Biodiversity/LPI part 3
Summary
TLDRThis script discusses the spatial aspect of biodiversity, focusing on 'Mega diverse countries' and 'biodiversity hotspots'. It explains that 17 countries, occupying less than 10% of the Earth's surface, hold over 70% of its biodiversity. These countries are characterized by having at least 5,000 endemic plant species and marine ecosystems. The concept of biodiversity hotspots, areas with high endemic species under severe threat, is also explored. The script touches on conservation strategies, including national reserve systems and the importance of protecting these areas for global natural capital.
Takeaways
- 🌏 The concept of 'Mega diverse countries' refers to nations that, despite occupying less than 10% of the Earth's surface, hold over 70% of the world's biodiversity.
- 🌱 These countries are characterized by having at least 5,000 endemic plant species and marine ecosystems within their borders.
- 📍 Mega diverse countries are primarily located in regions such as Australia, parts of Asia, Africa, and South America.
- 🏙️ Many of these countries have relatively low levels of economic development, which may contribute to the preservation of their high biodiversity.
- 🔥 The term 'biodiversity hotspots' is used to describe regions with a high concentration of endemic species that are under severe threat, often due to habitat loss.
- 🌳 There are 34 recognized biodiversity hotspots globally, including areas in Western Australia, which are significant for their biodiversity but also face substantial environmental pressures.
- 🌊 The biodiversity hotspot concept also extends to marine ecosystems, with different levels of protection and restrictions on activities within these areas.
- 🛡️ National Reserve Systems and marine reserve systems are established to protect biodiversity, but their effectiveness can vary depending on the restrictions placed on economic activities within these areas.
- 🌱 Conservation strategies include ex situ conservation, paying for ecosystem services, creating wildlife corridors, biodiversity offsets, and species translocation to protect and restore biodiversity.
- 🔬 The importance of measuring biodiversity is emphasized, connecting with upcoming discussions on statistics and their role in understanding and protecting biodiversity.
Q & A
What are the characteristics of Mega diverse countries?
-Mega diverse countries cover less than 10% of the Earth's surface and contain more than 70% of the world's biodiversity. They are characterized by having at least 5,000 of the world's plants as endemics and some marine ecosystems within their borders.
What is the significance of the number '17' in the context of Mega diverse countries?
-The number '17' refers to the total count of Mega diverse countries that have been identified according to the classification work done in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Why are Mega diverse countries often associated with low levels of economic development?
-Mega diverse countries often have low levels of economic development because the high levels of biodiversity are maintained in areas where there is less human development and resource exploitation, preserving the natural ecosystems.
What is the definition of a biodiversity hotspot?
-A biodiversity hotspot is defined as a region with at least 1.5% of the world's endemic vascular plant species, which means these plants only occur in that specific area, and where at least 70% of the original habitat has already been lost.
How does the concept of biodiversity hotspots differ from that of Mega diverse countries?
-While Mega diverse countries are characterized by a high overall biodiversity and are often large in size, biodiversity hotspots are regions, not necessarily countries, that have a high concentration of endemic species but are under severe threat due to habitat loss.
What is the importance of marine ecosystems in the context of biodiversity?
-Marine ecosystems are important in the context of biodiversity because they contribute significantly to the overall species diversity on Earth. The criteria for Mega diverse countries include the presence of marine ecosystems within their borders.
How does the concept of biodiversity hotspots relate to conservation efforts?
-Biodiversity hotspots are areas of significant conservation priority because they represent regions with high biodiversity that are under severe threat. Conservation efforts often focus on these areas to protect and restore the habitats and species that are endemic to them.
What are the challenges in protecting biodiversity in countries with lower incomes?
-In countries with lower incomes, the challenge lies in balancing the need to use natural resources for immediate economic and social development with the long-term goal of preserving biodiversity. This often involves managing the trade-offs between resource extraction and conservation.
What is the role of national reserve systems in biodiversity protection?
-National reserve systems play a critical role in biodiversity protection by designating specific areas for conservation. These reserves limit economic activities within their boundaries to protect the ecosystems and species they contain.
How do different levels of protection within marine protected areas affect biodiversity?
-Different levels of protection within marine protected areas can significantly affect biodiversity. Areas with strict restrictions on activities such as fishing or oil drilling offer higher levels of protection, while areas with less restrictive regulations may still experience biodiversity loss.
What are some alternative conservation strategies mentioned in the script?
-Alternative conservation strategies mentioned include ex-situ conservation through seed banks and botanical gardens, paying people to provide ecosystem services, creating wildlife corridors, biodiversity offsets, and species translocation to protect species under threat from development or climate change.
Outlines
🌿 Mega Diverse Countries and Biodiversity Hotspots
The paragraph discusses the concept of biodiversity distribution over space, focusing on 'Mega diverse countries' and 'biodiversity hotspots'. Mega diverse countries, identified in the late 1990s and early 2000s, cover less than 10% of the Earth's surface but contain over 70% of the world's biodiversity. They are characterized by having at least 5,000 endemic plant species and marine ecosystems within their borders. These countries are primarily located in regions with lower economic development, which may contribute to the preservation of high biodiversity levels. The concept of biodiversity hotspots introduces a more nuanced perspective; while these areas are rich in endemic species, they are also under severe threat with at least 70% of their original habitat already lost. This dual nature of hotspots as areas of high biodiversity and high risk underscores the urgency in conservation efforts.
🌍 Biodiversity Hotspots and Conservation Challenges
This paragraph delves deeper into the concept of biodiversity hotspots, emphasizing that these regions, while biologically rich, face significant habitat loss. The criteria for being designated a hotspot include having at least 1.5% of the world's endemic vascular plant species and having lost at least 70% of their original habitat. The paragraph also introduces the idea of national biodiversity hotspots within Australia, which are identified based on similar criteria of high endemic species and threats to their ecosystems. The discussion highlights the complexity of conservation, where the value of biodiversity must be weighed against the feasibility and cost of protection. It also touches on the pragmatic approach to conservation funding, where areas that are highly valuable but challenging to protect may not be classified as hotspots due to the perceived infeasibility of conservation efforts.
🏞️ Protected Areas and Conservation Strategies
The final paragraph shifts the focus to the practical aspects of biodiversity conservation, including the establishment of protected areas and various strategies to safeguard biodiversity. It outlines the different levels of government involvement in Australia, with state and commonwealth controls over marine areas. The paragraph discusses the National Reserve System, which includes marine reserves, state forests, and other protected areas, emphasizing that these areas are not uniformly protected and that the level of restriction on activities can vary. The summary also introduces alternative conservation methods such as ex situ conservation, payment for ecosystem services, biodiversity offsets, and species translocation. The paragraph concludes by connecting the discussion to the importance of biodiversity measurement and the upcoming lab work and statistical analysis in the course.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Biodiversity
💡Mega diverse countries
💡Biodiversity hotspots
💡Endemics
💡Ecosystem Services
💡Marine ecosystems
💡National Reserve System
💡Conservation
💡Species translocation
💡Economic Development
Highlights
Mega diverse countries occupy less than 10% of Earth's surface but contain over 70% of the world's biodiversity.
Mega diverse countries are characterized by having at least 5,000 endemic plant species and marine ecosystems within their borders.
Mega diverse countries are predominantly located in regions such as India, Asia, central Asia, parts of Africa, and northern parts of South America.
Many mega diverse countries have relatively low levels of economic development, which may contribute to the maintenance of high biodiversity levels.
Biodiversity hotspots are regions with at least 15,000 endemic vascular plant species and more than 5% of the world's total species.
Biodiversity hotspots have lost at least 70% of their original habitat, indicating severe threats to their biodiversity.
Southwest Australia is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, signifying both high biodiversity and significant degradation.
Biodiversity hotspots are not only areas of high biodiversity but also regions under considerable pressure, necessitating conservation efforts.
The concept of biodiversity hotspots is used to determine where conservation funding can be most effectively allocated.
Australia has both national and international biodiversity hotspots, with specific criteria for each classification.
The Australian National Reserve System includes a variety of protected areas with different levels of restrictions on economic activities.
Marine protected areas in Australia have varying levels of protection, with some allowing commercial fishing and other activities.
Conservation strategies include ex situ conservation, paying for ecosystem services, creating wildlife corridors, and biodiversity offsets.
Species translocation is considered as a potential response to threats like climate change, moving species to more suitable ecosystems.
The course connects the importance of biodiversity with practical measurements and future discussions on statistics and conservation strategies.
Transcripts
so we've talked about measuring
biodiversity over time now we're going
to think about what it might mean over
space in terms of understanding the
distributions and there are two concepts
that are used to think about this uh the
idea of Mega diverse countries and the
idea of biodiversity
hotspots um as we're going to
see especially the definition of the
second one isn't always as positive as
as people might
think so Mega diverse countries so this
has been classified in work back in
um sort of 1999 2000s um this is where
this idea was defined uh 17 Mega diverse
countries have been
identified what's the characteristics of
them well they're in less than 10% of
the Earth's surface and contain more
than 70% of the world's
biodiversity so biodiversity as broadly
defined as we have previously in terms
of numbers and diversity of the species
so
criteria have at least 5,000 of the
world's plants as endemics I.E that uh
those plants only exist in that area uh
and they need to have some marine
ecosystems within it borders so that
um the definition of of of uh the
biodiversity needs to expand expand into
marine and not just be be
terrestrial uh this is where they um
where they lie
uh as you can
see
um
Australia uh there taking up a big chunk
as in it's a big country so
um it's got a good chance of of
collecting a large amount of the
biodiversity but then what you can um
typically see is the where it
predominantly is located is through
um uh India Asia central Asia through
here some areas in Africa um the
northern part of uh South America
America and so on um and obviously
America includes
Alaska
uh except potentially I suppose
um except for Australia and the US these
are largely going to be um countries
which have got relatively low levels of
uh Economic Development happening um
that may explain why there is the
residual or they still maintain those
high level s of uh of biodiversity which
should you know get them across the
border to classify them
um
uh
Australia
um ranges has in part this is going to
be defined by the range of of of the
ecosystems that that it covers same
presumbly in terms of the US um which
which gets you across the border in
terms of having so many species uh which
are endemic
um to that to that region so that's the
definition of Mega divers is presumably
those countries where you're going to
hopefully going to see
um a large amount of effort placed to
try to protect and maintain um their
biodiversity shouldn't be an
issue in places like Australia and the
US where incomes are sufficient that one
can devote resources to
um protect protect and sustain
biodiversity much harder in in countries
um with lower incomes greater
demands for those resources to be used
in some sense to to draw down Capital
natural capital in order to support uh
the lives of people there but with long
run effects not just for them but also
globally the second measure is this idea
of biodiversity hotspots uh and this is
there's again there's a a
a set of
um definitions as to what they are um
smaller as in so there can be regions
rather than countries at least 15,000
endemic vascular plant species um which
means that these are plants which sort
of um have structure uh uh and they're
endemic which means they only occur
there um which means you know more than
5% of the world's 0 five of the world's
total species are sitting inside each of
these um each of these
areas there's 34 that have been
identified for this uh Southwest of wa
is a biodiversity hotspot which in some
sense uh is sort of you might think of
as a positive component uh because it
suggests well there's a lot of
biodiversity there but then you look at
the second criteria as to um what uh you
need to um
to to cl to to be awarded this
designation at least 70% of the original
habitat is already lost so it's it's not
just saying this is a region that has a
lot of biodiversity this is it's saying
this is a region that's got a lot of
biodiversity which is under severe
threat so it's a hot spot in two ways
it's got a lot there but it's got a lot
of pressure on it um so in that sense
although people quite often are quite
proud of saying saying that Southwest of
w way it's a bity Hotpot yes that means
a lot of um endemic species and so on
there plant species there but it also is
a recognition that it's had a large
amount of degradation has happened and
therefore it's a it's a problem being a
hot spot as much as being a
positive where those International
hotspots across um the the world what
you see it sort of shifted um slightly
in terms of the the patterning uh you
here you can see there we are down here
in South Australia again large amounts
of
um uh South um southern Asia um elements
again in South uh
America uh through Central and bits of
the US what's turning up which wasn't
appearing before is is elements around
the Mediterranean um
which will have high biodiversity but
these um strong pressures and threats
still apply to them so again areas that
you might want to um you need to to
address if you want to maintain that um
natural Capital that you're looking
for they're recognized by as in that's
International classification there are
um uh National ones as in there are
national by diversity hotspots
recognized in
Australia uh what do you need in order
to become that well again largely intact
native species High diversity of
endemics I only there um but again uh
there are risks or it's either existing
or previous or ongoing risks that that
is going to be damage to that to those
values that that the the B of University
is going to be degraded again so hotspot
being a good thing lots of stuff we want
there Hotpot is a bad thing it's where
there's a lot of pressure and they also
have got in um because this is used as a
criteria for deciding where to
fund can we actually achieve value for
money in conservation I.E you might have
something which has a highl high level
of biodiversity it might high level of
threats make the criteria of the Hotpot
but if it's looks it's going to be in
feasible expensive to try to protect
that then it won't actually be sort of
classified um which is sort of a
slightly pragmatic way of talking about
this because it will potentially remove
as being flagged as a hotspot areas
where they're saying well it's there
it's highly valuable it's highly under
threat and we can't do anything about it
so we're not going to sort of tag it as
being um as being a
Hotpot so this is this is the regions
where it exists perhaps not surprisingly
um Southwest of do way again gets in but
it's now broader you can see all through
in terms of the regions as to where this
is coming in but notably a large
proportion in terms of area over here in
wa um around the Kimberly ningaloo so
on uh the wheat belt for us and then
bits over East um
as
well so what are we doing in terms of
trying to protect this in terms of
management well there's this idea of um
a national
Reserve
um the idea is to is to identify
areas specify what and then specify what
can and cannot be done within those
areas in terms of economic activity and
development uh there's a national
Reserve System uh which we're going to
have a quick
um look at in the next slide but there's
also in in terms of the Marine system
there are State and commonwealth state
uh controls
um the waters up to 3 miles off the
coast then beyond that it's Commonwealth
but there are reserves Marine reserve
systems and then there are NATO reserves
and state forests and so on so this it's
given the layers of government um within
Australia there are these similar layers
of of of protected areas so this is the
current as far as I could find the
current Reserve System um and what you
can see is large areas the blue
obviously is the is the Marine um
systems there are some inserts here in
terms of U areas off around Islands
owned by
Australia
um
obviously the um GRE barer Reef and all
around of Queensland high levels of of
protection what you can see notably in
terms of what's happening within the uh
country there's large areas that are
protected but they are largely in the
center where there is very little
economic activity and people there so in
some
sense relatively low levels of threat
and relatively easy to protect I a low
economic cost of saying of limitting the
economic activity that can can occur
which is one of the problems that's also
you need to be careful when you're
looking at this especially in the Marine
space it can be specified as a marine
protected area but there are different
levels and classifications of what can
happen and sometimes the level of
restriction on activity can be really
quite low um it might be limited to
purely you can't put oil rigs or
whatever into those areas but everything
else can commercial fishing Rel
everything else can happen quite happily
so you have to be aware that just
because it's it's been designated um a
protected area there are classifications
as to what you are allowed to do so you
need to dig into those to fully
understand the extent to which things
have been
protected there's then the idea about
well how do you protect and restore
biodiversity and there's these sort of
ideas about how you might want to do
exit your conservation that means you're
doing it away from where the species is
originally um protected or originally
exist so gin or seed banks in order to
avoid Extinction Botanical Zoological
Gardens where you have um plants growing
naturally but they're not in the natural
environment not in their
ecosystem um there's then increasing
moves to try to do uh conservation um
which is not in the Reserve System but
say paying people to provide the
ecosystem Services we recognize that
these ecosystem services are valuable
they might be provided on land that's
held by private individuals we're going
to pay them to ensure that um exists
creating wild of corridors biodiversity
offsets if a development happens
requiring that the developer if they
damage or destroy an ecosystem that they
restore ecosystem of equal value
somewhere
else um and potentially also this idea
of species
translocation as in if there's
development happening or there's threats
climate change in particular now is a
big one um
can one actually move species that are
under threat because their ecosystem is
going to evolve in a way that they can't
cope with to actually move them into
other
areas so what have we covered in this
first uh week for this um biodiversity
section what's biodiversity why is it
important and how we can measure it uh
and it's the measurement part of Light
which connects with what we're going to
be doing in the lab and when we star to
talk about Statistics over the next
couple of weeks
so we'll finish
there
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