Chapter 11. Chapter 11: Preserving Biodiversity
How do single species conservation programs compare to ecosystem-based approaches?
Guiding Question 11.2
How do single species conservation programs compare to ecosystem-based approaches?
Why You Should Care
The convention for preserving species has been to find a flagship organism, something big, furry, and charismatic, like tigers or pandas, to serve as a focal point for conservation efforts. One expectation of this single-species approach is that, in order to protect the habitat for the flagship organism, the ecosystem will be protected for many more. What has often happened instead is that the flagship species is protected in captivity and reintroduced to its native habitat without much effort to protect that habitat from degradation. Focusing efforts on saving entire ecosystems has the potential benefit of protecting both flagship species and other less “charismatic” species as well. Moreover, the chances of survival of threatened species improve when more of their native habitat is protected.
Protecting ecosystems has more direct benefits to people than just preserving biodiversity. Ecosystem services are the resources and services provided by a healthy ecosystem to humans. Examples include providing clean drinking water, preventing erosion, and being a source for medicines. Saving flagship species is important and raises the public’s awareness of the issue of biodiversity loss. Preserving imperiled ecosystems has possibly greater potential for protecting those species long-term and providing humans with a healthy environment.
Test Your Vocabulary
Choose the correct term from the drop-down for each of the following definitions:
1. A conservation strategy that focuses on protecting one particular species is .
2. A is the focal point of public awareness campaigns aimed at generating interest in conservation in general.
3. The species that are particularly vulnerable to ecosystem perturbations, and that, when we monitor them, can give us advance warning of a problem are .
4. A conservation strategy that focuses on protecting the ecosystem as a whole in an effort to protect the species that live there is .
5. The repair of natural habitats back to (or close to) their original state is .
6. A conservation strategy that focuses on protecting the ecosystem as a whole in an effort to protect the species that live there is .
7. is an ecosystem conservation strategy that specifically identifies a suite of species, chosen because they use all the vital areas within an ecosystem; meeting the needs of these species will keep the ecosystem fully functional, thus meeting the needs of all species that live there.
1.
The species targeted for the single-species approach to conservation are likely to be:
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8.
A ________ is a group of indicator species chosen as a focus for conservation efforts because together they utilize the widest variety of habitats within the ecosystem or landscape.
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