004)

Example
Wetland 1 Red-winged Blackbird American BiRern (MON) Least BiRern (MON) Virginia Rail (MON) IMBCI =
10.125

SIMBCI 7

Wetland 2 Red-winged Blackbird

SIMBCI 7 8.5 7 5.5

11.5 Common Yellowthroat 13 13 Yellow Warbler Canada Goose IMBCI =

3