1. Target 4 BIODIVERSITY

2.  A term used to describe the variety of life found on Earth or in an ecosystem.  The species in an ecosystem have a strong influence over each other.  INTERDEPENDENCE  The removal of one species could have a cascade effect.  Keystone Species THE DEFINITION OF BIODIVERSITY

3.  A species that is very important to an ecosystem and that many others depend on.  Examples:  American alligator: Alligators use their tails to make burrows to stay warm and when they move on, these burrows fill with water which is used by other species. Alligators are also predators, keeping the numbers of other species in check.  Beavers: Beavers are considered habitat engineers because they change the environment by building dams. This dam building provides still water in which many species flourish.  Bees: By pollinating plants, bees contribute to their survival. The plants are shelter for insects, which are then eaten by other species, like birds. KEYSTONE SPECIES

4.  There are many threats to biodiversity today. The biggest ones can be remembered by using the acronym H.I.P.P.O.:  Habitat Loss  Invasive Species  Pollution  Population (Human)  Overharvesting or Overconsumption HIPPO

5.  Erosion  Removal of resources for us, like medicine, fiber, building materials etc.  Inspiration/Beauty is destroyed  Interdependence is disturbed PROBLEMS HIPPO CAUSES…

6.  Why is a diverse ecosystem more resilient than a less diverse ecosystem? REMEMBER…

7.  Alteration and fragmentation directly affect the species that rely on the habitat that is being changed.  Deforestation  Fragmentation HABITAT LOSS

8. WHY?

9.  Invasive species are harmful non-native species whose introduction or spread threatens the environment, the economy and society, including human health.  Invasive species originate from other continents, adjacent countries or from other ecosystems  Accidental  Purposeful INVASIVE SPECIES

10.  Free from predation and competition  Many invasive species reproduce rapidly and damage, displace or destroy native species. INVASIVE SPECIES

11.  Pollution is emitted in many different forms, including atmospheric pollution, soil and water pollution, pesticides, particulate matter, and heavy metals.  There are thousands of pollutants circulating through the Earth's ecosystems, and many of these materials have significant, large-scale impacts on forests and aquatic ecosystems. POLLUTION

12.  Burning fossil fuels  climate change  Acid precipitation  Fertilizers/Phosphates from detergents  Dead Zones  Mercury… released from burning coal etc.  BPA.. In plastics… affects hormones  DDT POLLUTION EXAMPLES

13.  Increase in concentration of a pollutant from one link in a food chain to another  We are concerned about these phenomena because together they mean that even small concentrations of chemicals in the environment can find their way into organisms in high enough dosages to cause problems. BIOMAGNIFICATION

15. For biomagnification to occur, a pollutant has to be:  long-lived  mobile  soluble in fats  biologically active

16.  Human population growth adds to the impact of all the other causes because more people require more space and more resources. POPULATION GROWTH

17. OVERHARVESTING/OVERCONSUMPTION

18.  Over-consumption is the harvest of species at a rate higher than can be sustained by the natural reproduction of the population. OVERCONSUMPTION

19.  POLLUTION  http://vimeo.com/25563376  INVASIVE SPECIES  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpZ7smai2p8&safety_mod e=true&persist_safety_mode=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpZ7smai2p8&safety_mod e=true&persist_safety_mode=1  OVERCONSUMPTION  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggtxA4wuXzY&safety_mod e=true&persist_safety_mode=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggtxA4wuXzY&safety_mod e=true&persist_safety_mode=1  DEFORESTATION  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4jhjt1_eyM&safety_mode =true&persist_safety_mode=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4jhjt1_eyM&safety_mode =true&persist_safety_mode=1

20.  Many of these threats are related and can compound to create larger threats to biodiversity!  In recent decades, more work is being done to preserve biodiversity!