Conservation Biology
Introduction to basic terminologies
Dr Zenab Tariq Baig
Gene: the functional unit of heredity; the part of the DNA molecule that encodes a
single enzyme or structural protein unit.
Gene flow: The transfer of genes from one population or locality to another
Genetic variability: the variety and relative abundance of genes within a particular
species, variety, or breed
Gene bank: A facility established for the ex situ conservation of individuals (seeds),
tissues, or reproductive cells of plants or animals.
Gene bank
Gene pool: A gene pool is the total genetic diversity found within a population or a
species. A large gene pool has extensive genetic diversity and is better able to withstand
the challenges posed by environmental stresses
Example : This can be any population - frogs in a pond, trees in a forest, or people in a
town
Species: in most living organisms,
each species generally represent a
complete, self-generating, unique
ensemble of genetic variation,
capable of interbreeding and
producing fertile offspring
The lowest taxonomic rank, and the
most basic unit or category of
biological classification. An individual
belonging to a group of organisms (or
the entire group itself) having common
characteristics and (usually) are
capable of mating with one another to
produce fertile offspring.
Species diversity: a function of the distribution and abundance of
species.
Species richness: the number of species within a specified area
SPECIES CLASSIFICATION : on the basis of its intrinsic values
Endemic species: Any species whose range is restricted to a limited
geographical area.
An endemic species is that species which is confined to small area and
is found within that particular area and no where else
Example: Endemic: A characteristic of a particular population, environment, or
region. Examples of endemic diseases include chicken pox that occurs at a
predictable rate among young school children in the United States and malaria
in some areas of Africa
Indus River Dolphin
• Found in the freshwaters of the Indus River in South Asia, the estimated
remaining 1,100 Indus River Dolphins widely populate the lower parts of the river
in Pakistan.
• They range in size from 7-8.5 feet in length and weigh 150-200 pounds.
• While the dolphins have adapted to life in the muddy rivers, they are essentially
blind to their surroundings.
• Their population dwindled after an irrigation system was built in the river and they
are also victims of local fisherman for bait, medicine, and meat and oil for
consumption.
Invasive species: Invasive Alien Species, often called as exotic, non-native species,
having arrived outside their natural distribution to areas where they easily invade ecosystems,
marginalise several native species which brings about large scale environmental, ecological,
and economic damage
There are 9 species that are invasive in Islamabad Broussonetia papyrifera, Parthenium
hysterophorus, Cannabis sativa, Lantana camara, Xanthium strumarium, Alternanthera
pungens, Trianthema portulacastrum, Pistia stratiotes and Phragmites australis
These species not only reduce land value and cause great loss to agricultural communities but
were detected as a source of allergy as well
Paper Mulberry
tree in
Islamabad
Native Species : In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a
given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only
natural processes, with no human intervention. The term is equivalent to the
concept of indigenous or autochthonous species.
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia),
also known as the ounce, is a felid in
the genus Panthera native to the
mountain ranges of Central and South
Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on
the IUCN Red List because the global
population is estimated to number
fewer than 10,000 mature individuals
and is expected to decline about 10%
by 2040. It is threatened
by poaching and
habitat destruction following
infrastructural developments.
Rare Species : A species that is uncommon, few in number, or not
abundant. A species can be rare and not necessarily be endangered or
threatened, for example, an organism found only on an island or one
that is naturally low in numbers because of a restricted range. Such
species are, however, usually vulnerable to any exploitation,
interference, or disturbance of their habitats. Species may also be
common in some areas but rare in others, such as at the edge of its
natural range.
Examples: More than 30 in Pakistan
Brown bear, Wild goat, Sand cat etc
Preferential species : Species that is present with varying abundance
in several communities, but is especially abundant and vigorous in one
particular community.
Indifferent species : A species with no real affinity for any
particular community, but which is not rare (as an accidental
species would be).
Focal species: Literally meaning “those species focused on”, focal species are
animal and plant species that provide an essential ecological function, or are
indicative of essential habitat conditions. ... The species need to be linked to
particular habitats or ecosystem types and changes in those habitats and
ecosystems.
Keystone species: Keystone species are those which have an extremely high
impact on a particular ecosystem relative to its population.
Keystone species are also critical for the overall structure and function of an ecosystem,
and influence which other types of plants and animals make up that ecosystem. Thus, in
the absence of a keystone species, many ecosystems would fail to exist.
A common example of keystone species is the predator-prey relationship. Small predators
that consume herbivorous species prevent such herbivores from decimating
the plant species in the ecosystem, and are considered keystone species.
In this scenario, despite the low number of predators required to maintain a low population
of herbivorous species, without this keystone species, the herbivore population would
continue to grow, and thus consume all of the dominant plant species in the ecosystem.
Sea Otter
The sea otter (shown below) is considered a keystone species as their
consumption of sea urchins, preventing the destruction of kelp forests caused
by the sea urchin population. Kelp forests are a critical habitat for many
species in nearshore ecosystems. In the absence of sea otters, sea urchins
feed on the nearshore kelp forests, thereby disrupting these nearshore
ecosystems. However, when sea otters are present, their consumption of sea
urchins restricts the sea urchin population to smaller organisms confined to
protective crevices. Thus, the sea otter protects the kelp forests by reducing
the local sea urchin population.
Indicator species (IS) are animals, plants, or microorganism used to monitor changes in our
environment.
For example, they can tell us about the impact of pollution on an ecosystem, or how well an impaired
environment is being managed or restored.
Greasewood indicates saline soil; mosses often indicate acid soil. Tubifex worms indicate oxygen-
poor and stagnant water unfit to drink.
A bioindicator is any species (an indicator species) or group of species whose function,
population, or status can reveal the qualitative status of the environment.
For example, copepods and other small water crustaceans that are present in many water bodies can
be monitored for changes (biochemical, physiological, or behavioural) that may indicate a problem
within their ecosystem. Bioindicators can tell us about the cumulative effects of different pollutants in
the ecosystem and about how long a problem may have been present, which physical and chemical
testing cannot.[2]
A biological monitor or biomonitor is an organism that provides quantitative information
on the quality of the environment around it. Therefore, a good biomonitor will indicate the presence of
the pollutant and can also be used in an attempt to provide additional information about the amount
and intensity of the exposure.
Species classification on the basis of
environmental stress
Endangered species, any species that is at risk of extinction
because of a sudden rapid decrease in its population or a loss of its
critical habitat. Previously, any species of plant or animal that was
threatened with extinction could be called an endangered species.
The need for separate definitions of “endangered” and “threatened”
species resulted in the development of various categorization
systems, each containing definitions and criteria by which a species
can be classified according to its risk of extinction. As a rule, a range
of criteria must be analyzed before a species can be placed in one
category or another
Giant panda (Ailuropoda
melanoleuca) feeding in a
bamboo forest, Sichuan
(Szechwan) province, China.
Threatened Species are any species (including animals, plants, fungi, etc.)
which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that
are threatened are sometimes characterized by the population dynamics
measure of critical depensation, a mathematical measure of biomass related to
population growth rate.
What is The IUCN Red List?
Established in 1964, The International Union for Conservation of
Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become
the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global
conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.
The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s
biodiversity. Far more than a list of species and their status, it is a
powerful tool to inform and catalyze action for biodiversity
conservation and policy change, critical to protecting the natural
resources we need to survive. It provides information about range,
population size, habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and
conservation actions that will help inform necessary conservation
decisions.
What does IUCN mean by "threatened" ?
Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU) species are
considered to be threatened with global extinction.
What does each category mean ?
In descending order of threat, the IUCN Red List threat categories are as follows:
•Extinct or Extinct in the Wild
•Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable: species threatened with
global extinction.
•Near Threatened: species close to the threatened thresholds or that would be
threatened without ongoing conservation measures.
•Least Concern: species evaluated with a lower risk of extinction.
•Data Deficient: no assessment because of insufficient data.
Great Indian Bustard
This bird is also threatened by habitat destruction
related to agricultural development. There are only
an estimated 50 to 249 individuals left
Vulnerable species: A vulnerable species is a species which has
been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as likely
to become endangered unless the circumstances that are threatening its
survival and reproduction improve. Vulnerability is mainly caused by habitat
loss or destruction of the species' home.
Endangered (EN): A species considered to be facing a very high risk of
extinction in the wild. Vulnerable (VU): A species considered to be facing a
high risk of extinction in the wild.
Extinction : The evolutionary termination of a species caused by the
failure to reproduce and the death of all remaining members of the
species; the natural failure to adapt to environmental change.
Poaching: in law, the illegal shooting, trapping, or taking of
game, fish, or plants from private property or from a place where
such practices are specially reserved or forbidden. Poaching is a
major existential threat to numerous wild organisms worldwide
and is an important contributor to biodiversity loss
Matrix: the complex of natural, semi-natural and domesticated lands
and waters in the landscape within which protected areas are
embedded.
Patch: in landscape ecology, a particular unit with identifiable
boundaries that differs from its surroundings in one or more ways
Succession: The more or less predictable changes in the composition of
communities following a natural or human disturbance.
Connectivity/fragmentation is the degree to which ecosystem structure facilitates or impedes
the movement of organisms between resource patches.
Connectivity/fragmentation depends on its habitat requirements, sensitivity to disturbance and
vulnerability to human-caused mortality.
Connectivity allows individual organisms to move in response to changing conditions, such as
seasonal cycles, a forest fire or climate change. Loss of connectivity results in fragmentation.
The degree and characteristics of natural connectivity vary with differences in landscape type.
Humans can impact connectivity and cause fragmentation in ways that can adversely affect
biodiversity.
Connectivity and fragmentation are both important contributors to ecosystem function and
processes.
For example, some habitat types (e.g., caves, bogs, cliffs) may be ‘naturally’ fragmented; others
(e.g., streams, riparian habitat) are essentially linear; and others are often distributed in large blocks
or patches.
Conservation Challenges
A key management challenge is how to deal with habitats that existed naturally in large patches but
which, as a result of human activity, have been converted into much smaller, sometimes isolated
patches.
Another challenge is to reduce ‘unnatural’ connectivity to naturally fragmented and isolated habitats
so that the unique species they support are not displaced by invading species
Biodiversity Hotspot: A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with significant
levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation.
Norman Myers wrote about the concept in two articles in “The Environmentalist” (1988),and 1990
revised after thorough analysis by Myers and others “Hotspots: Earth’s Biologically Richest and Most
Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions” and a paper published in the journal Nature.
To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on Myers 2000 edition of the hotspot-map, a region must meet two
strict criteria:
a) It must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics,
b) It has to have lost at least 75% of its primary vegetation.
Around the world, 36 areas qualify under this definition. These sites support nearly 60% of the world's
plant, bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species, with a very high share of those species as
endemics.
Some of these hotspots support up to 15,000 endemic plant species and some have lost up to 95% of
their natural habitat.
Biodiversity hotspots host their diverse ecosystems on just 2.4% of the planet's surface, however, the
area defined as hotspots covers a much larger proportion of the land.
The original 25 hotspots covered 11.8% of the land surface area of the Earth. Overall, the current
hotspots cover more than 15.7% of the land surface area, but have lost around 85% of their habitat.
This loss of habitat explains why approximately 60% of the world's terrestrial life lives on only 2.4% of
the land surface area.
Population: In biology, a population is a number of all the organisms of
the same group or species who live in a particular geographical area and are
capable of interbreeding
Ecosystem: is a dynamic complex of plant, animal and microorganism
communities and their abiotic environment, all interacting as a functional unit.
Habitat: the natural environment in which an organism normally lives.
Habitat degradation
The diminishment of habitat quality, which results in a reduced ability to support
flora and fauna species. Human activities leading to habitat degradation include
polluting activities and the introduction of invasive species.
Adverse effects can become immediately noticeable, but can also have a
cumulative nature. Biodiversity will eventually be lost if habitats become
degraded to an extent that species can no longer survive.
Biota: the animal and plant life of a region.
Overexploitation
Overexploitation occurs when harvesting of specimens of flora and fauna species from the wild
is out of balance with reproduction patterns and, as a consequence, species may become
extinct.
Wild species
Organisms captive or living in the wild that have not been subject to breeding to alter
them from their native state
BIOME : A biome is a collection of plants and animals that have common characteristics
for the environment they exist in. They can be found over a range of continents.
Biomes are distinct biological communities that have formed in response to a shared physical
climate. It is a broader term than habitat; any biome can comprise a variety of habitats.
While a biome can cover large areas, a microbiome is a mix of organisms that coexist in a
defined space on a much smaller scale. For example, the human microbiome is the collection
of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that are present on or in a human body.
There are terrestrial biomes (land) and aquatic biomes, both freshwater and marine.
There are 5 major types of biomes: aquatic, desert, forest, grassland, and tundra. Others split
biomes further. Forests are separated into rainforest, temperate forest, chaparral, and taiga;
grasslands are divided into savanna and temperate grasslands; and the aquatic biome is split
into freshwater and marine.
Biosphere: The biosphere is a global ecosystem composed of living organisms
(biota) and the abiotic (nonliving) factors from which they derive energy and nutrients.
Earth's environmental spheres. Earth's environment includes the atmosphere, the
hydrosphere, the lithosphere, and the biosphere.
Biota: A 'biota' is the total collection of organisms of a geographic region or a time
period, from local geographic scales and instantaneous temporal scales all the way up to
whole-planet and whole-timescale spatiotemporal scales. The biotas of the Earth make up
the biosphere.
Ecological niche : The ecological niche describes how a species interacts within
an ecosystem.
The niche of a species depends on both biotic and abiotic factors, which affect the ability
of a species to survive and endure. Biotic factors affecting a species' niche include food
availability and predators
Buffer Zone: The region adjacent to the border of a protected area; a transition
zone between areas managed for different objectives.
Cultural Diversity : Variety or multiformity of human social structures, belief
systems, and strategies for adapting to situations in different parts of the world. Language
is a good indicator of cultural diversity, with over 6,000 languages currently being spoken.
Range; In biology, the range or distribution of a species is the geographical
area or habitat where the species live. Sometimes, when species are found in
different regions at different times of year, terms such as summer range and
winter range can be used.
Species range: A species range is an area where a particular species can
be found during its lifetime. Species ranges include areas where individuals or
communities may migrate or hibernate.
Adaptation: any feature of an organism that substantially improves
its ability to survive and leave more offspring. Also, the process of a
species’ or a population’s genetic variability changing due to natural
selection in a manner that improves its viability.
Carbon sequestration: the processes that remove carbon from the
atmosphere. Natural carbon sequestration processes include plant
growth. A variety of means of artificially capturing and storing
carbon, as well as enhancing natural sequestration processes, are
being explored in an effort to mitigate global warming due to climate
change. Many of these efforts are associated with the Kyoto Protocol
to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,
which is an amendment to the international treaty on climate change,
where mandatory targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions are assigned to signatory nations.
Ecological processes: actions or events that shape ecosystems
such as disturbances, predation, competition, nutrient and element
cycling such as carbon sequestration.
Hybridization: crossing of individuals from genetically different
strains, populations, or species.
Restoration: the return of an ecosystem or habitat to its original
community structure, natural complement of species, and natural
functions.
Selection: natural selection is the differential contribution of
offspring to the next generation by various genetic types belonging to
the same populations.
Sustainable use: the management of human interactions with
genes, species, and ecosystems so as to provide the maximum
benefit to the present generation while maintaining their potential to
meet the needs and aspirations of future generations.
Endemic species
Invasive species
Native species
Rare species
Focal species
Key stone species
Indicator species
Species
Adaptation
Population
Species diversity
Species richness
Gene
Gene flow
Genetic variability
Ecosystem
Biota
Biomes
Biosphere
Carbon sequestration
Habitat
Community
Matrix
Patch
Fragmentation
Endangered species
Threatened species
Vulnerable
Extinction
Hotspot
Poaching
Gene bank
Succession
Buffer zone
Cultural diversity
