NS 1300 EMERGENCE OF MODERN SCIENCE

Tree of Life

Are we good for the planet? So what if species go extinct, it doesn’t

affect us, does it?

And what’s the deal with snail darters and spotted owls? You’re telling me some scrawny little fish is more important than my job?

And what’s the point in planting trees, and preserving the rainforest, and mitigating wetland loss? It’s not like we can put things back the way they were, right?

Why should I worry about coral reefs and frogs going extinct? It doesn’t have any affect on me, does it?

Ten Reasons to Care About Biodiversity

1. “Because it’s there” or The Moral Argument – We did not create life on earth and it is not our place to destroy it. We share this planet with

millions of other species, and it violates all our civilized notions of respect and fairness to shove another species out of existence.

2. “Don’t pop rivets on the spaceship” or The Practical Argument – Nature and all its creatures are one complex, interrelated machine. Killing species is like randomly

popping out rivets on the spaceship earth; one or two may not be noticed, but at some point the whole things will come apart. to survive we need the whole ecosystem.

3. “There’s gold in them thar hills” or The Economic Argument – We have not even begun to discover the economic potential of other species. A few dozen plants

and animals provide the bulk of our food, clothing, and building materials. Many, many species are being lost before anyone has given any thought to their economic potential.

4. “Isn’t Nature beautiful?” or The Aesthetic Argument – Nature is beautiful and interesting. Our lives are enriched by its beauty. Our artists and writers are

inspired by it. Our hearts are uplifted by the grandness of wild places. We all lose when such beauty is lost.

5. “Incest is for idiots” or The Genetic Strength Argument – In genetic diversity is the strength to adapt and survive. All plant and animal breeders know that a

key to “improving” domesticated species is to replenish them with genes from wild stocks. With the loss of species, we impoverish the future gene pool for agriculture and other natural resource-based industries.

Ten Reasons to Care About Biodiversity

6. “Oh no! Bread mold in my petri dish” or The Research Argument – Everyone knows that penicillin was derived from bread mold. But did you know that more than half of all

modern medicines can be traced to wild organisms? Thousands of species are being thoughtlessly destroyed before they can be thoroughly researched.

7. “Inquiring minds want to know” or The Education Argument – Nature is fascinating. Behaviors and adaptations of plants and animals can be a mind-expanding as they are

interesting. In each generation, discovering the marvels of Nature can be the spark that ignites a lifelong quest for knowledge.

8. “It’s better than television” or The Recreation Argument – Outdoor recreation provides a connection to nature that most of us feel is essential. Biodiversity supports

numerous outdoor activities from hunting and fishing to birdwatching and spelunking. In fact, outfitting for camping, canoeing, hiking and related nature study has emerged as one of our fastest growing industries.

9. “Consider the lilies of the fields” or The Philosophy Argument – Humans have always asked the universal questions, Who are we? Why are we here? An appreciation of nature

may not give the final answers but it shapes our understanding that we are only a part of a much larger creation.

10. “Were there really elephants, Mommy” or The Legacy Argument – Can you truly say you don’t care that the world we leave our children won’t have wild elephants. or

rhinoceroses? Or a million other species that were here when we came? Or vast prairies? Or rainforests? Or wilderness of any kind? If you can say you don’t care, then let’s hope the future children of the world don’t care either. They won’t have a choice

Our Relationship with the Earth

Human Origins

Agriculture

Industrial Revolution

Oops, Is There a Problem Here?

Origin of Agriculture The practice of agriculture first began around 8000 BC

in the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia (part of present day Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Jordan which was then greener).

By 6000 BC some societies were almost completely dependent on domesticated crops and animals.

As agriculture produced more food than was necessary for subsistence it has been theorized that the practice of agriculture encouraged the division of labor, specialization and the beginnings of a political elite.

The concentration of stored food was a resource that could be seized and controlled by an elite, armies could be fed on the food grown by others thus giving power to Chieftains to engage in wars of conquest.

The history of energy usage has a similar pattern and affect (but we’ll get to that later)

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to

the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions starting in the world.

The onset of the Industrial Revolution marked a major turning point in human history; almost every aspect of daily life was eventually influenced in some way.

Industrialization led to the creation of the factory. The factory system was largely responsible for the rise of the modern city, as large numbers of workers migrated into the cities in search of employment in the factories.

Human population has increased dramatically since the industrial revolution due to the green revolution and increased life-span.

The days the world's population surpassed three and four billion were not officially celebrated, but the International Database of the United States Census Bureau places them in July 1959 and April 1974. The United Nations did determine, and celebrate, the "Day of 5 Billion" (11 July 1987), and the "Day of 6 Billion" (12 October 1999).

The "Day of 7 Billion" has been targeted by the United States Census Bureau to be in July 2012, while the Population Division of the United Nations suggests some time in late 2011.

Oops . . . Is There a Problem? Loss of Species Diversity

Invasive Species

Loss of Ecosystem Diversity Endangered Species Act

Environmental Engineering

Pollution Air Water

Climate Change (we’ll get back to this one, too)

Top 12 Causes of Species Loss

Time Biological Time

Ecological Time

Evolutionary Time (Geologic Time)

Ernst HaeckelRobert MacArthurRachel CarsonJane Goodall E.O. Wilson

Ecology

How diverse is the tree of life? How many types of living

organisms are there?

How can we keep track of them all?

What strategies do they use to survive?

What adaptations have they made through evolution?

Overview of Animal Phyla

Plants, Fungi and Protists

Biomes

Population Ecology Populations

Density Dispersal Diversity Richness Reproduction Population Growth Carrying Capacity Limiting Factors

Ecosystems Succession

Major Adaptations

Biotic Factors Niche Space

Behavior

Dispersal

Limiting Resources

Predation

Solutions Mitigation

Movement Corridors

Bioremediation

Nature Reserves

Restoration

The Future

What is Sustainability? Think Globally, Act Locally

What is a Green Economy?

What Can You Do? About Global Warming About Pollution About Overflowing Landfills About Wasteful Packaging About Habitat Loss

Quiz 1. T or F, human species may have evolved an upright

posture in order to become better hunters.

2. T or F, the earth’s carrying capacity for people has been determined to be 6 billion.

3. T or F, the coastal prairie is one of our local biomes.

4. T or F, invasive species are a threat to local habitats.

5. T or F, bioremediation can be defined as any process that uses microorganisms, fungi, green plants or their enzymes to return the natural environment altered by contaminants to its original condition.

Test Questions There are ten good reasons to protect biodiversity:

The Moral Argument ,The Practical Argument , The Economic Argument , The Aesthetic Argument , The Genetic, Strength Argument , The Research Argument , The Education Argument , The Recreation Argument , The Philosophy Argument , The Legacy Argument

Which do you most agree with, and why? Which do you most disagree with, and why?

Biological time proceeds across lifetimes. Ecological time proceeds across decades, centuries, and millennia. Geologic time proceeds across eons.

Biomes include all of the living and non-living components of vast regions of the earth. Be able to name and describe at least 5 biomes.

Ecosystems are the living components of biomes and are connected by intricate food webs..

Biotic and abiotic factors control ecological diversity. Be able to define and discuss limiting factors, carrying capacity, and predation pressure.

Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. Be able to discuss local sustainability issues. Be able to use the following terms in your discussion: subsidence, mitigation, erosion, flooding, and salt water intrusion.

Think globally, act locally.