1. Coral Reef Biodiversity

2. Biodiversity is a vital natural resource
The variety of the earth’s species, the genes they contain, the ecosystems in which they live and the ecosystem processes.
Biodiversity is a vital natural resource

3. Basic Concepts of Biological Diversity
Genetic diversity:
total # of genetic characteristics.
Habitat diversity:
total # different kinds of habitat in a given unit area.
Species diversity:
total # of a specific species, sub species or group of species

4. 10 species; 100 ind, 87 elephants, 9 sp w/ 2 ind each

5. 10 species; 100 ind, 10 ind each species

6. Species Diversity
Merely counting the number of species is not enough to describe biological diversity.

7. Basic Concepts of Biological Diversity
Genetic diversity:
total # of genetic characteristics of a specific species, sub species or group of species.
Habitat diversity:
the different kinds of habitat in a given unit area.
Species diversity:
Species richness- total # of sp
Species evenness- the relative abundance of sp
Species dominance- the most abundant sp

8. What is the Diversity Index of that forest?
A diversity index is a mathematical measure of diversity in a community.
Important to select area, understand what you are counting and be familiar with the organisms in order to do a DI
What is the Diversity Index of that forest?

10. Species Richness (diversity)
Species richness not very informative
Each community has 5 spp & 50 individuals
Spp1
Spp 2
Spp 3
Spp 4
Spp 5
Comm A 10 B 46 1

11. Take a few minutes to look over the spread sheet
You will observe data gathered on 3 different ecosystems.
Write down 3 observations
Which ecosystems are more diverse; those with larger DI numbers or smaller ? Explain

12. Take a few minutes to look over the spread sheet Write down 3 observations
Which ecosystems are more diverse; those with larger DI numbers or smaller ? Explain
Compare Ecosystems A and B- How do their indices compare? Each has 10 different species, Ecosystem A has only 29 organisms and Ecosystem B has over 300
Which has a healthier Diversity Index? Why
Compare the last two Ecosystem indices. What do you notice?

13. A B C
pop. DI
Totals 29
0.1058
311
0.1067
4400
0.1209
Species 1 2
0.0048 23
0.0055
100
0.0005
Species 2 3
0.0107
200
0.0021
Species 3 4
0.0190 34
0.0120
500
0.0129
Species 4 22
0.0050
600
0.0186
Species 5 33
0.0113
400
0.0083
Species 6 44
0.0200
700
0.0253
Species 7
Species 8
300
0.0046
Species 9
Species 10 DI
Sample

14. Diversity indices
To get a better description of the community we need to get a measure of spp richness and evenness of their distribution

15. Diversity indices Over 60 indices used in ecology
Indices used to measure proportional abundance
Two major forms:
Dominance indices (e.g. Simpson index)
Information indices (e.g. Shannon Weiner index)

16. Simpson Diversity Index (D)
It takes into account the number of species present, as well as the relative abundance of each species
D ranges from 0 to 1, with 0 representing infinite diversity and 1 representing no diversity

17. Simpson Diversity Index (D)
Ds = (n1(n1 -1)/N(N-1))
Where:
Ds = Bias corrected form for Simpson Index
n1 = number of individuals of spp 1
N = Total number of spp in community
In this form as diversity increases index value gets smaller

18. Simpson Diversity Index (D)
Sugar
Maple
Red
Yellow
Birch
Oak
White
Ash
Total #
Trees 56 48 12 6 3
125
((56*55)/(125*124))+ ((48*47)/(125*124)) + …………. ….((3*2)/125*124)) =

19. Diversity Lab DIRECTIONS:
In this activity your "ecosystem" will be the school parking lot, and the "species" will be the different car models and colors. As a class, we will be comparing the species diversity of the student and staff parking lots.
Two large groups- Each split into 2 groups
one of the subgroups does Faculty the other Student Cars.

20. Quadrat Sampling
Students analyze images of two different reefs and make a hypothesis on the rate the health of each. • Transect studies are used to determine the biodiversity of two areas. • In order to compare the two reef systems a line or path is used for sampling. A ten meter transect in the field is transferred to every 12 inches in the classroom • Students determine and classify the number and type of corals quadrat sampling method in the classroom. • Just because there are the same number of total organisms and species in two areas does not mean that they have the same biodiversity. • Conclusion should be made once data is collected. The hypothesis analyzed and new hypothesis typically formed based on the data.

21. Quadrat Sampling Estimating percent cover on the benthos using a metre-square quadrat with string or fishing line strung across at 10 cm intervals.

24. Transect and Quadrat Sampling

26. Habitat A

27. Common Coral Group SOFT CORALS HARD CORALS GORGONIANS
Orange Tree Coral
Dendronephthya genus
S-Tree
Medium- Rusty
G-Rust
Medium- Brown
G-Brow
H-Eleg
Elegance Coral (Catalaphyllia jardinei)
Coral Group Counted if <1cm
Ricordea Mushroom
S-Rico
Zoanthus Eagle Eye
S-ZoEy
Acropora Staghorn Coral
H-Stag
Brain coral
family Faviidae
H-Brai
Zoanthus S-ZoBr
Cyanobacteria covering coral
H-EuGr Green Hammer Coral Euphyllia H-EuBR Brown

28. Habitat B

29. Sample set A 1 3 2

30. Sample set B 2 3 1

31. Sample set C 2 1 3

32. Conclusion Quadrat Sampling
• Just because there are the same number of total organisms and species in two areas does not mean that they have the same biodiversity. • Conclusion should be made once data is collected. The hypothesis analyzed and new hypothesis typically formed based on the data.

33. Earth is home to a tremendous diversity of species
Ecosystem diversity- the variety of ecosystems within a given region.
Species diversity- the variety of species in a given ecosystem.
Genetic diversity- the variety of genes within a given species.

34. Niches
Realized niche- the range of abiotic and biotic conditions under which a species lives. This determines the species distribution, or areas of the world where it lives.
Niche generalist- species that live under a wide range of conditions.
Niche specialist- species that live only in specific habitats.

36. The Fossil Record
Fossils- remains of organisms that have been preserved in rock. Much of what we know about evolution comes from the fossil record.

37. The Five Global Mass Extinctions
Mass extinction- when large numbers of species went extinct over a relatively short period of time.

38. The Sixth Mass Extinction
Scientists feel that we are in our sixth mass extinction, occurring in the last two decades.
Estimates of extinction rates vary widely, from 2 % to 25% by 2020.
In contrast to previous mass extinctions, scientists agree that this one is caused by humans.