Lecture 04, 01 Sept Conservation Biology ECOL 406R/506R University of Arizona Fall Kevin Bonine Kathy Gerst

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1 Lecture 04, 01 Sept 2005 Conservation Biology ECOL 406R/506R University of Arizona Fall 2005 Kevin Bonine Kathy Gerst 1 Conservation Biology 406R/506R 1. Ethics and Philosophy, What is Conservation Biology 1. Van Dyke Chapter 3 2. Callicott Noss Leopold 1. Role Playing for Thursday next week 2 1

Problems Addressed by Conservation Biologists: 1 Genetic Diversity variation, inbreeding, drift, hybridization 2 Species MVP, PVA small populations declining populations metapopulations 3 Habitat

2 Problems Addressed by Conservation Biologists: 1 Genetic Diversity variation, inbreeding, drift, hybridization 2 Species MVP, PVA small populations declining populations metapopulations 3 Habitat loss, fragmentation, isolation, heterogeneity 4 Ecosystem Processes scale 5 Human sustainability 3 the crux -Metapopulations -Island Biogeography MacArthur and Wilson Testable Hypotheses -Thresholds Van Dyke

xx corridor craze Van Dyke 2003 5 Is conservation biology a distinct discipline?

Value laden and mission driven 3. Diversity and complexity good Untimely extinction bad 4.

3 xx corridor craze Van Dyke Is conservation biology a distinct discipline? -Biodiversity (levels and scales) -Prevent degradation and loss 1. Scarcity and Abundance 2. Value laden and mission driven 3. Diversity and complexity good Untimely extinction bad 4. Evolution is good (genotypic variation) -process 5. Biotic diversity has intrinsic value (~Soulé s normative postulates) 6 3

4 Soulé Crisis Discipline? 7 Objectivity vs. Neutrality (Van Dyke p. 57) 8 4

Journal of Wildlife Management (1937) Wildlife Society

5 Journal of Wildlife Management (1937) Wildlife Society Bulletin vs. Conservation Biology Biological Conservation Meffe and Carroll Noss 1999 Is there a special conservation biology? Origins Soulé et al SCB 1986 Conservation Biology 1987 Ideas -Precautionary Principle -Value Laden -Species differences -Umbrella species -Advocacy 10 5

Responsible Advocacy? Noss 1999 Ethical Advocacy? p.117, Noss 1999: tropical rainforest vs. economic development program Is ConBio distinct discipline?

6 Responsible Advocacy? Noss 1999 Ethical Advocacy? p.117, Noss 1999: tropical rainforest vs. economic development program Is ConBio distinct discipline? 11 Noss 1999 Society for Conservation Biology (SCB; ~1987): to help develop the scientific and technical means for the protection, maintenance, and restoration of life on this planet its species, its ecological and evolutionary processes, and its particular and total environment (cited in Noss 1999, p. 114) 12 6

7 Noss 1999 Science Management Policy 13 Noss 1999 What does he mean by a special conservation biology? How is the Environmental Movement similar to, or different than, Conservation Biology? 14 7

8 Van Dyke Chapter 3 Callicott (Chapter 2 in Meffe and Carroll, 1997) 15 Values, Ethics, Philosophy... Basis for estimation of worth Systematic organization of values VALUE OF BIODIVERSITY -Instrumental/utilitarian -Intrinsic/inherent 16 8

9 Callicott Values, Ethics, Philosophy... Monetizing -discount rate -rates of growth and reproduction Economic development short sighted? BCA Valuation methods willingness to pay/ accept travel cost existence value contingent valuation bequest value 18 9

10 Madagascar Periwinkle Argument (Callicott p. 30) 19 =14-1 Miller 2003 Conventional Economics 20 10

11 Ecological Economics =14-2 Miller Ecological vs Conventional Economics =14-3 Miller

12 Anthropocentric Biocentric Ecocentric 23 Evolution of rights monarchs white males all men humanity sentient beings nature? Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) Bonuses? (Callicott p. 47) 24 12

B of P 25 Plastic Trees in Los Angeles? knowledge -> advocacy?

13 Shift Burden of Proof/Responsibility (precautionary principle) SMS (safe minimum standard) ~Developers ~Conservationists 1 Instrumental 2 Intrinsic also 3 BCA 4 SMS B of P B of P B of P B of P 25 Plastic Trees in Los Angeles? knowledge -> advocacy? Perhaps our grandsons, having never seen a wild river, will never miss the chance to set a canoe in singing waters. -Leopold26 13

14 Values, Ethics, Philosophy... Rolston Essay (p. 35 in Van Dyke text) -species vs. species in the system (definition of species) -value of evolutionary trajectory -extinction and doors (temporal and spatial scales) 27 Anthropogenic perturbations: fast rate and large spatial scale. (Cited in Callicott 1997) 28 14

15 Values, Ethics, Philosophy... Ethics: constrain self-serving behavior in deference to some other good Tragedy of the Commons Role of religions? interpretation 29 Science, Vol 162, Issue 3859, , 13 December 1968 The Tragedy of the Commons Garrett Hardin The tragedy of the commons develops in this way. Picture a pasture open to all. It is to be expected that each herdsman will try to keep as many cattle as possible on the commons. Such an arrangement may work reasonably satisfactorily for centuries because tribal wars, poaching, and disease keep the numbers of both man and beast well below the carrying capacity of the land. Finally, however, comes the day of reckoning, that is, the day when the long-desired goal of social stability becomes a reality. At this point, the inherent logic of the commons remorselessly generates tragedy. As a rational being, each herdsman seeks to maximize his gain. Explicitly or implicitly, more or less consciously, he asks, "What is the utility to me of adding one more animal to my herd?" This utility has one negative and one positive component. 1) The positive component is a function of the increment of one animal. Since the herdsman receives all the proceeds from the sale of the additional animal, the positive utility is nearly +1. 2) The negative component is a function of the additional overgrazing created by one more animal. Since, however, the effects of overgrazing are shared by all the herdsmen, the negative utility for any particular decision-making herdsman is only a fraction of - 1. Adding together the component partial utilities, the rational herdsman concludes that the only sensible course for him to pursue is to add another animal to his herd. And another; and another.... But this is the conclusion reached by each and every rational herdsman sharing a commons. Therein is the tragedy. Each man is locked into a system that compels him to increase his herd without limit--in a world that is limited. Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons. Freedom in a commons brings ruin to 30 all. 15

16 31 Van Dyke 2003 Personal Example? Virtue? (Van Dyke p. 75) 32 16

17 1. Should conservation biologists explain the value of biodiversity in purely instrumental terms or should they also include reasons invoking intrinsic value? How should we respond to the question of What good is it? 34 17

3. How do we know that humans, or anything, have intrinsic value? 35 4.

18 3. How do we know that humans, or anything, have intrinsic value? How does this quote from Leopold: sit with the idea of intrinsic value? 36 18

19 Aldo Leopold Foundation 37 Objectivity is only possible in matters too small to be important, or in matters too large to do anything about. (p. 226) -Leopold 38 19

20 Leopold Thinking like a mountain a mountain lives in mortal fear of its deer Escudilla progress? It s only a mountain now. The planet will survive, will we? 39 4 a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise Aldo Leopold 40 20

21 5 Aldo Leopold Land Ethic -land ethic enlarges the community to include biota -processes -evolutionary/ecological biology -scale of perturbation (temporal, spatial) -violence -What is land-health? 41 6 Aldo Leopold Land Ethic -land pyramid 42 21

understands how the system works and can control it 43 Evolution of rights Evolution of the King

22 7 Aldo Leopold Land Ethic -social evolution (social disapproval for wrong actions) -human as plain member and citizen, not ruler -Conquerer self defeating because falsely thinks s/he understands how the system works and can control it 43 Evolution of rights Evolution of the King 8 monarchs white males all men humanity sentient beings nature Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) 44 22

23 Leopold 9 -Property vs. propriety -Role of land in human history (Diamond Guns Germs and Steel) -Sacrifice -Obligation of private landowner -Livestock, Violence -Economics? In our attempt to make conservation easy we have made it trivial (p.246) -Leopold 46 23

24 11 Whether you will or not You are a King, Tristram, for you are one Of the time-tested few that leave the world, When they are gone, not the same place it was. Mark what you leave. As quoted in Leopold, 1949 p. 261 (The Land Ethic) 47 24

Ch4, Costanza et al. 1997, Driessen 2004 for Thurs Lab this Friday (08 Sept 2006), meet S side BSE. Grading for Oral Presentations:

Ch4, Costanza et al. 1997, Driessen 2004 for Thurs Lab this Friday (08 Sept 2006), meet S side BSE. Grading for Oral Presentations: Housekeeping, 05 September 2006 Lecture 05, 05 Sept 2006 Ch3, Callicott, Leopold Conservation Biology ECOL 406R/506R University of Arizona Fall 2006 Kevin Bonine Kathy Gerst Values and Ethics in Conservation