Conservation

• 1830- 1865: Henry David Thoreau - American naturalist/conservationist- advocated protection for the intrinsic value of nature rather than its usefulness to humans
• 1600-1800: European hunting preserves for the monarchies
• 1800-1830: Alexander von Humboldt- German naturalist scientist, conservationist,biogeography, explorer, scholar, writer (Cosmos) -major influence on 19th and 20thcentury science, exploration, political systems, conservation
• 1830-1865: George Perkins Marsh- American naturalist/conservationist‘ Man and Nature’—1863: resulted in protection of intact forests in the US
• 1863: Alfred Wallace- British naturalist/collector
• 1864: Yosemite Valley (California) protected as a Park by Abraham Lincoln
• 1872: Yellowstone established as a Park
• 1875: concept of Biosphere developed by the Austrian Suess
• 1885: Banff National Park established
• 1907: Jasper National Park established
• 1917: Mount McKinley National Park
• 1948: Establishment of the ‘World Conservation Union’-became ‘International Union for the Protection of Nature’ (IUCN) 181 countries
• 1948: Aldo Leopold: A Sand Country Almanac, and sketches Here and There.
• 1951: Serengeti Park
• 1962: ‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carson
• 1968: ‘The Population Bomb’ by Paul Ehrlich
• 1968: The first color photo of earth from the moon
• 1969: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where everypregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every youngperson's potential is fulfilled". largely defunded in the 1980’s by decision of US presidency who waspersonally opposed to birth control.
• 1970: April 22- first ‘Earth Day’ - first national US campaign supported byall political and economic layers.. led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage ofthe Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.’... became a global campaign by theend of the year
• 1972: first Landsat satellite- global coverage of land use, primaryproduction, health of vegetation, droughts, fires, deforestation......currently 75 earth-monitoring satellites in orbit
• 1975: CITES- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species: drafted 1963, passed 1973, enacted 1975

  • -5,000 animal species, 28,000 plant species

  • -three categories of classification (Appendices 1,2,3)

  183 countries by 2016
• The 3 categories for CITES: Appendix 1: threatened with extinction. Permits required ex. tiger, leopard, jaguar, cheetah, chimpanzee, gorilla, red panda, Asiatic elephant Appendix 2: Not threatened but vulnerable. No permits required ex. Great white shark, African grey parrot, green iguana, Bigleaf mahogany Appendix 3: legal trade with restrictions
• Over 38,700 species are protected by CITES agaisnt over exploitation through international trade. Roughly 5950 of animal species and 32,800 of plant species.
• 1988: Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change (IPCC)- scientific viewof climate change.....currently the major agency for assessing global trends
• 1992: The Diversity of Life by E.O. Wilson (Chap 12)
• 1992: Ecological footprint. Concept of ecological footprint developed by William Rees at UBC, 1992. Allows individuals to assess their personal impact on the planet.
• IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT INCANADA IS 8.8 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON
• Kyoto Protocol (1997)-objective to reduce the rate of globalwarming by limiting the release ofgreenhouse gases (carbon dioxide,methane, nitrous oxide, fluorocarbons,sulphur hexafluouride)
• Canada signs the Copenhagen agreement(2009) which is a non-binding reduction toreduce greenhouse emissions by 17% for 2020In 2009, the Canadian gov’t said it would reduceemissions 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020. In2015, it was emitting more than in 2005, not less. In2015, it said it would reduce emissions 30 per centbelow 2005 levels by 2030.
• 2015: Paris agreement: aimed at limiting global warming to less than 2oC, andpursue efforts to limit the rise to 1.5oC.-194 countries signed (US withdraws 2019)
• 2021: COP26.
• IUCN protected area management category 1: Strict nature reserve/wilderness area• 1a Strict nature reserve: managed mainly for science (Ecological Reserve)• 1b Wilderness area: managed mainly for wilderness protection
• IUCN protected area management category 2: National park• 2a National Park: managed mainly for ecosystem conservation• 2b National monument or natural landmark: managed mainly for conservation of specific natural features
• IUCN protected area management category 3: Natural monument or feature• 3a Natural monument or feature: managed mainly for conservation of specific natural features• 3b Managed resource protected area: managed mainly for production of renewable resources
• IUCN protected area management category 4: Habitat/species management area• 4a Habitat/species management area: managed mainly for conservation through management intervention• 4b Managed resource conserved area: managed mainly for maintenance of biological productivity
• IUCN protected area management category 5: Protected landscape/seascape• 5a Protected Landscape/Seascape: managed mainly for landscape/seascape conservation• 5b Multiple use managed resource conserved area: managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural resources
• IUCN protected area management category 6: Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources• 6a Sustainably used sacred site: managed mainly for cultural heritage and traditional subsistence activities• 6b Community-based forest management: managed mainly for local community benefits
• Brazil protected area around 29%, Ecuador around 22, Canada around 11% and US around 13%.
• • Of the 100 terrestrial ecosections in B.C.-34 have 0-1% of their area protected-12 have 1-3% of their area protected-11 have 3-6% protected-16 have 6-12% protected27 (mainly mountain tops) have morethan 12% protected-11% of the mid-elevation old growth isprotected-.........low-elevation old growthprotected ~3%.
• Protected areas are the main strategy for slowing terrestrial biodiversity loss.