Lecture 15 Ornithology Conservation biology. Emphasis on Minnesota and the upper Midwest

Transcription

1 Lecture 15 Ornithology Conservation biology Emphasis on Minnesota and the upper Midwest

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4 Biodiversity contains the accumulated wisdom of nature and the key to its future. If you ever wanted to destroy a society, you would burn its libraries and kill its intellectuals. You would destroy its knowledge. Nature s knowledge is contained in the DNA within living cells. The variety of genetic information is the driving engine of evolution, the immune system of life, the source of adaptability. (From Meadows 1990 Biodiversity: the key to saving life on earth. Land Stewardship Letter 4 5)

5 the portions of the Earth of which we are prepared or able to live are modest indeed, just 12 % of the total land area, and only 4 percent of the whole surface, if you include the seas. p. 303

6 The Cost of Conservation Recovery of the California Condor $1,000,000 per year Restoration of the Everglades complex estimated at $7.8 billion over the next 20 years Stumpage value of $20 million in old growth Douglas fir required by one pair of spotted owls

7 Cost of Conservation McKenney and Lindenmayer (1994) An economic assessment of a nest box strategy for the conservation of an endangered species. Canadian Journal of Forest Resources 24: Concluded that the best economic management strategy to conserve the species (Leadbetter s possum) was to not harvest the old growth forests that provided nesting sites the costs to establish and maintain a nest box program would be prohibitively expensive

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10 Last survivor, Martha, died in the Cincinnati zoo in 1914 Why hunting, egg collecting, habitat loss

11 Louisiana From Schoerger (1955) Iowa

12 Science (Editorial) March 1998

13 Extinct United States Birds Extinct 1904 habitat loss hunting for feathers Labrador Duck extinct 1878, Over harvesting eggs and feathers Great Auk extinct 1844, hunted for eggs and down Heath Hen extinct 1932 hunting, predation of nests

14 Exotic Species Birds Rock Dove introduced very early in the US House Sparrow introduced in Brooklyn about 1850; found in MN Twin Cities area about 1875 European Starling introduced in New York city in 1890 Ring necked Pheasant, Hungarian partridge, etc. House Finch native to western US, introduced in Eastern US in the 1940 s

15 Introduced in NYC in 1890

16 House Sparrow introduced in Brooklyn about 1850

17 House Finch Western species Introduced on Long Island in 1940 Rapid growth in numbers with expanding geographic range in Eastern US Expansion detrimental to native Purple Finch

18 House Finch

19 What is Biological Diversity? 1. Species diversity All the species on Earth, from single celled bacteria to the multi cellular kingdoms (plants, fungi, and animals), 2. Genetic diversity The genetic variation within these species ability to adapt to change, and 3. Ecosystem diversity The different habitats and communities.

20 So What is the issue? Tremendous loss of species over the past 400 years present extinction rate is 100 to 1,000 times faster than the past and similar to mass extinction periods (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005) Unknown consequences for the future and lost opportunities

21 Worldwide Species with Known Extinctions since the year 1600 and those currently Threatened with Extinction Known Extinct Threat of Extinction Proportion of Species Threatened Mammals % Birds % Reptiles % Amphibians % Fish % Freshwater mussels 303?? Flowering plants % Data compiled from Hunter (2002, p.126) & Primack (2006, p. 142).

22 Threats to Biological Diversity Climate Change Habitat and Landscape Change Exotic Species Pollution Overexploitation ( Oceans ) Human Persecution Diseases an emerging issue Also for birds predation(cats), structures (buildings, towers, turbines, etc.)

23 What is the status in Minnesota? Endangered Threatened Special concern Total All species Plants Birds Mammals Fish Mussels Reptiles & amphibians

24 Minnesota Habitat Losses Forests 50% have been converted that is from 31.5 million acres to 16.3 million acres Prairies 99% have been converted; primarily to agricultural land Wetlands 48% have been converted; primarily to agricultural land or residential/industrial development

25 Cats Domestic cats are considered primarily responsible for the extinction of 33 bird species since the 1600s million homeless cats in the U.S. Kill millions of birds annually Spay/Neuter your cat and don t let it outside

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27 Collisions with Structures Communication towers kill 4 5 million birds annually No guy wires No lights if lighted use white not red and pulses with long pause in between

28 There are 292 species of greatest conservation need in Minnesota they are species defined as animals whose populations are rare, declining, or vulnerable to decline and are below levels desirable to to ensure their long term health and stability (MNDNR 2006) The fate of the Creation is the fate of humanity (E.O. Wilson, 2006 from The Creation an Appeal to Save Life on Earth)

29 Minnesota Gap Analysis Project Gary Drotts Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Area Wildlife Supervisor, Brainerd

30 Predicted Bird Species Richness (n=230)

31 Land Management Status 1 = 2.6% Permanent protection, mandated management for a natural state (I.e. BWWCA, Voyagers NP, State SNAs). 2 = 5.1% Permanent protection, mandated management for primarily a natural state (National Wildlife Refuges & WPAs, National Forests). 3 = 20.8% Permanent protection for a natural state for a majority of the area (State Forest and WMAs, County lands). 4 = 71.4% Lack or irrevocable easement or mandate to prevent conversion of natural habitats (Private lands)

32 Phase I Report 32

33 Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan What should Minnesota should look like 25, 50, 100 years from now? What factors are shaping Minnesota s future? Land use Development Climate and Environment Where should the LCCMR focus its future efforts? 33

34 SGCN Open Landscape Birds Baird's Sparrow Chestnut-collared Longspur Sprague's Pipit Peregrine Falcon Marbled Godw it Red-headed Woodpecker Sedge Wren Open Landscape Birds Henslow 's Sparrow Short-eared Ow l Le Conte's Sparrow N. Rough-w inged Sw allow Northern Harrier Upland Sandpiper Field Sparrow Sharp-tailed Grouse Burrow ing Ow l Eastern Meadow lark Grasshopper Sparrow Greater Prairie Chicken Loggerhead Shrike Sw ainson's Haw k Bobolink Dickcissel Common Nighthaw k Piping Plover 0% 4% 8% 12% 16% 20% Percent of Habitat in Stewardship Classes 1-2

35 Forest Birds Rusty Blackbird Bay-breasted Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Northern Goshawk Black-backed Woodpecker Spruce Grouse Cape M ay Warbler Boreal Chickadee Connecticut Warbler Whip-poor-will Canada Warbler Ovenbird Wood Thrush Winter Wren Veery White-throated Sparrow Prothonotary Warbler Olive-sided Flycatcher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Golden-winged Warbler Eastern Wood-Pewee Least Flycatcher Black-billed Cuckoo Rose-breasted Grosbeak Boreal Owl Hooded Warbler Red-shouldered Hawk American Woodcock Bell's Vireo Willow Flycatcher Acadian Flycatcher Cerulean Warbler Blue-winged Warbler Louisiana Waterthrush Brown Thrasher SGCN Forest Birds 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Percent of Habitat in Stewardship Classes 1-2

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37 Preliminary Habitat Value Not to be cited! Weighted by Amount of Habitat in Stewardship 1 3 for each Species Habitat for Underprotected Species From MNDNR GAP habitat predictions for 354 vertebrate species. Each 30-m pixel represents the weighted value of habitat averaged across all species, with weights for each species equal to 1 minus [the proportion of habitat protected in Stewardship classes 1-3]. For example, a species with 1% of its habitat protected would receive a weight of.99, while a species with 50% of its habitat protected would get a weight of 0.5. Thus, darker blue values in the map indicate regions where there is habitat for underprotected species Miles Date: April 2, 2008 Prepared by: Nick Danz, NRRI LCCMR Minnesota Statewide Conservation Plan Weighted Habitat Value Percentile Classes (Lowest 10%) (Greatest 10%)

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39 Partners in Flight Species Assessment Factors Population Size Breeding Distribution Non breeding Distribution Threats to Breeding Threats to Non breeding Population Trend

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