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Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander
Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum
Bio
Diver
sity
the variety and variability of life on planet earth, a measure of the variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem level
Images courtesy of Wix
The Five greatest Threats to
biodiversity
H
abitat
I
nvasive
species
P
opulation
The SCLTS's habitat is sensitive to change, so when it is degraded (by weather, humans, or other species), it reduces the chance of them surviving.
The SCLTS isn't really affected by many invasive species, but they are susceptible to disease, especially the Bsal Fungus which is on the rise (Yap & Koo, 2015)
The SCLTS is affected by the growing human population, as described on this page. How would you feel if someone came and build a road through your house?
P
ollution
C
limate
hange
O
ver-harvesting
Pollution from nearby farms' herbicides and pesticides change the chemical composition of the SCLTS's pools. How would you feel if someone put Chlorpyrifos in your drinking water?
The C in the HIPPCO acronym encompasses all
the other components. It's caused by population and pollution, but most of all, it contributes to degradation of habitat (Hoffman, 2015). The increased temperatures diminish rain, drying up amphibian ponds. Read more about it here!
Overharvesting isn't much of an issue for the SCLTS. They aren't exactly a high-demand commodity. No evidence has been found that points to poaching. However, other amphibians are at risk for being stolen from their homes. Read more about it here!
Why is Biodiversity Important
It provides us with ecosystem services
Biodiversity ensures that the organisms who provide us with things that we couldn't live without in modern times. Most obviously, plants provide us with food, and the more types of crops that grown, the more successful the farms will be, which is why there is a movement against monocropping. Plants also provide us with medicines (Shaw, 2018)
Biodiversity keeps forests healthy by cycling nutrients. Without forests, CO2 cannot be filtered, leaving more greenhouse gases to linger in the ozone layer, which heats up and destroys more habitats. Plus, we need oxygen to breathe, which is also given to us through forest nutrient cycling.
(Shaw, 2018)
It keeps ecosytems alive to continue to prevent climate change
It Supports the economy
Biodiversity gives us earthlings an economic boost thanks to ecosystem services and aesthetic value. People travel to places with high biodiversity (like Costa Rica), not to see oil refineries and poorly designed buildings, but to see its rainforests and the flora and fauna that dwell in them. Ecotourism helps to fund the groups that continue to conserve and protect that biodiversity.
All animals have a right to live. They didn't ask humans to come onto their land and destroy their habitat. Take a minute to walk a mile in the shoes of a California grizzly bear, another symbol of the Golden State, who is literally extinct from its namesake. The last California grizzly was shot in the late 1920s (NPS, 2017). Many organisms (such as the grizzly bear) may not have any obvious economic value, but all organisms partake in nutrient cycling. These organisms have intrinsic value, meaning that their value comes from not from its benefit to humans, but from their beauty in and of itself.
Ethical obligation
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