Biodiversity Species

Horseshoe Crab

• http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/04/health/this-crabs-blood-could-save-your-life/

Coconut Palm Tree

• Uses of the Palm Tree:– http://www.palmtreepassion.com/palm-tree-

uses.html#.VEgTlFIU-1s

White Rhino

• A study published October 21, 2014 has the count of white rhinos in the wild at 6. There is only 1 adult male among them

http://mic.com/articles/101914/the-world-s-rare-white-rhino-just-inched-closer-to-extinction

Zombie Ants!

Hawaiian Monk Seal

• http://www.monksealfoundation.org/

Lion Fish – Invaders of the Gulf Coast

Solutions – Getting rid of the Lionfish

• http://www.gulfcoastlionfish.com/index.html

Kudzu

• Invasivespeciesinfo.gov

Facts about the Kudzu Vine• Introduced from Asia in the 1800’s as an ornamental plant• What is Kudzu? • Quick Facts from kudzuworld.com:• Kudzu grows more than 7 feet (more than 2 meters) meters a week.

Almost nothing stops it. • It takes 10 to 15 years to control a Kudzu patch – even with chemicals.

Effective herbicides (such as napalm and agent orange) often destroy the soil. Of 12 known herbicides, 10 have no effect, and 2 make it grow better.

• Its covers more than 2.8 million square km of the American South. If it were not for winter, there would only be 40 American states. Patches often are 6+ miles (10+ kilometers) long.

• Its even been called "The vegetable form of cancer".

• Jjanthony.com

• Jjanthony.com

Burmese Pythons

• http://www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/under-siege-americas-most-unwanted-invasive-species/

• http://www.nps.gov/ever/naturescience/burmesepythonsintro.htm

Case Study: The Whooping Crane

• Habitat loss and unregulated hunted led to a severe decrease in the species

• In 1941 there were an estimated 14 whooping cranes left in the wild

• The decline in this species was a major factor leading up to the creation of the Endangered Species Act

Saving the Whooping Crane

Ex-situ conservation: Conservation outside of the natural habitat

In-situ conservation: Conservation in the natural habitat

A combination of techniques was used to save the Whooping Crane

Teaching migration

California Condor

California Condor

• Detrivore – scavenges on dead animals• In the 1970s-1980s many condors were dying

due to lead poisoning injested from eating animals that were shot

• In 1987 only 22 animals were left• Condors are K-strategists and only have one egg

per year after they are 6 years old• Wildlife conservationist captured all remaining

birds, and bred them ex-situ

Condor Chicks

• Wildlife biologists incubated any new eggs and planned on hand feeding the chicks, but the chicks would not eat from people.

• Here is the solution:

Condors today

• Update from the Peregrine Fund:

Since 1996, The Peregrine Fund has released 149 condors, documented 22 wild-hatched young, 92 fatalities (54 diagnosed, 38 missing or unknown), and returned 10 individuals to captivity. Captive breeding, release, radio-tracking, and adaptive management has brought the total world population to more than 400.

More information http://www.peregrinefund.org/condor