the living lands project · 2019. 12. 16. · management plans –community forums –carbon...
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Aimee Weldon Living Lands Project
Manager
Living Lands ProjectDefenders of Wildlife
The Living Lands Project
Our Mission:
To support the work of local land trusts interested in conserving native wildlife and habitat diversity
Land Trusts are Essential >70% of 1.8 billion acres in private ownership
Private Land is Important
• > 65% of all Threatened and Endangered species rely on private lands
• 10% found only on private lands
Protected Lands are Insufficient
• Protected areas are:– Too small– Too fragmented– Too isolated
• Federal dollars are drying up
Land and Water Conservation Fund
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2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
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FederalState
Protected Lands are Insufficient
• Protected areas are:– Too small– Too fragmented– Too isolated
• Federal dollars are drying up
• Climate Change??
Land Trusts Care about Habitat
• Total response: 135 land trusts
• Mission includes habitat: 97%
• Protect agricultural lands: 71%
• Want to increase capacity for biodiversity conservation: 89%
Land Trust Barriers
• 30% of land trusts had no staff - 60% had 2 or less
• Major Barriers– Lack of staff
– Lack of funding
– Limited expertise
– Not a priority for funders
What we Offer: Biodiversity Grants• Annual awards of up to
$10,000• Funded projects:
– Habitat restoration– Development of wildlife
monitoring and management plans
– Community forums– Carbon sequestration and
working forest easement models
Teton Regional Land Trust restoration project
Nisqually Land Trust protection project
What we Offer: Capacity Building and Training Opportunities
• Workshops– Biodiversity Track at Rally– Regional conferences
• Chesapeake Bay watershed opportunity
• Funding expertise• Educational resources:www.defenders.org/livinglands
What we Offer: Wildlife Volunteer Corps
Questions?Contact:Aimee WeldonLiving Lands Project ManagerDefenders of [email protected]
What’s Biodiversity Got to Do With It?
Bruce A. Stein
Biodiversity for Dummies WorkshopLand Trust Alliance RallySeptember 20, 2008
Biodiversity
Life on Earth
Levels of Biodiversity
Ecosystems
Species
Genes
Components of Biodiversity
n Compositionq The different types of things (e.g., species,
communities, genes)n “diversity” or richness (number of different things)
n Structureq Physical patterns (e.g., forests, grasslands)
n Function q Processes, both ecological and evolutionaryn fire, flooding, gene flow, etc.n “you can't hug a biogeochemical cycle"
Etymology (not entomology – that’s bugs)
n Shortened from “biological diversity”
n First use of “biodiversity” attributed to EO Wilson as part of 1986 conference hosted by National Research Council
n Rapid adoption, particularly post Earth Summit (1992)q ...but grandmothers universally have no clue what
it means!
Definitions
n No universally adopted definitionn Convention on Biological Diversity
q “. . . the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.”
n My working definitionq the variety and variability of life on Earth, from
genes to ecosystems, together with the ecological and evolutionary processes that sustain it.
q or, most simply: The variety of life on Earth
Other Commonly Used Terms(some interchangeable, some not)
n Wildlife
n Fish and Wildlife
n Plants and Animals
n Species and Ecosystems
n Habitats
n Nature
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How are U.S. Species Faring?Endangered Species Act Listings
1,310 U.S. species listed (2/07) under ESA566 animals and 744 plants
Source: USFWS TES database
NatureServe Status of U.S. Species
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Birds
Mammals
Butterflies/ Skippers
Reptiles
Dragonflies/ Damselflies
Tiger Beetles
Ferns/Fern Allies
Gymnosperms
Flowering Plants
Freshwater Fishes
Amphibians
Crayfish
Freshwater Mussels
Vulnerable (G3)
Imperiled (G2)
Critically Imperiled (G1)
Presumed/Possibly Extinct (GX/GH)
Source: Stein et al. 2000Analysis includes 20,897 species.
State Patterns of Diversity and Risk
Diversity Risk(% GX-G3)
Extinction
Percent of land area of 6-digit HUCs as a function of reduction in native fish diversity
0
1-9%
10-24%25-49%
≥ 50%N/A (fishless)
Declines in Native Fish
Key Threats to Biodiversity
n Habitat Loss
n Invasive species
n Altered ecosystem functionsq fire regimesq hydrologic flows
n Emerging diseases
n Climate change
Sea Level Rise
n Atlantic and Gulf sea level rose 5-6 inches in last century
n IPCC estimates from .6 to 2 feet rise in next century
n Other studies suggest possibility of rises of 5 feet or more
Habitat Shifts
n Change in habitat suitability for different forests by late century
n Species will move (or not) at varying rates; not as entire communities
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists
Ecosystem Services: A New Paradigm for Valuing Biodiversity
Photo: Flickr (CarbonNYC)
New Products and Technologies
Risk Reduction
Hurricane Katrina
Bolivar Penninsula, Texas before and after Hurricane Ike
Ecosystem Services
n Supporting Servicesq Nutrient cycling, soil formation, primary productivity
n Provisioning Servicesq Food, fiber, fresh water, biochemicals
n Regulating Servicesq Pollination, hazard reduction, water regulation and
purification, climate regulation
n Cultural Servicesq Aesthetic and spiritual values, recreation