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From the driest desert to the dripping rainforests, from the highest mountain peaks to the deepest ocean trenches, life on earth occurs in a marvelous spectrum of sizes, colors, shapes, life cycles, and interrelationships. Think for a moment how remarkable, varied, abundant, and important the other living creatures are with whom we share this planet. How will our lives be impoverished if this biological diversity diminishes? What is Biodiversity? Three kinds of biodiversity are essential to preserve these ecological systems: (1) genetic diversity is a measure of the variety of different versions of the same genes within individual species; (2) species diversity describes the number of different kinds of organisms within individual communities or ecosystems; and (3) ecological diversity assesses the richness and complexity of a biological community, including the number of niches, trophic levels, and ecological processes that capture energy, sustain food webs, and recycle materials within this system. What are Species? The concept of a species occupies a central position in the concept of biodiversity, but what, exactly, do we mean by the term? Species is often defined as all the organisms of the same kind able to breed in nature and produce live, fertile offspring. There are problems with species definitions based on reproductive isolation. Mating between species (hybridization) occurs in nature and may produce fertile offspring. Furthermore, we often cannot determine whether two groups that live in different places are capable of interbreeding. Sometimes, in fact, the only specimens available for study are dead. Species identification, therefore, is often based on morphological characteristics such as size, shape, color, skeletal structure, or on either chemical or genetic traits. Increasingly, DNA sequencing technology is also used to distinguish species. Some groups that were thought to be far apart now appear to be closely related, while others may be moved into entirely different families or even orders. Understanding molecular evolution not only helps us see how species originate, but also helps us evaluate genetic diversity. How Many Species are there? Recent studies of less conspicuous organisms such as insects and fungi suggest that millions of new species and varieties remain to be studied scientifically. The 1.7 million species presently known probably represent only a small fraction of the total number that exists. Based on the rate of new discoveries by research expeditions especially in the tropics, taxonomists estimate that there may be somewhere between 3 million and 50 million different species today. In fact, there may be 30 million species of tropical insect alone, and by some estimates there may be 10 million species living on (or in) the ocean floor. About 70 percent of known species are invertebrates (animals without backbones such as insects, sponges, clams, worms, etc.). This group probably makes up the vast majority of organisms yet to be discovered and may constitute 95 percent of all species. Of all the world's species, only 10 to 15 percent live in North Amerjca and Europe. By contrast, the centers of greatest biodiversity tend to be in the tropics, especially
tropical rainforests and coral reef. Many of the organisms in these megadiversity countries have never been studied by scientists. The Malaysian Peninsula, for instance, has at least 8,000 species of flowering plants, while Britain, with an area twice as large, has only 1,400 species.
removing seemingly insignificant members of biological communities. For instance, wild species provide a valuable but often unrecognized service in suppressing pests and disease-carrying organisms. It is estimated that 95 percent of the potential pests and disease carrying organisms in the world are controlled by other species that prey upon them or compete with them in some way. Aesthetic and Cultural Benefits: The diversity of life on this planet brings us many aesthetic and cultural benefits, and cultural diversity is inextricably linked to biodiversity. Millions of people enjoy hunting, fishing camping, hiking, wildlife watching, and other outdoor activities based on nature. These activities provide invigorating physical exercise. Contact with nature also can be psychologically and emotionally restorative. In some cultures, nature carries spiritual connotations, and a particular species or landscape may be inextricably linked to a sense of identity and meaning. Observing and protecting nature has religious or moral significance for many people. Nature appreciation is economically important. Ecotourism can be a good form of sustainable economic development, but we have to be careful that we don't abuse the places and cultures we visit. For many people, the value of wildlife goes beyond the opportunity to shoot or photograph, or even see, a particular species. They argue that existence value, based on simply knowing hat a species exists, is reason enough to protect and preserve it. We contribute to programs to save tigers, bald eagles, redwood trees, whooping cranes, whales, and a host of other rare and endangered organisms because we like to know they still exist somewhere, even if we may never have an opportunity to see them.
- a short time by geological standards. Current theories suggest that these catastrophes were caused by climate changes, perhaps triggered when large asteroids struck the earth. Many ecologists worry that global climate change caused by our release of "greenhouse" gases in the atmosphere could have similarly catastrophic effects.
variety of valuable commercial products from nature. Much of this represents sustainable harvest, but some forms of commercial exploitation are highly destructive, however, and represent a serious threat to certain rare species. Despite international bans on trade in products from endangered species, smuggling of furs, hides, horns, live specimens, and folk medicines amounts to millions of dollars each year. Developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America with the richest biodiversity in the world are the main sources of wild animals and animal products, while Europe, North America, and some of the wealthy Asian countries are the principal importers. Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong buy three-quarters of all cat and snake skins, for instance, while European countries buy a similar percentage of live birds. The United States imports 99 percent of all live cacti and 75 percent of all orchids sold each year. The profits to be made in wildlife smuggling are enormous. Tiger or leopard fur coats can bring $100,000 in Japan or Europe. The population of African black rhinos dropped from approximately 100,000 in the 1960s to about 3,000 in the 19805 because of demand for their horns. In Asia, where it is prized for its supposed medicinal properties, powdered rhino horn fetches $28,000 per kg. In Yemen, a rhino horn dagger handle can sell for up to $1,000. Similarly, bird collectors will pay $10,000 for a rare hyacinth macaw from Brazil or up to $12,000 for a pair of golden-shouldered parakeets from Australia. An endangered albino python might bring $20,000 in Germany. The mortality rate in this live animal trade is enormous. It is generally estimated that 50 animals are caught or killed for every live animal that gets to the market. Elephants are an important example of the problems and complexities of wildlife trade. In 1980, there were about 1.3 million African elephants; a decade later only half was left. Poachers killed more than 600,000 of these giant animals in the 19805, mainly for their ivory tusks worth up to $100 per kilogram. An internatio.nal ban on ivory trade in 1989 dried up the ivory trade and greatly reduced poaching. In contrast to most of the continent, southern Africa has been very successful in conserving elephants. So successful, in fact, that herds have had to be thinned regularly to keep them from destroying their habitat. Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe were allowed to sell some of the stockpiled ivory for conservation projects to compensate citizens whose property and livelihoods are disrupted by marauding animals. Other countries opposed lifting the ban because of the fear that any ivory sales would rekindle poaching. In fact, in 1999, more than 350 elephants were killed In Zimbabwe alone by poachers who hope to slip ivory into legal sales routes. Plants also are threatened by overharvesting. Wild ginseng has been nearly eliminated in many areas because of the Asian demand for roots that are used as an aphrodisiac and folk medicine. Cactus "rustlers" steal cacti by the ton from the American southwest and Mexico. With prices ranging as high as $1,000 for rare specimens, it's not surprising that many are now endangered. The trade in wild species for pets is an enormous business. Worldwide, some 5 million live birds are sold each year for pets, mostly in Europe and North America. About 75 percent of all saltwater tropical aquarium fish sold come from coral reefs of the Philippines and Indonesia. Many of these fish are caught by divers using plastic squeeze bottles of cyanide to stun their prey. Far more fish die with this technique than are caught Worst of all, it kills the coral animals that create the reef. A single diver can destroy all of the life on 200 square meters of reef in a day. Altogether, thousands of divers currently destroy about 50 km2 of reefs each year. Net fishing would prevent this destruction, and it could be enforced if pet owners would insist on net-caught fish. More than half the world's coral reefs are potentially threatened by human activities, with up to 80 percent at risk in the
most populated areas. Diseases : Disease organisms, or pathogens, may also be considered predators. To be successful over the long term, a pathogen must establish a balance in which it is vigorous enough to reproduce, but not so lethal that it completely destroys its host. When a disease is introduced into a new environment, however, this balance may be lacking and an epidemic may sweep through the area. The American chestnut was once the heart of many Eastern hardwood forests. Its nutritious nuts were important for birds (like the passenger pigeon), forest rnammals, and humans. The wood was straight grained, light, rot-resistant and used for everything from fence posts to fine furniture and its bark was used to tan leather. In 1904, a shipment of nursery stock from China brought a fungal blight to the United States, and within 40 years, the American chestnut had all but disappeared from its native range. Efforts are now underway to transfer blight-resistant genes into the few remaining American chestnuts that weren't reached by the fungus or to find biological controls for the fungus that causes the disease. An infection called whirling disease is decimating trout populations in many western states. It is caused by an exotic microorganism, which destroys cartilage in young fish causing them to swim erratically. The parasite is thought to have come into the United States in 1956 in a shipment of frozen fish. Pollution: We have known for a long time that toxic pollutants can have disastrous effect on local populations of organisms. Pesticide-linked declines of fish-eating birds and falcons was well documented the 1970s. Marine mammals, alligators, fish, and other declining populations suggest complex interrelations between pollution and health. Mysterious, widespread deaths thousands of seals on both sides of the Atlantic in recent years are thought to be linked to an accumulation of persistent chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as OOT, PCBs, and dioxins, in fat, causing weakened immune systems that make animals vulnerable to infections. Similarly, mortality of Pacific sea lions and striped dolphins in the Mediterranean are thought to be caused by accumulation of toxic pollutants. Lead poisoning is another major cause of mortality for many species of wildlife. Bottom-feeding waterfowl, such as ducks, swans, and cranes, ingest spent shotgun pellets that fall into lakes and marshes. They store the pellets, instead of stones, in their gizzards and the lead slowly accumulates in their blood and other tissues. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) estimates that 3,000 metric tons of lead shot are deposited annually in wetlands of USA and that between 2 and 3 million waterfowl die each year from lead poisoning.