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    Why Is Biodiversity Important

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    Aarthi Padmanabhan
    Based on work supported by the National Science Foundation and the u.s. Fish and wildlife service. Opinions, findings and recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors. Values are subjective: perspectives and scales.

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    Why Is Biodiversity Important

    Uploaded by

    Aarthi Padmanabhan
    94 views28 pages
    Based on work supported by the National Science Foundation and the u.s. Fish and wildlife service. Opinions, findings and recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors. Values are subjective: perspectives and scales.

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    Why is Biodiversity Important

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    Based on work supported by the National Science Foundation and the u.s. Fish and wildlife service. Opinions, findings and recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors. Values are subjective: perspectives and scales.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    94 views28 pages

    Why Is Biodiversity Important

    Uploaded by

    Aarthi Padmanabhan
    Based on work supported by the National Science Foundation and the u.s. Fish and wildlife service. Opinions, findings and recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors. Values are subjective: perspectives and scales.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    of 28

    Why is Biodiversity Important?

    Presentation Working version, December 2003 prepared by M.F. Laverty and E.J. Sterling
    Reproduction of this material is authorized by the recipient institution for non-profit/non-commercial educational use and distribution to students enrolled in course work at the institution. Distribution may be made by photocopying or via the institution's intranet restricted to enrolled students. Recipient agrees not to make commercial use, such as, without limitation, in publications distributed by a commercial publisher, without the prior express written consent of AMNH. All reproduction or distribution must provide full citation of the original work and provide a copyright notice as follows: "Copyright 2003, by the authors of the material, with license for use granted to the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation of the American Museum of Natural History. All rights reserved." This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under the Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement program (NSF 0127506), and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Grant Agreement No. 98210-1-G017). Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Museum of Natural History, the National Science Foundation, or the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

    Why is Biodiversity Important?

    Values are Subjective: Perspectives and Scales


    Land developer Local communities

    Oil company

    Government agency

    Source: Sterling/Frey AMNH-CBC

    Aquaculture company

    Environmental group

    The Value of Biodiversity


    Intrinsic/inherent value
    Extrinsic/utilitarian/ instrumental value

    Source: Burmbaugh AMNH-CBC

    Intrinsic/inherent value
    The value of something independent of its value to anyone or anything else
    Source: Frey AMNH-CBC

    A philosophical concept

    Categorizing Values
    Direct Use Value(Goods)
    Food, medicine, building material, fiber, fuel

    Indirect Use Value (Services)

    Non-Use Values

    Atmospheric and Potential (or climate regulation, Option) Value pollination, nutrient recycling Cultural, Spiritual and Aesthetic Existence Value

    Future value either as a good or service Value of knowing something exists

    Bequest Value

    Value of knowing that something will be there for future generations

    Direct Use Value: Goods


    Food Building Materials Fuel Paper Products Fiber (clothing, textiles) Industrial products (waxes, rubber, oils) Medicine
    Source: AMNH-CBC

    Food
    Today, most people rely on ~20 types of plants, and only 3 to 4 are staple crops. Diversity is critical for developing new strains and breeds, i.e. that suit a particular environment or are resistant to pests or disease and as a source of new crops

    Source: AMNH-CBC

    Building Materials, Paper Products, and Fuel

    Source: AMNH-CBC

    Fiber

    Source: USDA Cotton Program

    Source: USDA Photo b Ken Hammond

    Industrial Products
    Originating plant or animal Cork oak (Quercus suber) PAR RUBBER TREE (HEVEA BRASILIENSIS) Lac insect (Laccifer spp.) CARNAUBA PALM (COPERNICIA CERIFERA) Wax plant (Euphorbia antisyphilitica) Jojoba plant (Simmondsia chinensis) Cochineal insect (Dactylopius coccus) Product/End use Cork Rubber shellac
    CARNAUBA WAX

    candelilla wax jojoba oil CARM INE DYE *

    Medicine
    About 80% of the people in developing countries use plants as a primary source of medicine. 57% of the 150 mostprescribed drugs have their origins in biodiversity

    Source: AMNH-CBC

    Traditional Medicine:Basis of Many Drugs


    Drug Barbaloin, aloe-emodin Atropine Codeine Colchicine Digitoxin Ephedrine, Pseudoephedrine L-Dopa Menthol Morphine Quinine Reserpine Scopolamine Taxol Vinblastine, vincristine Source Aloe (Aloe spp.) Belladonna (Atopa belladonna) Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale) Common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) Joint fir (Ephedra sinica) Velvet bean (Mucuna deeringiana) Mint (Menta spcs.) Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) Yellow cinchona (Cinchona ledgeriana) Indian snakeroot (Rauvolfia serpentina) Thornapple (Datura metel) Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) Rosy periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) Use antibacterial, skin conditions, purgative Relaxant, sedative Painkill er Anticancer agent Cardiac stimulant Asthma, emphysema, bronchiodilator, hay fever Parkinsons disease Nasal congestion Painkill er Malaria Hypertension Sedative Anticancer Leukemia

    Indirect Use Values: Services


    Regulating global processes, such as atmosphere and climate Soil and water conservation Nutrient cycling Pollination and seed dispersal Control of agricultural pests Genetic library Inspiration and information Scientific and educational Tourism and recreation Cultural, spiritual, and aesthetic Community Resilience Strategic

    Source: AMNH-CBC

    Global Processes: Atmospheric Regulation


    Photosynthetic biodiversity created an oxygenated atmosphere, and also has the potential to moderate the rising amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide linked to global climate change

    Source: Frey AMNH-CBC

    Global Processes: Climate Regulation


    Forests and other vegetation modify climate: by affecting sun reflectance, water vapor release, wind patterns and moisture loss. Forests help maintain a humid environment, for example, half of all rainfall in Amazon basin is produced locally from forest-atmosphere cycle

    Source: Bain AMNH-CBC

    Soil and Water Conservation


    Example: Coastal wetlands and mangroves
    Filters excess nutrients and traps sediments that would otherwise impact neighboring marine and aquatic areas Other services: Minimizes damage from waves and floods Serves as a nursery for juvenile commercial fish Provides habitat for many birds, fish, and shellfish

    Source: Ersts AMNH-CBC

    Nutrient Cycling
    Biodiversity is critical to nutrient cycling and soil renewal
    Decomposers such as algae, fungi, and bacteria

    Source: Snyder AMNH-CBC

    Pollination and Seed Dispersal


    Many flowering plants depend on animals for pollination to produce food.
    30% of human crops depend on free services of pollinators; replacement value estimated billions of dollars/year in US alone

    Source: Spector AMNH-CBC

    Source of Inspiration or Information


    Biomimicry Applied Biology

    Medical Models
    Education and Scientific Research
    Source: Brumbaugh AMNH-CBC

    Medical Models
    Hibernating bears may improve the treatment of:
    trauma patients kidney disease osteoporosis

    Source: New Jersey Fish and Wildlife

    Spiritual and Cultural Values


    The survival of natural areas and species are important to different cultures around the world.
    Thousands of cultural groups in the world, each have distinct traditions and knowledge for relating to natural world

    Source: Projecto Gato Andino Bolivia, Villalba & Bernal, 1998

    Aesthetic Value

    Source: Brumbaugh AMNH-CBC

    Ecological Value: Does Diversity Make Communities More Resilient?


    Resilient ecosystems are characterized by:
    Constancy (Lack of fluctuation) Inertia (Resistance to perturbation) Renewal (Ability to repair damage)

    Not all species are critical to an ecosystems function; many fill redundant roles; basis for community resilience and integrity If too many species or keystone species are lost, eventually it leads to the failure of ecosystem function

    Kelp Forest Food Webs

    Source: Brumbaugh AMNH-CBC http://research.amnh.org/biodiversity/crisis/index.html

    Non-Use or Passive Values


    Existence value Bequest value Potential or Option value

    Why Do Values Matter?

    Acknowledgements
    Mac Hunter (University of Maine), Georgina Cullman, Nora Bynum, and Ho Ling Poon (American Museum of Natural History) provided assistance for production of images and accompanying text
    This is a product of the Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners (NCEP) http://research.amnh.org/biodiversity/ncep/

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