12.8 Analyzing The Science

The data in the table below comes from a research document prepared by the Temperate Grasslands Conservation Initiative of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas. The document was prepared to build a case for the conservation and protection of temperate grassland ecosystems by evaluating their total economic value to human well-being.

INTERPRETATION

Question 12.13

What does this figure show? Which of the grassland ecosystems is the most converted? Which one is the most protected?

Question 12.14

The Conservation Risk Index (CRI) is a ratio of habitat converted to habitat protected for each biome. It is used to assess the level of threat to a particular biome.
Calculate the CRI for each of the 13 biomes. Here is one example: CRI of deserts and xeric shrublands is 6.8/9.9 = 0.7.
A CRI greater than 8 suggests a critically endangered biome (in other words 8 times as much land is being converted as is being protected). A CRI of 2 or less is considered a biome with a low risk of endangerment. According to the CRIs you calculated in part 1, what is the status of each of the grasslands?

ADVANCE YOUR THINKING

Question 12.15

What patterns do you see in the CRIs you calculated above? Describe the patterns and include data to support your explanation.

Question 12.16

Which ecoregions are under the greatest threat?

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