“Indeed, some people would suggest that an intimate knowledge of how something works somehow diminishes its charm, relegating it to a simple deterministic consequence of a mechanical universe. But ignorance is not bliss . . .”

-- O.J. Reichman

What do biologists do about conservation and biodiversity?

• Catalog and track species

• Project future changes

• Document threats and study the processes behind them

• Examine the value of diversity

• Apply knowledge to restoration and management

Photo: Idelle Cooper Photo: Idelle Cooper

Tephritidae (true fruit flies)

Genus: Trupanea

Seed feeding

Gall makers or stem feeders

Shoot meristem feeders

Phylogenetic hypothesis (so far) based on variation in 836 bp of mtDNA (COI & II) and 967 bp of nuclear EF-1 using Bayesian analysis (MrBayes 3.1). Most taxa have multiple haplotypes (2-12) sequenced, but for simplicity are not shown here.

•Single origin of Hawaiian taxa

Ann O’Brien ‘03

Margaret Funk ‘08

What do biologists do about conservation and biodiversity?

• Catalog and track species

• Project future changes

• Document threats and study the processes behind them

• Examine the value of diversity

• Apply knowledge to restoration and management

Species-Area relationships

S = c * Az

log S = log c + z * log A

What do biologists do about conservation and biodiversity?

• Catalog and track species

• Project future changes

• Document threats and study the processes behind them

• Examine the value of diversity

• Apply knowledge to restoration and management

Figure 55-11a-hypothesis

Figure 55-11b-setup

Figure 55-11c-results

Figure 55-12

15 new sheepintroduced intothe population

http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/gardner/biocontrol/Myrica%20faya/Myrica%20faya%20in%20field.JPG

http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/gardner/biocontrol/myrica%20faya/myrica.htm

Vitousek and Walker 1989

Great Lakes Worm Watch

http://www.nrri.umn.edu/worms/

Hale et al. 2008

What do biologists do about conservation and biodiversity?

• Catalog and track species

• Project future changes

• Document threats and study the processes behind them

• Examine the value of diversity

• Apply knowledge to restoration and management

Figure 55-14a-hypothesis

Figure 55-14b-setup

Figure 55-14c-results

Figure 55-15a-hypothesis

Figure 55-15b-setup

Figure 55-15c-results

What do biologists do about conservation and biodiversity?

• Catalog and track species

• Project future changes

• Document threats and study the processes behind them

• Examine the value of diversity

• Apply knowledge to restoration and management

Figure 55-16

Unconnected patches Connected patches

What do biologists do about conservation and biodiversity?

• Catalog and track species

• Project future changes

• Document threats and study the processes behind them

• Examine the value of diversity

• Apply knowledge to restoration and management

Hartshorn, 1992