1. Describe the biodiversity of life on Earth

2. Investigate human impacts on species, communities, and ecosystems.

3. Develop approaches to prevent extinctions

Complements applied disciplines
• Provides theoretical approach to protecting biodiversity
• Crisis discipline – May not have time to build theoretical framework – Must make quick decisions usually with insufficient data

5 Ethical Principles

1. All life deserves protectino

2. Species extinction should be avoided

3. Ecological complexities should be maintained.

4. Evolution should continue

5. Biological diversity has intrinsic value

Commodities and qualities in nature that are used and valued by people. Different from regular resources.

ex. Clean air, water, timber, etc.

"What has created the biodiversity of life on this planet"

Measurable change of genes within a population overtime

Complete range of species and biological communities and genetic variations

Key mechanism in evolution results in species and individuals with favorable traits are passed on

Genetic variation within a species among individuals within a single population and among geographically separate populations of a species.

Morphological: classify by "outside" appearance

Biological: calssifying them by genetic similarities

Food chain: specific feeding relationships between species of different trophic levels

Food web: network of feeding relationships among species

A species that has a disproportionate impact (relative to its numbers or biomass) on the environment, where other species rely on them to survive.

Ex. otters

-tropical rainforest

-tropical deciduous forests

-coral reefs

-deep sea

-large tropical lakes

-closer to the equator

-southern part of the earth (angles of the sun)

**less in high altitudes, extreme weather and fewer nutrients**

-common environments (freshwater and saltwater, but not brackish water)

-more diversity today due to evolution

-larger areas

-mild disturbance areas

-1.5 million species described

-5-10 million could exist (don't really know)

-20,000 new species are described each year

Externalities

environmental damage that occurs as a consequence of human economic activity

-resources that all of society shares but no one specifically owns.

-Unregulated use of resources that result in its degradation

Ex: Ocean, air, common property resources

Direct:

- value assigned to products that are harvested and directly used by the people who own them (firewood)

Indirect:

-not bought/sold on market

-Provides a benefit without harvesting

ex:sunlight, air

-never makes it to market

-no recorded value

-usually estimated

ex: firewood

can be measured and makes it to market

ex: coffee

how much people are willing to pay to have continued biodiversity existing.

ex: National Park

religious/spiritual/just deserves to exist for its own sake

Unsustainable levels of consumption, harvest or loss • Direct
– Commercial → subsistence
– Tragedy of the commons

Indirect
– Unintentional exploitation or bycatch

I=impact on the environment

P=human population size

A=average income

T=technology

if PAT increases or decreases, it affects I

Edge effect

Micro- and macro-parasites 

Death not only effect
– resistance

– Synergistic effects

– Ecological cascade

What are the effects of habitat fragmentation on an environment?

- Limit dispersal and colonization

– Restrict access to food and mates

– Divide the population

Extinct in a local area, but may exist other places in the world

ex: mountain lions