Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is biodiversity?
A. Defenders of
Wildlife, in its publication, “Oregon’s Living Landscape,”
defines biodiversity as “the variety of life and its processes.”
A widely-accepted variation on this definition includes: “the
variety of living organisms, the genetic differences between them,
the communities and ecosystems in which they occur, and the ecological
and evolutionary processes that keep them functioning, yet ever-changing
and adapting.”(1)
Biodiversity encompasses species diversity,
genetic diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
- Species diversity is the variety
of species on earth, including amphibians, reptiles, birds,
mammals, viruses, bacteria, fish, fungi, plants, invertebrates,
and insects.
- Genetic diversity is genetic
variation in individual plants, animals, and humans. Genetic
variations create individual characteristics and allow species
to adapt to changing conditions and new diseases.
- Ecosystem diversity is the variety
of habitats and climates on earth and the interactions between
ecosystems and species. These ecosystems provide species, including
humans, with food, shelter, clean air, clean water, and help
to regulate climate.
Q. There are so
many species on earth, why will it matter if we lose a few?
A. Extinction is
a natural process, but with so many species at risk of extinction
due to human activities, extinction is currently several times the
normal, or background, rate. We are losing species more quickly
than normal evolutionary processes can replace. Once a species
becomes extinct, its role in its ecosystem is eliminated, leaving
a void and weakening ecosystem function and services. The ecosystem
and, thus, other species, including humans, are no longer as resilient
to further ecological damage.
Q. How many identified
species exist in the United States?
A. According to
a study published by the Smithsonian Society, 204,000 of the approximately
400,000 to 600,000 species contained in the United State have been
identified.
Q. Doesn’t
the federal Endangered Species Act protect species from extinction?
A. Few, if any,
federal laws or programs address protection of plants, animals,
and ecosystems before they become imperiled. While the federal government
can regulate interstate commerce and has developed several environmental
laws beyond the Endangered Species Act (e.g., Clean Air Act, Clean
Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, etc.) under the U.S.
Constitution, individual states bear most of the responsibility
for managing wildlife within their borders.
Although federal programs provide some protection
to species, states are better able to identify species loss and
conservation needs within their borders. We need more than the minimum
reactionary federal protections provided by the Endangered Species
Act. States can heed the early warning signs and take a proactive
stance to protect animals and plants before they become federally
listed.
Q. What are the
threats to biodiversity?
A.
- Habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation –
agricultural conversion, urbanization, wetland draining, forest
fragmentation;
- Water use – infrastructure changes, irrigation, municipal
use;
- Environmental contaminants and pollution;
- Global climate change;
- Over-exploitation – over-fishing, over-hunting, poaching
and non-animal impacts like over-grazing; and
- Invasive species.
Q. Where can I
find biodiversity information for my state?
A.
- NatureServe
serves as a coordinating body for the network of state natural
heritage programs. Each state program maintains its own database
of information on rare species throughout their state on both
public and private lands.
- USGS (United
States Geological Survey) Gap Analysis Programs (GAP) –
Every state either has completed GAP or anticipates completion
of GAP by 2005. These programs are designed to take an inventory
of species and ecosystems in each state.
Q. What is GAP?
A. GAP (geographic
approach to planning) refers to the Gap Analysis Program of USGS.
GAP programs analyze the distribution of animals throughout a state’s
various vegetation communities (i.e., habitat types), in an attempt
to identify gaps in protection of land areas that are rich in
biodiversity and should be managed for conservation.
The gap approach is based on three main assumptions:
- The best time to save species is while they are still common;
- It is cheaper to maintain natural populations than
it is to intensely manage endangered populations; and
- While we cannot perfectly model biodiversity, we can use what
we know about the distributions of vertebrate species and vegetation
types to assess biodiversity at local, state, regional, and
national levels.
Q. What will impede
statewide biodiversity strategies?
A. Every state has
the potential to map out a strategy for biodiversity protection
on lands within their borders. However, lack of political support,
funding, and coordination among resource agencies, environmental
organizations, land trusts, land use planners, and other stakeholders
could undermine even the best, most strategic biodiversity plans.
Q. What is currently
being done to protect biodiversity?
A. Some states have
implemented policies and programs to protect open space and endangered
species, preserve natural lands, curb sprawl, and develop
urban renewal programs. A comprehensive plan to protect biodiversity
cannot merely preserve small patches of undisturbed open land; it
should steer development away from ecologically sensitive areas
and connect larger habitat areas in an integrated network of conservation
lands. Five states (OR, FL, MA, MD, NJ) have completed statewide
assessments and strategies and another five (CA, VT, IN, DE, NH)
have programs that are well underway.
Examples of state conservation efforts include:
- The Florida
Forever program is a thorough land acquisition mechanism,
funded by the sale of Florida Forever bonds, which also restores
damaged environmental systems, develops water resources and
supplies, increases public access, manages and maintains public
lands, and acquires conservation easements.
- Maryland’s GreenPrint
Program is based on satellite mapping of green infrastructure
– vital ecological areas – and preserves, and links
these unprotected areas through strategic acquisitions and easements.
- The Maryland Waterfowl Restoration Program offers landowners
income tax benefits and technical assistance for a 10-year agreement
to create, develop, rehabilitate, and/or preserve a contiguous
10 acres of waterfowl habitat.
- As early as the 1960s, Minnesota started funding a pheasant
and wild turkey habitat improvement program with pheasant and
turkey stamps; in 1999-2000, it totaled over 5,800 acres.
- The New Jersey Green
Acres Program acquires and protects conservation and recreation
land, adding to the system of state parks, forests, natural
areas, open space, and wildlife management areas, and provides
grants and loans to purchase land.
- Oregon legislation, HB
3564, recognizes habitat protection as a legitimate land
use, removes obstacles to conservation easements, expands the
habitat conservation and management program, creates a “flexible
incentives fund,” creates technical assistance guidelines
for landowners, and will review, evaluate, report, and make
recommendations on current state efforts.
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