BI102 General Biology

Spring 2008

Dr. Brian K. Penney

Goulet 2320

603 641-7149

bpenney@anselm.edu

Brian K. Penney 's web page

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1. Conservation is the attempt to protect natural areas and wild species

   Studies of endangered or threatened species generally take either:

   • the small-population approach (maintain a minimum population size for genetic variability) or

   • the declining-population approach (proactively diagnose and protect species before decline), especially identifying critical habitat factors.

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2. The role of Landscape ecology

   Landscape ecology studies the spatial structure and dynamics of ecosystem groups and is applied to conserve species

   • Increased fragmentation augments the damage of habitat loss for many populations by

     1. subdividing populations and thereby increasing inbreeding depression, genetic drift and local extinction, and

     2. increasing habitat edges, which have different characteristics and species.

   • corridors between habitats can strongly influence population viability.

   • gap analysis can diagnose crucial areas for preservation.

   • Zoned reserves include areas of no human disturbance, surrounded by buffer zones with mixed uses with some emphasis on conservation

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3. Restoration is the developing science of returning degraded habitats to a functional state.

   • Restoration goals can include returning an ecosystem to a historical state, or providing a new, functional ecosystem based on current use.

   • Bioremediation is the use of living organisms to detoxify polluted systems.

   • Augmentation is the use of living organisms to increase certain ecosystem process to hasten recovery of a habitat.

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4. Sustainable development

   An important goal is sustainable development, a strategy that optimizes agricultural and technological production while maintaining the prosperity of the surrounding ecosystem.

Copyright 2007-2008, Brian K. Penney

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